Environment
Need some good news about the environment? The Optimist Daily is your go-to herald of positive environmental news, highlighting eco-friendly solutions and scientific progress around climate action, circularity, conservation, and more. Learn about everything eco in our Environment section.
Rare yellow penguin is mystifying biologists
In December 2019, Belgian wildlife photographer Yves Adams had an exceptional stroke of luck while on a remote island in South Georgia. Adams was leading a two-month photography expedition through the South Atlantic and had decided to stop on a South Georgia beach. It was then that he caught Read More...
Hemp is the main ingredient in this truly sustainable alternative to wood
We have used wood to house us, furnish our lives, and further develop our civilizations for thousands of years. But now, as deforestation threatens the balance of nature, we are finding more sustainable materials to take the place of wood. The popularization of an alternate material will facilitate Read More...
How green mayo is helping save sea turtles from Mediterranean oil spill
Following a devastating oil spill on the Israeli coastline this week, an unexpected ingredient is being used to save endangered sea turtles in the region. Volunteers from Israel's National Sea Turtle Rescue Center are feeding the green sea turtles mayonnaise to flush out their digestive Read More...
Meet Domingo Morales: The young New Yorker making composting cool
Domingo Morales’s composting journey began in 2015 when he decided to apply for the Green City Force sustainability training program aimed at youth within the New York City Housing Authority. Fast forward to the present day and Morales finds himself managing composting sites and educating Read More...
How Sevilla is turning its leftover oranges into electricity
The city of Sevilla is proving there is more than just one type of juice you can produce from oranges. In a new pilot scheme, the southern Spanish city will start producing electricity from leftover oranges by capturing the methane from the fermented fruits and using it to drive a generator. Read More...
These changes could drastically reduce noise pollution in marine habitats
Noise from shipping operations and other human activities can be disruptive to marine animals, especially species like whales which rely on calls through the water to communicate. The good news is there are a few simple solutions that would greatly reduce these auditory disruptions under the Read More...
10 Great natural lawn alternatives
Last year we shared an article about how clover lawns can be a beautiful and sustainable alternative to traditional grass, but clover isn’t the only option to green up your greenery. Here are 10 other natural lawn alternatives. Creeping Thyme. Also called wild thyme, this plant grows well Read More...
How hyperlocal zoning reform could create more affordable housing
Housing costs in many US cities have risen beyond reach for millions of Americans, and evidence suggests that zoning restrictions on how much housing you can build on a plot of land are largely to blame. That’s why urbanists were thrilled when California’s capital of Sacramento voted to change Read More...
Meet the Native American tribes working to restore beaver populations
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Known as “nature’s engineers,” beavers are a critical component of many aquatic ecosystems, but unfortunately, they are often seen as a nuisance and their numbers have been declining due to habitat destruction. One group working to save these creatures Read More...
The path to making zero-carbon travel is accessible to all
The increasing acceptance of electric vehicles is motivating office garages, retail outlet parking lots, highway corridors, and residential complexes across the US to install more EV charging stations. That said, the installation of EV charging infrastructure is happening more prominently in Read More...