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.
How the US Treasury can promote a greener economic future
As the new U.S. Treasury secretary, Janet Yellen will have to navigate the US economy not only through the devastation of the pandemic, but also towards a more sustainable future. Rachel Kyte, Dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University and former World Bank vice president, has shared key areas Read More...
These tiny parking lots infill homes are eco-friendly and affordable
We recently wrote about the potential to transform commercial spaces into affordable residential housing in California. Today, we share another innovative housing solution, this time from Sydney, Australia. Architect Brad Swartz is helping his neighbors turn underused parking spaces into cozy Read More...
Design studio turns crop field into dynamic light show to boost growth
The Netherlands is a relatively tiny country, which is why it may come as a surprise to you that the Netherlands is the second-largest producer of vegetables in the whole world. The central reason for this is that the Dutch have long been pioneers in using highly efficient farming techniques that Read More...
New algorithm can count elephant populations via satellite images
For decades, the best way for conservationists to monitor threatened elephant populations has been via an aircraft survey. The problem is that elephant populations live in habitats that span international borders, which can make it difficult to obtain permission for aircraft surveys. Not to mention Read More...
Empty retail space could be the solution to California’s housing crisis
According to the California Housing Partnership, the golden state needs at least 1.3 million affordable housing units to truly begin to address the mounting housing crisis. Many lawmakers and activists see California’s underused big box stores and strip malls as a solution to this problem and Read More...
Researchers rediscover tiny Tasmanian crayfish thought to be extinct
Tasmania is a biodiversity hotspot that is home to many species of wildlife, but there’s one particular species that researchers hadn’t spotted in decades: the short-tailed rain crayfish. Crayfish expert Alastair Richardson first encountered the short-tailed rain crayfish in the 1970s while Read More...
US to rejoin Paris climate accord
In a victory for climate activists and environmental action, the United States has committed to rejoining the 2015 Paris climate accord. Although this is the easiest step in a long road of climate action ahead, the re-entry demonstrates to the US and the world that climate change is once again a Read More...
Sweden to become home to the world’s first zero-emissions city zone
While Sweden’s second-largest city Gothenburg has been a leader in research and technologies combatting climate change, the city plans to take it a step further with a new ambitious initiative. Through its Green City Zone initiative, the Scandinavian city is expected to become home to the Read More...
Volunteers just cleaned up over 9,000 lbs of trash from the Tennessee River
It’s beautiful to see what happens when people come together and take responsibility for cleaning their local area. Recently, volunteers in Tennessee used a 25-foot aluminum workboat to traverse the Tennessee River and clean thousands of pounds of waste from the shorelines. The river, a Read More...
French central bank to drop coal and limit oil and gas in portfolio
The French central bank is looking towards a greener future with the announcement that it will divest from coal and limit gas and oil investments in its portfolio by 2024. The Bank of France, which manages 22 billion euros, will no longer invest in companies that generate more than 2 percent Read More...