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.
Finnish hockey club aims to become world’s first carbon-neutral team
Last year, we shared a story about the Forest Green Rovers, a small football team in England that prides itself on being the greenest club on the planet. Now, we are happy to introduce you to the Lahti Pelicans, a Finnish ice hockey team that is determined to become the world’s first Read More...
“Psychological ownership” boosts environmental stewardship
Are you more likely to pick up pieces of trash on your favorite beach? Does litter on your favorite hiking trail make you particularly upset? If so, you’re not alone. Researchers from Cornell University found that people are more likely to become environmental stewards of public land that they Read More...
These four key steps are designed to help individuals protect biodiversity
Tackling our planet’s dwindling biodiversity requires an approach that targets the problem holistically. As such, a new report written by a group of multidisciplinary scientists puts forward four key steps that all parts of society should take to help protect life on Earth. The report, published Read More...
General Motors will only produce electric vehicles by 2035
America’s biggest automaker, General Motors (GM), has been rather slow in embracing electric vehicles. Of the 2.55 million vehicles sold last year by GM, only about 20,000 of those were electric vehicles. With that said, GM seems to be going all-in on electric after the automaker announced plans Read More...
Designer turns animal skin and bones into biodegradable food packaging
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: it truly doesn’t make sense from an environmental standpoint that we package fresh products with a limited lifespan in indestructible plastic. That’s why we were excited to see a new packaging design from Icelandic designer Valdís Read More...
Two historic New York City bridges to feature designated cycling paths
Since the start of the pandemic last year, an increasing number of cities worldwide have seen an uptick in the number of people embracing cycling as a means of transportation. In New York, for example, cycling has increased by 52 percent over the city’s bridges. To recognize the important role Read More...
Planting more trees linked to lower rates of depression in urban areas
We frequently discuss the link between nature and mental health on The Optimist Daily. Another study has emerged solidifying this positive relationship. A study from a team of European researchers has found that more trees planted in a city correlates with fewer antidepressant Read More...
Finnish city launches world’s first urban ski-sharing program
We’ve all heard of bike-sharing programs, but have you ever heard of a public ski-sharing program. In the Finnish city of Lahti, a first-of-its-kind program is being rolled out that allows residents to borrow some skis for a quick cross-country ski trip to the store when snow hits the city. Read More...
MIT scientists are figuring out how to grow wooden furniture in a lab
We’ve written a whole lot about cell-cultured meat grown in a lab, but today we’re here to tell you about an entirely different lab-grown endeavor: lab-grown wood. In an attempt to mitigate the environmental harm of the logging industry, scientists at MIT are growing wood-like plant tissue from Read More...
A snowy owl has been spotted in Central Park for the first time since 1890
Snowy owls reside in the Arctic for most of the year, but they migrate south in the winter in search of milder climates and more abundant food. These owls are usually sighted in upstate New York, but this year, for the first time since 1890, one has been spotted in New York City’s Central Read More...