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.
This fashion brand wants you to send your old undies back for recycling
As circularity is slowly but steadily making its way into the fashion industry, a handful of companies, such as Levi’s and Patagonia, are nudging consumers to return their old products so they can be refurbished and resold. The thing is, the secondhand market isn’t an option for certain pieces Read More...
Researchers create first-ever aerial map of Hawaii’s coral reefs
Earlier this month, we wrote a piece about Hawaii’s Hanauma Bay and how its incredible coral reefs are teeming with life thanks to the lockdown. Today, we bring your more good news from Hawaii as a team of scientists have created the first-ever aerial map of the island's precious coral reefs. Read More...
Algae-based feed could make farmed fish more sustainable and nutritious
Aquaculture, otherwise known as fish farming, is the fastest growing food sector, but while it’s more sustainable than beef farming, the industry could make key changes that would make it far more environmentally-friendly. Changing what farmed fish are fed is a crucial first step. Most Read More...
Every time a girl is born in this Indian village, 111 trees are planted
When the former leader of the small village of Piplantri in Rajasthan, India, lost his daughter when she was very young, he wanted to come up with something that would cherish the life of each girl child to be born. That’s when he thought up the idea of creating an initiative in which 111 trees Read More...
A biotech company is using emissions to produce a palm oil substitute
Lipids and omega-3s serve as the foundation for many foods and fuel, but the problem is that they are typically produced in ways that are damaging to the planet. For instance, omega-3 fatty acids are usually sourced from farmed fish, which are commonly fed smaller, wild-caught fish. This is Read More...
Over 90,000 turtles born in rare Brazilian hatching event
It’s been a big year for turtles, with the pandemic allowing turtles to hatch on beaches that are free of humans. This week, however, a remarkable hatching event took place on the Purus River in Brazil as a reported 90,000 giant South American river turtles were born. Wildlife Conservation Read More...
This futuristic footbridge in Paris is an ode to sustainable urban design
Known for their tendency to blend architecture, technology, and nature in a most compelling way, Vincent Callebaut Architectures have recently revealed their latest sustainable design — a green footbridge that aims to make Paris a more liveable and sustainable place to live. Called ‘the Green Read More...
Positive destruction: How elephants are rewilding this national park
Sometimes destruction can be a good thing. To demonstrate our point, let’s take a look inside the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where a herd of around 580 African elephants have entered from neighboring land, tearing through trees and knocking down bushes Read More...
This app tracks the carbon footprint of your purchases in real time
We all strive to live more sustainable lives, but tracking where you can make the most impactful changes isn’t always easy. Fortunately, a new app is here to manage your personal carbon footprint in real-time. The app, called Joro, starts off with baseline questions about your diet, Read More...
The largest wildlife bridge in America has just opened in San Antonio
In recent months, we’ve shared a couple of stories about highway crossings for wildlife in the US. The first came in October when it was announced that a giant wildlife bridge would be built in the Los Angeles area to help mountain lions and other native animals cross over the US 101 freeway. Read More...