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.
US are removing old dams so fish can return to early spawning grounds
Over the past decade, nonprofits and state organizations have started recognizing that removing dams from rivers can actually help the environment by allowing fish to return to their original spawning grounds. According to Laura Craig, director of river restoration at American Rivers, removing Read More...
This 20-plus-years project restored a giant swatch of seagrass meadows
While humans have undoubtedly contributed to the degradation of marine ecosystems, we are also proving capable of restoring them. Just beyond the salt marshes of Virginia’s Eastern Shore, researchers and volunteers spread more than 70 million eelgrass seeds as part of a 20-plus-years project. Read More...
Video: Watch the world’s largest electric plane fly for the first time
On the 28th of May, we published a story announcing that the world’s largest all-electric aircraft got the green light to take to the skies for the first time. Today we’re here to tell you that the plane, a retrofitted Cessna Grand Caravan 208, succeeded in its first flight, exploring the Read More...
Study: More coal power plants are being closed than opened
2020 has not been a nice year for coal power. According to a new study, the size of the global coal power fleet fell for the first time on record over the first six months of the year, with more generation capacity shutting than starting operation. Global Energy Monitor, a US research and Read More...
8 simple ways to run a more eco-friendly kitchen
From opting for clean energy to supporting climate activist groups, there are so many ways you can help the world become a more sustainable place. But if you don’t really know where to begin, the kitchen is a good place to start introducing more eco-friendly practices in your life. Having that in Read More...
Green burial: This mushroom-based coffin decomposes in the earth
In the Spring of 2019, we shared news out of Washington state where lawmakers officially approved an eco-friendly alternative to burial or cremation: human composting. With human composting, human remains are turned into soil, which can then be used to grow trees. This is a much greener option when Read More...
Dr. Jane Goodall on Hopes For The Future Of The Planet
2020 has been in some ways a grand study on humankind's impact on the natural world. As countries, business, and transportation networks were forced to come to a halt, we saw species rebound, air get cleaner, and people reconnect with the value of the natural world. Looking forward, we can take Read More...
Motion sensor uses AI to recognize when wildlife is running from poachers
Scientists at the University of Twente in the Netherlands are mixing motion sensors with machine learning to create a powerful tool that could help combat wildlife poaching. Motion sensors have already given conservationists the ability to track the whereabouts of endangered animals, but this new Read More...
Only in Japan: These transparent public toilets turn opaque when in use
Japan is quite famous for its elaborate toilets, which can exhibit features such as bidet washing, drying, seat warming, and even deodorization. Now Japan is adding to its reputation for unique toilets after installing public toilet cubicles around Tokyo that are transparent. What? Transparent Read More...
Smart urban design is the best defense we have against future pandemics
Throughout history, disease outbreaks have forced new innovations in urban design: Fighting cholera epidemics in the 1800s, for example, necessitated the building of new plumbing and sewer systems and the devising of new zoning laws to prevent overcrowding. As the new coronavirus lays bare the need Read More...