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.
Blue whales reappear in South Atlantic Ocean after decades-long absence
Deep in the South Atlantic Ocean lies the island of South Georgia. The waters surrounding the island were once abundant with Antarctic Blue whales, but that all changed when the industrial whaling industry established itself on the island in 1904. Records show some 42,698 of these blue whales Read More...
Drying fruit is energy-intensive, but “ionic wind” could change that
Dried fruit is delicious and can serve as a great alternative to candy. The only problem is that producing it is quite energy-intensive. In order to dry fruit, commercial food producers typically utilize a “non-thermal drying” process. This involves fans blowing unheated air across the fruit Read More...
English nature reserve expects a record-breaking year for seal pup births
Back in 1988, the Blakeney Nature Reserve in Norfolk, England, recorded the first birth of a grey seal pup. Since then, the reserve has become England’s largest seal colony, with a total of 3,399 pups born there just last year. When compared to the grand total of 25 pups born there in 2001, you Read More...
Sustainable fashion: This puffer jacket is made of up-cycled materials
After winning one of the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competitions, UK designer Maddie Williams partnered with major Chinese fashion brand JBNY Group to gain hands-on experience in producing a sustainable collection for retail. Williams immersed herself in every step of the garment Read More...
Scientists identify incredibly rare monkey species in Myanmar
A very curious primate species has been discovered for the first time by scientists in the jungles of Myanmar. The Popa langur (Trachypithecus popa), as it’s being called, is a type of monkey with an extremely unique look. It has grayish-purple fur, black circular eyes with large rings around Read More...
What to do with the unused offices? This architect turns them into schools
As office buildings sit empty and more companies make the decision to remain remote indefinitely, architect Danish Kurani has turned the unfortunate circumstances into an opportunity and has designed an office-to-school conversion to transform these unused offices into educational spaces. The Read More...
Architects are turning hospital parking lots into modular ICU units
Hospitals overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic could soon find a much-needed capacity lifeline in modular emergency care units built right in their parking lots. Called STAAT Mod (Strategic, Temporary, Acuity-Adaptable Treatment), the prefab system is built in a factory and delivered by truck Read More...
The Optimist View: My Octopus Teacher Film Review
“What she taught me was to feel like you’re part of this place, not a visitor, that’s a huge difference.” - Craig Foster Living on the Western Cape of South Africa, powerful storms sent chilling water rushing into the bottom of Craig Foster’s family bungalow. Years later, facing Read More...
Ditch beef: Beyond Meat’s new plant-burgers are healthier and juicer
Just last week, we wrote a story about Pizza Hut becoming the first national pizza chain to offer plant-based toppings from Beyond Meat at all their locations. This week, we have more news from Beyond Meat after the faux-meat company unveiled new versions of its plant-based burgers that are both Read More...
The world’s biggest fur auction house is closing its doors
Real animal fur is becoming increasingly out-of-style within the fashion industry. More and more people are straying away from the inhumane trade, and some cities, countries, and companies have placed bans on fur in recent years. In another blow to the fur industry, the world’s largest fur Read More...