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.
Novel pesticide-detecting technique can help save bee colonies
Pesticides known as pyrethroids are among the main culprits behind colony collapse disorder — a phenomenon that occurs when most worker bees in a colony disappear, leaving behind just the queen and a few other bees. Detecting whether honeybees have been exposed to such types of pesticides is key Read More...
NASA: Nitrogen dioxide levels dropped 20% since the pandemic began
Human activity strayed far from the norm this year as the coronavirus pandemic forced many countries to effectively shut down. Now, many months after the first countries went into lockdown, scientists from NASA have gaged just how much pollution levels have dropped due to Covid-related declines in Read More...
Why community gardens are perfect for cultivating health in your neighborhood
A community garden does much more than just grow local fruits and vegetables. It also activates a public space where members of the community can gather and form meaningful relationships that contribute to a better life. Whether you want to create a community garden or join, here are a few benefits Read More...
Students vote to ban lamb and beef from Oxford dining halls
Oxford University has always prided itself on being an educational leader in the UK, but its students have felt that the school “has shown a lack of leadership” when it comes to “addressing climate change.” Taking matters into their own hands, Oxford’s student union just passed a motion Read More...
Animals in Utah find safe passage on wildlife overpass
Last month, we wrote about an animal crossing bridge in Los Angeles that will soon be built to help wildlife such as mountain lions safely cross over the US 101 freeway, which cuts through their habitat. Although we won't get to see the finished product until 2021, we can get a sense of how it will Read More...
Key West bans large cruise ships from docking to protect coral reefs
On election day, residents of Key West, Florida, voted to impose new restrictions on cruise ships docking in the city — a move that’s expected to give a much-needed respite to fragile marine habitats in the area. The island’s residents voted on three ballot initiatives, including one Read More...
Agrihood: This community combines suburban living with farming
Tsawassen, Vancouver has been a farming community for generations, but when suburban housing developments started cropping up, the Century Group development company was torn on how to best use the 500 acres of land it owned in the area. They came to the conclusion to use the land for an innovative Read More...
Can VR help lawmakers understand the hidden effects of climate change?
While the massive wildfires and apocalyptic skies hovering over California this year were an obvious sign of the climate crisis, there are more subtle yet dangerous effects of the climate crisis that many people don’t see or understand. To awaken people to the more abstract effects of climate Read More...
This company rapidly builds modular homes for the homeless
While building more permanent supportive housing is key to solving the Bay Area’s homelessness crisis, such development projects typically require a long permitting process. This means that it can take years for people experiencing homelessness to find a lasting solution. California-based Read More...
3D-printed buildings are reaching new heights in Germany
Earlier this month, we shared a story out of Belgium where a construction called Kamp C revealed the first 3D-printed two-story home. Although it is thought to be the biggest 3D-printed structure in the world right now, it won’t hold that title for long as architects in Germany are currently Read More...