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.
Electric cars should be as cheap to produce as regular models by 2024
A key factor that is limiting the adoption of electric vehicles is that they are simply more expensive than their gas-powered counterparts. For instance, a new Volkswagen Golf will cost you about $26,000, whereas the automaker’s first mass-market electric car will cost you at least $39,000. The Read More...
A giant wildlife bridge will help LA’s mountain lions cross over the 101
One of the biggest ecological problems with freeway systems is that they dissect through natural lands and cut off animals from their native habitats. Such is the case just north of Los Angeles in Agoura Hills where the US 101 freeway cuts right through the native habitat of mountain lions and Read More...
7 clever ways to give your old egg cartons new life
While it’s possible to recycle old egg cartons, there are many ways you can repurpose cartons in order to give them a second life before being recycled. With that in mind, here are 7 simple ways to reuse egg cartons. Starting seeds Cardboard egg cartons have perfectly sized compartments for Read More...
New map pinpoints where the world’s methane emissions are coming from
We all know that methane emissions are a significant driver of climate change, but pinpointing where exactly these emissions are coming from is a much more complex task. Fortunately, a new resource from GHGSat is putting methane emitters on the map. Quite literally. The organization’s Read More...
Uber set to invest millions in EV charging points in London
Uber wants its drivers to switch to electric cars. To persuade drivers in London, the ride-sharing giant has pledged to invest more than £5 million ($6.5 million) in public electric vehicle charging infrastructure. “Drivers consistently tell us that having reliable, accessible charging near Read More...
The planet's least loved vehicle, The Hummer, is back as an EV
The Hummer was once the poster boy of wasteful, resource-intensive transportation. With its clunky size and low gas mileage, the Hummer had a reputation of being one of the least environmentally-friendly vehicles on the market, which is part of the reason they went out of production a decade Read More...
This white paint reflects over 95% of sunlight to cool buildings
Have you ever noticed that it can feel hotter in a city than in a rural area? Part of this is because all the dark paved surfaces in cities absorb the sun’s rays more than trees and natural spaces, making it feel warmer. A team of researchers from Purdue University is hoping to cool down cities Read More...
Compton to launch America’s biggest guaranteed income program
In 2019, the city of Stockton, California, became the first city in America to launch an experimental guaranteed income program that would provide 125 residents with monthly payments of $500 over the course of 18 months, with no strings attached. From the first results of Stockton’s basic income Read More...
Smart windows change colors when its hot outside to cool your home
Figuring out ways to slash our over-reliance on air conditioners can go a long way in reducing the energy costs and emissions that usually go hand in hand with using these cooling machines. One way to do this is to tap into the key role that windows play when it comes to saving energy. Recently, Read More...
Allbirds launches clothing line made from discarded marine shells
Allbirds launched its sustainable shoes made from ethical wool farmed in New Zealand back in 2016. Years later, the brand made headlines in The Optimist Daily for donating sneakers to healthcare workers during the pandemic. Now, the company is launching a new sustainable clothing line made from the Read More...