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.
Cactus leather boxing gloves pack a sustainable punch
From shoes to wallets, we’ve seen plant-based leather make its way into all kinds of products over the years. But today we bring you something we’ve certainly never seen before: Boxing gloves made from cactus leather. Typically, boxing gloves are made from cowhide or other animal-based leather. Read More...
65 country leaders pledge to reverse destruction of nature
Leaders from 65 countries recently came together to make a renewed commitment to putting nature on the path to recovery. As reported in Deutsche Welle, the commitments include eliminating plastic leakage to the oceans by 2050 and incentivizing banks and businesses to value the natural Read More...
Park in Copenhagen is designed to stop rainwater from flooding the streets
Following a devastating dose of heavy rain in 2011 that cost Copenhagen $1 billion in damage, the Danish capital decided to begin investing in hundreds of climate-resilient projects that could mitigate the city’s vulnerability to flooding as a result of extreme rainstorms — which are only Read More...
New super-enzyme eats plastic six times faster than previous one
Certain types of bacteria naturally break down plastic. Harnessing the power of these special bacteria, scientists have created a “super enzyme” that can degrade plastic bottles. And it’s doing it at a rate six times faster than previously projected. The enzyme was created by connecting Read More...
Meat-loving Germany is quickly becoming vegetarian
Germany is famous for its schnitzels, sausage, and currywurst, so it may come as surprise to you that Germans are rapidly cutting down on their meat consumption. But that's exactly what's happening, according to teams of researchers from Berlin, Bath, and Franche-Comté in eastern France. The Read More...
Telecommuting can slash emissions. Should it be required?
Working from home has become the norm in the San Francisco Bay Area, leading to a sizable drop in greenhouse gas emissions. Because of this, the Bay Area’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission has voted to move forward with a proposal to require people at large, office-based companies to work Read More...
Maryland becomes first state to implement a foam container ban
We recently wrote about New Jersey’s progressive single-use plastic ban. Now, Maryland is achieving its own waste-reduction goals by becoming the first state in the country to implement a ban on foam food containers. Passed in 2019, but implemented last week, the law prohibits restaurants, Read More...
This air purifier filters the air in your home in an eco-conscious way
Most air purifiers improve the air quality in your home by removing dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria, using filters made from a combination of glass fibers and plastic. At the end of their lives, typically six to eight months, the nonrecyclable filters are tossed, eventually ending up in a Read More...
Ordering to-go creates a lot of waste. Dispatch Goods has a solution
The pandemic has fueled a rise in takeout orders from restaurants. Ordering to-go is a great way to safely support your favorite local businesses during shutdowns, but the rise in single-use takeout containers is increasing pollution across the globe. A new startup, Dispatch Goods, aims to loop Read More...
New cement-free sewerage concrete prevents fatbergs and corrosion
The cement used to construct concrete sewerage systems around the world does a mighty job of helping wash away our waste but does have its shortcomings. Scientists in Australia have developed a new cement-free solution they say is better equipped to handle the corrosive nature of these Read More...