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.
Playing underwater ‘music’ attracts young fish to degraded coral reefs
Whether it’s the “crackle of snapping shrimp” or the swishing sounds of fish passing by, a healthy coral reef tends to be quite a noisy place. These are sounds that young fish are attracted to once they have hatched and spent their larval stage in the open ocean. The problem is that once a Read More...
Apple removes chargers and earbuds from new iPhones to cut waste
When Apple announced that the its new lineups of iPhone 12s won’t come with accessories such as a wall charger or earbuds, many consumers were annoyed, dismissing it as a purely economic move on Apple’s part. But from an environmental perspective, it’s a great move. To start with, the lack Read More...
Conservationists release 26 scarlet macaws into Guatemala’s tropical forest
As a result of habitat loss and poaching, the scarlet macaw population has been suffering a decreasing trend over the last couple of decades, with fewer than 50,000 of the red bright birds remaining in the wild. But a recent conservation effort brings good news for these handsome tropical Read More...
Panera Bread introduces label to designate items with low carbon footprint
If you enjoy eating at Panera Bread, you might notice a new label on their menus that is intended to help customers make eco-conscious choices. This week, the national soup and sandwich chain announced the Cool Food Meal label, which is placed beside menus items that have a carbon footprint Read More...
This smart bin turns your food scraps into compost in less than two days
Indoor bins for composting are definitely a good way to put your food scraps to good use, but that organic waste can take several weeks before it becomes compost. And while certain foods like meat and dairy are compostable, they can often create foul odors and attract pests. With that in mind, a Read More...
Lifelike robotic creatures could be the future of theme parks and aquariums
Going to the aquarium may be a great way to learn about sea creatures, but keeping animals in captivity for such purposes usually comes hand in hand with a number of ethical problems. US engineering firm Edge Innovations wants to change that by creating animatronic dolphins that look almost Read More...
America’s first firefighting robot helped put out a blaze in downtown LA
Firefighting took a step into the future this week when the Los Angeles Fire Department became the first in the US to deploy a “robotic firefighting vehicle”. Weighing in at 3,500 pounds, LAFD’s Thermite RS3 is about the size of a Smart car but has the power to blast its way through a wall. Read More...
Diesel garbage trucks average 3 miles per gallon. It’s time to go electric
Last month, we featured a story out of New York City where new electric garbage trucks are being tested on the streets of Brooklyn to take the sound and smell of exhaust fumes out of the waste collection equation. The garbage truck in that story was Mack’s LR Electric, a greener take on the truck Read More...
Scientists use microwaves to turn plastic waste into clean hydrogen
One of the main contributors to plastic pollution is the ubiquity of difficult-to-recycle plastic packaging such as plastic bags, milk bottles, and sachets. Because they are such a pain to recycle, most of these single-use plastics end up in landfills or waterways, polluting the environment as a Read More...
Why more farms should feed maggots to chickens rather than soy
Watching chickens peck around for insects should be an utterly normal experience, but in this day and age, most hens are kept indoors where they are forced to eat a grain and soy-rich diet. These chickens might never see an insect in their life. The reason farmers opt for soy is rather simple: Read More...