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.
Israel becomes the first country to ban the sale of furs and animal skins
While an increasing number of cities across the world have banned the selling of animal skins and furs in recent years, no government has enacted such a policy on a national level — that is, until now. Israel has recently become the first country in the world to ban the use of animal fur and Read More...
IEA: Renewables are the only major power source to grow in 2020
In its annual World Energy Outlook, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that renewables are expected to overtake coal as the primary means of producing electricity by 2025. The combined share of solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind in the global generation will rise to almost 30 percent in Read More...
Europe’s top court upholds French ban on bee-harming pesticides
In 2018, the French government placed a ban on the use of certain pesticides that harm bees. These pesticides belong to the neonicotinoid group's family of chemicals and are based on the chemical structure of nicotine. They were introduced in the mid-1990s and work by attacking the central nervous Read More...
Futuristic plant-monitoring buggy makes farming more sustainable
With a heavy reliance on fertilizers, pesticides, and valuable water supplies, it’s needless to say that our current farming practices are anything but environment-friendly. And with a growing population, agriculture’s effects on our climate are only expected to worsen in the next few Read More...
How to gauge whether the air is clean enough for outdoor exercise
At the Optimist Daily, we care about the well-being of our readers. That’s why we want to share this little guide to help you figure out whether the air quality in your area is safe enough for outdoor exercise. Especially as wildfires continue to blaze on the West Coast, it’s vital to keep an Read More...
A network of suspended bridges are helping Java’s slow lorises survive
When you think of primates, chances are you think of gorillas and orangutans before you ever think of the slow loris. That might be because, out of all the primates, the slow loris least resembles humans. They are venomous, pint-sized, and have a wild, oversized eye. Their nocturnal, largely Read More...
Investors worth $5 trillion set giant emissions reduction target for 2025
A group of investors who control $5 trillion in assets together have pledged to cut the greenhouse gas emissions of their portfolios by as much as 29 percent in five years. The group, which includes investors from Allianz and the Church of England, are all part of the UN convened Net-Zero Asset Read More...
WWF report: plant-based diets can restore our planet’s health
A plant-based diet may make for a healthier lifestyle but it can also go a long way in preserving our planet’s health too. At least, that’s what the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) aims to highlight in its most recent report, The Restorative Power of Planet-Based Diets. The report, which was Read More...
Regenerative farming can save our planet, but it needs your support
Avoiding the catastrophic effects of climate change that the scientific community has been warning us about isn’t just a matter of cutting the number of emissions that humans produce. If we want to save our planet, then we must also recapture the existing emissions that hang in our atmosphere. Read More...
These refillable cleaning products help you reduce plastic waste
Reducing plastic consumption is one of the most effective ways to tackle plastic pollution. That’s why, here at The Optimist Daily, we love hearing about solutions tackling the plastic problem at the source. The latest we’ve come across was developed by UK startup Spruce. Its solution to Read More...