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.
China pledges to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060
The UN climate summit, Cop26, has been delayed until November 2021 due to the pandemic, but many participating countries aren’t waiting until next year to quantify their emissions reductions commitments. After the EU pledged to cut emissions by 55 percent by 2030, China made an unexpected Read More...
This fashion award encourages emerging fashion designers to go circular
Fashion awards are typically established with the purpose of showcasing new styles to the world and celebrating designers with the most outstanding contributions to the industry during the year. The Redress Design Award takes it a step further by aiming to shine a spotlight on the importance and Read More...
Silver linings: The pandemic has led to a bike boom in American cities
Part of being an Optimist is finding the silver lining in any situation, no matter how dire it may be. In the case of Covid-19, one of the positive trends to emerge from the pandemic is a surge of cycling within American cities. According to new data from Strava, the fitness tracking app used by Read More...
These biodegradable straws are made out of methane by bacteria
Greenhouse gas emissions and marine plastic pollution are two of the most pressing environmental challenges the world faces at the moment. A California-based startup aims to tackle both issues simultaneously. Biotech company Newlight, has figured out a way to use a certain strain of microbes to Read More...
Data centers drain water supplies. Microsoft is investing big to fix this
Data centers are infamously energy-intensive, but what people aren’t always aware of is that they also require huge amounts of water to keep servers cool. And to make matters worse, data centers are often situated in desert-like places where water is already scarce. Part of the reason companies Read More...
Walmart aims for zero emissions by 2040 without buying offsets
Walmart is a giant company with a giant environmental impact, which is why the company’s recently announced climate pledge is such a big deal. By 2040, Walmart pledges to reach zero emissions across its global operations without buying any carbon offsets. In other words, Walmart wants to be real Read More...
Learn about regenerative agriculture by watching this Netflix documentary
Climate change is a complex, multilayered challenge that requires a complex, multilayered solution — and, though not widely known, regenerative agriculture has been taking center stage as such a solution over the last couple of years. From a climate perspective, the main idea behind regenerative Read More...
Berlin opens giant city-run department store for second-hand goods
City planners around the world should take note of an exciting new development taking place in the German capital of Berlin. As the city looks to cut down on waste, it has opened a state-run department store that sells items that might get thrown away otherwise. Located on the third floor of the Read More...
Climate Week NYC 2020: 5 virtual events you can attend
Every year, the non-profit Climate Group invites businesses, governments, academic institutions, and civil society to participate in Climate Week NYC, a week-long events program encouraging discussions around climate solutions and showcasing amazing climate action from around the world. The best Read More...
Extremely rare “walking” fish discovered in the Great Barrier Reef
After the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel plunged deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, it came back with a treasure trove of high-resolution footage featuring rare deep-sea creatures. The remote operated vehicle (ROV), which explored Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, spotted and took Read More...