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.
A guide to all the zero-waste stores near you
We’re all striving to reduce the amount of single-use plastic in our lives, but finding ways to find your favorite essentials waste-free is not always an easy task. Fortunately, more and more zero-waste stores are popping up around major cities, making it all the more feasible to find things from Read More...
Nuns decide to turn damaged convent into a flood-preventing urban wetland
After being hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the convent of the Sisters of St. Joseph in New Orleans was severely damaged by flooding. And while the nuns moved somewhere else to allow for repairs, a year later, lightning struck the roof and started a fire that devastated the convent beyond Read More...
Scientists are listening to Borneo’s rainforest to protect biodiversity
As in many tropical areas around the world, Borneo's lush rainforests are disappearing at an alarming rate due to illegal logging. This poses a real threat to the region’s incredibly rich biodiversity that includes 221 species of land-living mammals, 420 species of birds, as well as 15,000 Read More...
Is the era of single family home zoning over? Portland says yes.
For generations, the white picket fence has been a symbol of residential America, but as housing prices rise and cities expand unsustainably, many communities are becoming disillusioned with the classic single-family home. With zoning laws favoring these types of residences, making housing more Read More...
Scientists rediscover tiny elephant shrew species after 50 years
Have you ever heard of the mouse-sized elephant shrew? Neither had we, probably because it has been lost to science for 50 years. The elephant shrew, also known as a Somali sengi, mates for life, can race around at 30km/h, and sucks up ants with its trunk-like nose. But it had not been documented Read More...
When it comes to climate change convincing, storytelling may beat facts
The world’s temperature has risen 2 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880 and the amount of carbon in our atmosphere in parts per million is higher than any other recorded point in our planet’s history. We know the facts of climate change and we know the consequences, so why are some governments and Read More...
New study details the surprisingly social behavior of Gray reef sharks
Yesterday, we shared a story about how animals also engage in the practice of social distancing in order to mitigate the spread of disease. Today, we have quite a different story about the surprisingly social behavior of gray reef sharks. Apparently, a new study has found that these sharks form Read More...
Mapping the Ocean: Robot boat completes 22-day-mission without crew
The more we know about the Earth’s oceans, the more we can do to protect them. But we still know relatively little. As of June, only 19 percent of the ocean floor had been mapped out, meaning we still have a whopping 81 percent of the ocean to survey and map. Fortunately, scientists are finding Read More...
Well Done: The foundation plugging abandoned oil wells in Montana
Montana may be known for its stunning grass plains, but what most people don’t know is that there are many unplugged oil wells across the state’s farmlands that leak thousands of metric tons of greenhouse gasses such as methane each year. They can also leach toxins into groundwater and surface Read More...
Scientists are turning to stem cells to revive Malaysia’s extinct rhinos
Last year marked a tragedy for the world’s rhino populations as Malaysia’s last Sumatran rhino Iman died after years of failed breeding attempts, bringing the endangered species one step closer to extinction. But not all hope is lost as scientists are now trying to use tissues and cells from Read More...