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.
Thought Leader Series: Damon Gameau and the world in 2040
If it was up to you, what would our world look like in 2040? Would there be more trees? More sustainable development? Less meat-eating? This is the exact question Damon Gameau set out to answer in making his film 2040. Inspired by his young daughter, Velvet, he set out to scour the globe for Read More...
Bogotá pedals towards a bike-centered transportation future
Bogotá is one of the most congested cities in the world with commuters losing an average of 191 hours a year sitting in traffic, but avid cyclist Mayor Claudia López is hoping to turn the transportation tide in the city by expanding bicycle transportation. As we discussed at the beginning of Read More...
This augmented reality app invites kids to speak up for the planet
Though they are the ones who will bear the consequences of whatever action is taken today to protect the environment, kids are rarely heard in these matters. Wanting to give them a voice, a renowned artist has created a piece of art that does exactly that. Developed by Danish-Icelandic artist Read More...
Agroforestry isn’t just good for the planet. It’s also good for wallets
In the latter part of 2016, Ethan Steinberg and two of his friends planned a driving tour across the United States to interview farmers. Their goal was to solve a riddle that had been bothering each of them for some time. Why was it, they wondered, that American agriculture basically ignored trees? Read More...
Spanish towns are responding to population decline by welcoming migrants
In November 2019, Ángel Márquez and his family abandoned their home in Venezuela’s Barinas province and joined the more than 4 million Venezuelans that have left their homelands due to the economic and humanitarian crises that plague the country. In search of a new home, the Márquez family Read More...
Two belugas traveled 6,000 miles from captivity to new refuge in Iceland
Little Grey and Little White - these are the names of two beluga whales that have recently traveled thousands of miles to their new home in Iceland where they will be able to live in the open sea for the first time in nearly a decade. The sea canaries, as they’re also known for their Read More...
Solar-powered bridge arises in Genoa just 15 months after tragedy
Tragedy struck the Italian city of Genoa in 2018 when the city’s Morandi Bridge collapsed under heavy rain, taking 43 lives in the process. Now, after 15 months of almost non-stop work, a beautiful new bridge has now been completed by the firm of renowned architect Renzo Piano (RPBW). Though Read More...
Croatia’s 1,000 Solar Roofs initiative is profitable and community-oriented
Famous for its beautiful coastline and Game of Thrones filming locations, Croatia is also finding newfound notoriety as home to a progressive new green energy initiative. The country’s 1000 Solar Roofs project is environmentally and economically beneficial and has been selected for support as Read More...
Scientists discover way to convert captured carbon into a useful commodity
Capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide may be an efficient way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow climate change, but there’s something unsatisfying about this process. The gas is simply captured, compressed, and then buried deep underground. Unsatisfied with this method, a team of Read More...
Mobile game lets you build ecosystems to help solve real ecological issues
As climate change, deforestation, pollution, and other human activities threaten our natural world, scientists often turn to mathematical models to see what actions need to be taken to ensure that ecosystems are kept in balance. Now, anyone can try their hand at keeping an ecosystem in balance Read More...