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.
New Guinea singing dog thought to be extinct reemerges in the wild
The New Guinea singing dog, a dingo-like animal best known for its unique howling style was considered extinct in the wild, with only around 200 captive singing dogs living in conservation centers or zoos. Scientists, however, have recently confirmed that the dogs still roam the highlands of Papua Read More...
This company converts old hotels into affordable housing
As the tourists stay home due to the coronavirus, hotels across America are closing down. Fortunately, a company by the name of Repvblik is ensuring some of these hotels get a new lease on life. What the Los Angeles-based company does is convert empty commercial spaces into affordable housing Read More...
Bharati Chaturvedi: It's time to value waste collectors for their work
Bharati Chaturvedi is the founder of Chintan, an Indian-based organization that cuts waste and consumption. While speaking at a plenary discussion at Circularity 20 last week, she raised a good point: If waste collectors play such a pivotal role in the plastic supply chain, why aren’t they valued Read More...
150,000 Purple Martins are dazzling the skyline of Nashville
Before flying down to Brazil for the winter, a flock of rare Purple Martins has chosen a rather unusual place to rest up: the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in downtown Nashville. Okay, a flock of birds roosting in an urban area isn’t all too uncommon, but did we mention how many Purple Martines Read More...
Another company is out to capture all the CO2 it has ever emitted
When it comes to offsetting carbon emissions, Microsoft has set a new precedent for companies around the world. Instead of trying to offset more emissions than it produces on a yearly basis, the company has committed to erasing its historical carbon footprint. In other words, Microsoft will capture Read More...
Why seagrass meadows are the carbon capture solution we need
Although rainforests are vital for capturing carbon from the atmosphere, their efficiency hardly compares to that of seagrass. According to the United Nations Environment Program, seagrass can capture carbon an incredible 35 times faster than rainforests. The only problem is seagrass covers just Read More...
Finnish town gives locals free cake if they cut their carbon footprint
A town in Finland has found a rather tasty incentive to encourage its inhabitants to cut down their carbon emissions: free cake. Lahti, situated 100 kilometers north of Helsinki, has developed an app that tracks residents' CO2 usages based on traveling by car, public transport, bike or walk. The Read More...
Not a gram of salmon goes to waste with this new process
With their fresh taste and numerous health benefits, it’s not all too hard to understand why salmon is such a sought-after fish. But unfortunately, overfishing and polluted waterways have diminished populations globally. On top of that, we also waste a whole lot of the salmon we do end up Read More...
A giant virtual power plant is coming to California to avoid blackouts
As energy blackouts become more common in California, a German energy company called Sonnen believes virtual power plants (VPPs) can solve the issue. Rather than rely on utility companies, virtual power plants involve connected sets of solar panels and batteries that produce and store energy Read More...
Doubling down on diesel: CA regulations will slash nitrogen oxide emissions
Last week, the California Air Resources Board unanimously passed new regulations to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. The new legislation, aimed at diesel trucks, will reduce NOx emissions by 90 percent. This is the equivalent of taking 16 million light-duty vehicles off the road. The new Read More...