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.
These US firms are part of a global reforestation effort to plant 1tn trees
Over the last couple of years, scientists have increasingly underlined the key role that reforestation can play in tackling climate change and, more recently, a growing number of reputable companies have pledged to plant trees as part of their sustainability efforts. Salesforce, for instance, Read More...
This concrete-like material was made from waste sea shells
The seafood and aquaculture industry produces tons and tons of waste seashells. Looking to make something from all this waste, a design firm called Newtab-22 has used them to develop a sustainable material that resembles concrete. Named Sea Stone, the material is made by grinding down shells that Read More...
How TikTok became a powerful vehicle for climate action
TikTok is often thought of as a social media app used by kids to share silly videos. But the reality is that TikTok is quickly becoming a major platform for people to educate others about protecting the environment. For instance, Philip Aiken has received more than 1.4m likes on the app. But his Read More...
After decades, this rare dolphin is back in the Adriatic Sea
It was largely believed that the Delphinus delphis, a rare dolphin species, was regionally extinct from the Adriatic Sea. But according to recent research by marine scientists at the University of St Andrews, the rare dolphin has been observed multiple times off the coasts of Italy and Read More...
Brooklyn Bridge will feature sustainable tropical wood and wider bike lanes
A source of pride for New Yorkers, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, with thousands of pedestrians and cyclists crossing the bridge every day. A new project aims to reimagine the bridge as an icon of climate action and social equity by refurbishing the Read More...
Citrus solutions: Using orange peels to recycle precious metals
We recently wrote about bacteria being used to extract precious metals from e-waste. Now, organic compounds are once again coming to the rescue to recycle valuable materials. Researchers at the Nanyang Technological University are using orange peels to extract precious metals from spent Read More...
Device mimics photosynthesis to convert sunlight and CO2 into clean fuel
Producing clean fuels that have a minimal carbon footprint is an arduous task as current techniques also create by-products in the process, making it difficult and expensive to filter them out. That may no longer be the case soon thanks to a team of scientists from the University of Cambridge who Read More...
You can now get plant-based burgers shipped to your home
As the pandemic keeps more people at home, food companies have started embracing direct-to-consumer sales. Two of the latest companies to join the trend are Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, which means you can now get plant-based burgers shipped to your home. Of course, it would be a waste of Read More...
The Dow Jones just dropped its oldest member: Exxon Mobil
In another sign that times “are a-changing’, the Dow Jones has dropped Exxon Mobil from its influential index. Why does this matter? Well, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is the classic blue-chip stock index. Exxon Mobil is an iconic blue-chip stock and the longest-tenured member of the Read More...
Thought Leader Series: On Climate Doom
It seems like these days the headlines just go from bad to worse. Whether it’s melting glacial sheets, apocalyptic fires, or police violence, it’s pretty easy to feel like giving up on the world by mid-morning. When it comes to the climate crisis, this bombardment of negative news, combined Read More...