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.
America now has a stretch of highway paved with recycled plastic
A newly repaved stretch of highway in Oroville, California, looks like an ordinary road. But it’s the first highway in the country to be paved in part with recycled plastic—the equivalent of roughly 150,000 plastic bottles per mile of the three-lane road. The change in materials makes the Read More...
The bold plan to save Appalachia’s endangered mussels
You probably haven’t heard of the golden rifleshell mussel, but for Kentucky’s Center for Mollusk Conservation in Frankfort, saving these yellowy, fan-shaped river-dwellers from extinction is a daily battle. More than two-thirds of all identified North American freshwater mussel species are Read More...
Key population of loggerhead turtles in Greece thrives during pandemic
This year’s pandemic-induced quietness and lack of tourists on many of the world’s beaches has been a true blessing for endangered turtles. Record numbers of turtle nests and high hatching success rates have been recorded in a number of places with important nesting sites, from Thailand and the Read More...
How scientists revived 100-million-year-old microbes
Deep within the cold abyss, beneath the primordial muck of the seafloor and the sediment of millions of years, ancient microbes sit between life and death…and have now been awakened! Scientists haven't quite unleashed Neptune's revenge, but they have revived ancient microbes — possibly over Read More...
Trinity College to transform campus lawn into native wildflower garden
We recently shared a very popular article about replacing tradition lawns with a clover alternative. Trinity College Dublin is taking a page out of the alternative grass handbook and opting to turn their college green into a native flower garden to promote pollinator health and boost Read More...
Dutch city is preparing for climate change by replacing roads with trees
When it comes to sustainable urban development, there are a few things cities around the world can learn from the Netherlands. Take, for example, the Dutch city of Arnhem, which has recently undertaken the ambitious endeavor of greening up the city by replacing roads that are rarely used by its Read More...
Deutsche Bank joins list of banks in banning Arctic drilling
The world could use some good news about the Arctic after weeks of battling a prolonged heatwave and wildfires. Fortunately, we have some good news: Financial giant Deutsche Bank has introduced a new energy policy banning financial support of drilling in the Arctic. The move comes after years of Read More...
After 250 years, the Esselen tribe has reclaimed their homelands
In 1770, the people of the Esselen Tribe of northern California were forcibly removed from their lands and brought to Spanish missions. But now, after more than 250 years, the Esselen tribe is landless no more. This week, the Esselen tribe finalized the purchase of a 1,200-acre ranch near Big Read More...
41 US states show emission cuts and GDP growth go hand in hand
Economic prosperity and environmental preservation are often portrayed as mutually exclusive goals. But do we really have to choose between financial health and a healthy planet for future generations? Research from 41 states across the US says no. Research from the World Resources Institute Read More...
Study: Lifestyle changes could delay or prevent 40% of dementia cases
Excessive drinking, exposure to air pollution, and head injuries all increase dementia risk, experts say in a report revealing that up to 40% of dementia cases worldwide could be delayed or prevented by addressing 12 such lifestyle factors. This may not sound positive on the outset, but what the Read More...