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.
Conservation center celebrates birth of four endangered zebra foals
Fewer than 2,000 Grevy’s zebras remain in the wild, making them the world’s most endangered zebra, but in good news for the species, the White Oak Conservation center has celebrated not one but four new births this summer. The three males and one female were born in June and July, adding Read More...
Could we 3D-print buildings using local soil instead of concrete?
3D-printed architecture has been getting a lot of press from The Optimist Daily lately. Most recently, we shared a story out of Oakland where a startup called Mighty Buildings is using a 3D printer to create not only the walls and floors of a home but also other elements like the roof and ceiling. Read More...
These solar-powered barges can scoop up 50 tons of plastic from rivers each day
While removing the plastic waste that currently contaminates the ocean today will be crucial for protecting marine ecosystems, it is arguably more important that we stop any more plastic trash from entering the ocean. Fortunately for humanity, The Ocean Cleanup, a nonprofit taking on plastic waste Read More...
These scientists are turning algae into biodegradable flip flops
Flip-flops may seem innocent, but the problem is that this type of footwear is so popular and affordable that it winds up making a significant portion of discarded plastics polluting oceans and seas. That’s not good, especially since they’re typically made with petroleum-based plastics that Read More...
Your company can make clean energy a work-from-home perk with this program
Remote work can provide plenty of advantages—flexibility for families, no commute, increased productivity—but it also comes with some downsides, like higher home energy use and no more free coffee or other office perks. Now, businesses can offer clean energy as a work-from-home benefit, and Read More...
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...