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.
Riverbottoms and Rainforests: Emissaries making an Impact
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead BY AMELIA BUCKLEY Before the pandemic hit, Karin Muller had planned to roadtrip the United States to feature unsung heroes working in their Read More...
How to turn your yard into a certified wildlife habitat
One third of insects are classified as endangered and this is in large part due to habitat loss. Fortunately, there are ways you can help support all types of wild animals using your very own front yard. Transforming your garden into a Certified Wildlife Habitat is a great goal for families looking Read More...
How a handmade nest lured golden eagles to return to Scottish highlands
To lure the endangered golden eagle back to the Highlands of Scotland, renowned conservationist Roy Dennis built an elaborate nest on a remote cliff. The nest is woven together with arm-sized sticks that are perched on an extremely steep ledge and held together by a piece of dangling safety rope. Read More...
Why we need to eliminate natural gas from cities now
After a massive gas explosion destroyed homes in Baltimore, the city announced plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to make repairs on the city’s aging natural gas infrastructure. But perhaps making repairs is the wrong plan entirely. Instead, the city could use this as an opportunity Read More...
A wildlife reserve in Kenya is witnessing a baby elephant boom
Despite the tumultuous state of the world in the past seven months, it has been a good year so far for Kenya’s elephant population, which has been experiencing a celebratory baby boom in one of the country’s wildlife reserves. Since the start of the pandemic earlier this year, Amboseli Read More...
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...