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.
Two belugas traveled 6,000 miles from captivity to new refuge in Iceland
Little Grey and Little White - these are the names of two beluga whales that have recently traveled thousands of miles to their new home in Iceland where they will be able to live in the open sea for the first time in nearly a decade. The sea canaries, as they’re also known for their Read More...
Solar-powered bridge arises in Genoa just 15 months after tragedy
Tragedy struck the Italian city of Genoa in 2018 when the city’s Morandi Bridge collapsed under heavy rain, taking 43 lives in the process. Now, after 15 months of almost non-stop work, a beautiful new bridge has now been completed by the firm of renowned architect Renzo Piano (RPBW). Though Read More...
Croatia’s 1,000 Solar Roofs initiative is profitable and community-oriented
Famous for its beautiful coastline and Game of Thrones filming locations, Croatia is also finding newfound notoriety as home to a progressive new green energy initiative. The country’s 1000 Solar Roofs project is environmentally and economically beneficial and has been selected for support as Read More...
Scientists discover way to convert captured carbon into a useful commodity
Capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide may be an efficient way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow climate change, but there’s something unsatisfying about this process. The gas is simply captured, compressed, and then buried deep underground. Unsatisfied with this method, a team of Read More...
Mobile game lets you build ecosystems to help solve real ecological issues
As climate change, deforestation, pollution, and other human activities threaten our natural world, scientists often turn to mathematical models to see what actions need to be taken to ensure that ecosystems are kept in balance. Now, anyone can try their hand at keeping an ecosystem in balance Read More...
These small Scottish islands are mastering green hydrogen power
The Orkney Islands are a small collection of about 70 rainy landmasses in northern Scotland. Although not well known, these tiny islands have silently been mastering the creation of green hydrogen power, an energy source with zero carbon emissions that, unfortunately, isn’t always eco-friendly to Read More...
Volunteers release more than 10,000 baby turtles into sea off Bali
With sea turtle populations having seen a decline in recent years, conservation groups are stepping up their game to bring sea turtle numbers back up. This past week, conservation groups carried crates each full of dozens of tiny turtles to Gianyar beach on the Indonesian island of Bali, and Read More...
Indigenous communities are using drones to protect Amazon’s iconic jaguar
For many indigenous communities in the Amazon, the jaguar represents a culturally revered animal that, like many other species in the lush Brazilian rainforest, is key to maintaining a thriving ecosystem in the area. In recent years, however, increasing loss of habitat and a surge in illegal Read More...
Scientists 3D-printed terracotta tiles to restore degraded coral reefs
Like in many other parts of the world, coral presence in Hong Kong has suffered a significant decline in recent years, due to many pressing challenges, including rising ocean temperatures, overfishing, and pollution. This is troubling since coral reefs are some of the most diverse and valuable Read More...
Graduate students design little robot that cleans up oil spills
A decade after a BP drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, sending an estimated 168 million gallons of oil gushing into the water over the course of months, local wildlife is still struggling to recover. Many of the people who worked to clean up the spill are still experiencing health Read More...