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.
Massive fruit producer Dole wants to achieve zero food waste by 2025
Dole is the biggest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world, including bananas, the globe's most popular fruit. The company announced several new sustainability goals this week including a plan to eliminate fossil-based plastic packaging by 2025 and reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. Read More...
A sustainable farming movement in Brazil looks to save the Amazon
In the Amazon, more land is cleared for cattle than anything else. It’s easy enough to clear – chop down a few trees, light a few fires. But restoring the forest? Bringing back life and the greenness? That is far, far harder. But that’s exactly what scientists at the Experimental Active Read More...
New biomaterial has plastic-like properties but is eco-friendly
Due to its amazing material properties such as flexibility, durability, and ease of manufacturing, plastic has made its way in virtually all aspects of society, becoming an indispensable material in nearly all industries. But, of course, this wondrous material has also brought our planet on the Read More...
Black environmentalists are uniting to fight climate injustice
"I can’t breathe." These were among the final words that George Floyd and Eric Garner gasped before their deaths at the hands of white police officers. That plea has become part of the current rallying cry for racial justice and an end to police brutality in the United States. But for Black Read More...
Growing colorful cotton may be a game-changer for the textile industry
Throughout the years, growing concerns over environmental and water resources have pushed textile manufacturers to seek out alternative and sustainable dyeing practices. Now, scientists in Canberra may have come up with the ultimate solution by developing a new kind of colored cotton that Read More...
Origami-style water bottle can fold to fit in your pocket
If you push down on certain points on the new reusable water bottle called the Origami Bottle, the container collapses, folding up so it can easily fit in your bag or even squeeze inside your pocket. The design makes use of a unique geometrical structure that’s sturdy when unfolded—and holds Read More...
Blue whales gather in record numbers off San Francisco coast
Blue whales, the largest animals on Earth, like to gather off the coast of San Francisco to feed on krill in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Right now, they are showing up in potentially record-breaking numbers. Just 30 miles offshore from San Francisco, 47 endangered blue Read More...
Ford commits to carbon neutrality by 2050
Ford is the latest company to announce a plan for achieving carbon neutrality. The car manufacturer will strive to become carbon neutral by 2050 by focusing on three main areas: vehicle use, supply base, and company facilities. These three critical areas account for 95 percent of the Read More...
Rotterdam to build another sustainable floating farm for chickens
Last year, Rotterdam became home to the world’s first floating dairy farm, showing a radical new way of bringing farming back into the city, with minimal impact on resources and the environment. Now, a similarly eye-catching agricultural project is ready to take off in the city’s harbor. The Read More...
Facebook boycott shows us outdoor companies know corporate responsibility
Last Friday, The North Face became the first major brand to join an advertising boycott of Facebook. The move was in solidarity with civil rights organizations like the NAACP and Anti-Defamation League, as well as Color of Change, Free Press, Common Sense, and Sleeping Giants, which launched the Read More...