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.
West Coast states are gearing up to build an electric highway
Imagine driving on a highway where semi-trucks don’t belch dirty diesel fumes because they can rely solely on electric power. Well, that could be the case on the West Coast relatively soon. Recently, utilities and state agencies in California, Oregon, and Washington announced a plan to transform Read More...
Affordable housing in South Bronx ranks high on sustainability
The Melrose neighborhood of the South Bronx has recently added a residential building to its urban setting that stands out in more ways than one. Designed by NYC-based Curtis + Ginsberg Architects, the 15-stories-tall dwelling is an energy powerhouse and a new affordable housing community with Read More...
New technology enables power plants to “reuse” emissions
Power plants give off vast amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, but a new technology could help curb these devastating effects by harnessing exhaust to generate even more power. According to research published this month in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemical Engineering, the technology is not Read More...
Sloth robot takes role of conservationist to watch over rare species
While typically sloths are not on display at Atlanta’s Botanical Garden, over the next couple of months, the garden’s visitors will be treated to the peculiar sight of a cute, sloth-resembling robot hanging out amongst the trees, watchfully observing the natural environment around it. The Read More...
Senate passes monumental public lands conservation act
The Senate has approved a bill that would make billions of dollars available to fund national parks and public lands infrastructure including trails, roads, and buildings. Called the Great American Outdoors Act, the bill is a significant piece of conservation legislation and was passed thanks to Read More...
Unilever commits €1 billion to new Climate and Nature Fund
Unilever has established new sustainability goals over the past couple of years, but its recent announcement of the creation of its Climate and Nature Fund is its biggest commitment yet to environmental action. The company will invest €1 billion over the next decade in efforts to tackle climate Read More...
Innovative tree growing method sees tiny urban forests pop up across Europe
Planting more forests around the globe is definitely a good approach to help reduce the risk of climate change, but it can take decades before trees can grow to their full potential and significantly benefit the environment. Using an innovative approach towards growing forests, people around Read More...
New research shows areas of Earth undisturbed by human influence
It seems like there are few places on Earth not manipulated by human activity, but new research shows that roughly half of the world's land shows 'low' influence of humans. In the study, researchers compared figures from four different sets of spatial data to determine that 48 to 56 percent of Read More...
Giving cash to poor families in Indonesia can help reduce deforestation
Indonesia has the third-largest area of rainforest in the world, but it also bears one of the highest deforestation rates on the globe, especially of primary forests – undisturbed, mature tropical forests that are important for biodiversity and carbon storage, among other benefits. Over the Read More...
Infrastructure changes to sustain falling emissions past the pandemic
Throughout the pandemic, we’ve covered stories of reduced emissions and environmental recovery, but now we face the daunting question of how to maintain lowered emissions as we reopen the economy. In most cities, transportation is the first or second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and Read More...