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.
EU commission drafts pollinator-protecting pesticide regulations
Agricultural pesticides pose a serious threat to pollinator populations, including bees. To save these species, The European Commission is seeking to halve the use of pesticides by 2030. The potential new rules to decrease pesticides include especially reducing the use of chemical and Read More...
Rare blue calamintha bee spotted for first time in four years
Until this past March, the blue Calamintha bee had not been seen for four years and was thought to be extinct. But recently, a researcher with a keen eye spotted the blue bee while installing bee condos in Central Florida's Lake Wales Ridge area. Its sighting is a beacon of hope for Read More...
Training AI is carbon-intensive. MIT researchers are changing that
The different ways artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to improve our lives is vast, but one thing we often overlook is the environmental cost that comes with AI. After all, running a training model to improve AI requires a whole lot of energy. For that reason, researchers at Massachusetts Read More...
Cities that implement bike-share programs see more people bike to work
In the past decade, bike-sharing systems have exploded in popularity across America. Whereas there were only four US cities with a bike-sharing system in 2010, over 50 cities had a bike-share system by 2016. The often brightly colored bikes with whimsical company names promise city dwellers an Read More...
This startup shows us why drones hold the key to mass reforestation
This week, on land north of Toronto that previously burned in a wildfire, drones are hovering over fields and firing seedpods into the ground, planting native pine and spruce trees to help restore habitat for birds. Flash Forest, the Canadian startup behind the project, plans to use its technology Read More...
World’s rarest ape sees glimmer of hope as conservation efforts pay off
Due to uncontrolled hunting and large-scale deforestation, the number of Hainan gibbons has decreased from more than 2000 in the 1950s to fewer than 10 in the 1970s. Found only on the Chinese island of Hainan, the gibbon is the world’s rarest primate. But continuous efforts from conservation Read More...
Canada’s stimulus plan ensures companies take action on climate change
Canada has a new plan to help companies stay afloat during the coronavirus and promote corporate sustainability. The new relief program provides bridge loans of up to $60 million and even up to $80 million for companies with annual revenue over $300, but companies applying for the loans must agree Read More...
Why green infrastructure could help the economy bounce back after COVID-19
Of the 33 million Americans who have filed for unemployment since the coronavirus crisis began, many expect to get their jobs back—in one recent poll, 77% of workers who have been laid off or furloughed say that they expect their employers to rehire them. But economists say that may be overly Read More...
Intel aims to be waste-free and use only clean energy by 2030
While it can almost feel natural to get skeptical when big companies make sustainability pledges, it’s important to remember the big impact these companies have at the end of the day. With that in mind, tech giant Intel has unveiled its environmental goals for 2030 this week, committing to cut Read More...
Seattle to make some of its neighborhoods permanently “car-free”
In April, as the pandemic made parks and sidewalks more crowded in Seattle, the city shut down most traffic on a series of streets to help give people more room for exercise or walking to the grocery store. Now, the city plans to make the changes permanent on 20 miles of streets. Like in other Read More...