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.
A previously extinct bird species has re-evolved itself back from the dead
A once-extinct species of bird has re-evolved back into existence and returned to the island it once colonized thousands of years ago. The Aldabra white-throated rail was reportedly wiped out around 136,000 years ago when the island it called home submerged under the ocean due to rising sea Read More...
A rare Pygmy hippo birth has taken place at the San Diego Zoo
Pygmy hippos are an endangered species native to the rivers and streams of West African forests. Less than 2,500 pygmy hippos live in the wild in Africa, but fortunately, a number of zoos around the world are caring for and breeding these curious creatures. Recently, the San Diego Zoo saw its Read More...
Critically endangered turtles hatch in record numbers in Philippine village
Hawksbill sea turtles are a critically endangered species of sea turtle, with its population declining by as much as 80 percent in the past decade. In the Philippines, this turtle species is among the most trafficked on the black market due to its sought-after shells. Recently, however, Read More...
London is going all-in on car-free zones
Following in the footsteps of leaders in Milan and New York City who are heeding global calls to #BuildBackBetter from the coronavirus pandemic, London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Friday unveiled plans to create "one of the largest car-free zones in any capital city in the world" to improve local Read More...
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...