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.
India witnesses drop in carbon emissions for the first time in four decades
India’s rapid growth as a global economic power over the past decades came in tandem with a sharp, consistent rise in the country’s carbon emissions. Now, for the first time in nearly 40 years, CO2 emissions are falling in India. While the coronavirus lockdown plays a role in the decline of Read More...
A supplement for cows that curbs climate change-causing burps is catching on
There’s a farm in England that now markets its milk as “climate-smart”, but what does that really mean? Apparently, Brades Farm, is one the first to begin feeding its cattle a new supplement that shrinks the amount of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, that cows emit when they belch, thus Read More...
Honey bees may soon add algae to their diets
The growing habitat loss of honey bees in recent years has led to a decrease in the variety of flowering plants, which provide bees with essential nutrients in their diets. As a result, beekeepers are increasingly starting to augment their insects' diets with artificial feeds made of ingredients Read More...
Pakistan is hiring the unemployed to plant trees across the country
COVID-19 has created mass unemployment in countries around the world. As governments scramble to fund relief programs, Pakistan is taking advantage of the opportunity to support citizens who are suddenly without income and heal environmentally devastated regions of the country Read More...
EPA proposes first carbon dioxide standards for airline industry
Despite being in low demand, the airline industry could be getting some greener regulations in the near future. For the first time in the history of aviation, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed carbon dioxide standards for the airline industry last week. Although the EPA has Read More...
A look inside the quest for endlessly circular plastics
The Eastman chemical plant in Kingsport, Tennessee, appears to be just another chemical manufacturing facility. Sprawling over 900 acres are hundreds of buildings and countless miles of pipes, conveyors, distillers, cooling towers, valves, pumps, compressors, and controls. It doesn’t exactly look Read More...
This coffee company protects the rainforest and promotes education
When Gorongosa Coffee launched in 2015, its goal was to restore the rainforest of Mozambique’s Mount Gorongosa region that had been ravaged by a 17-year civil war and institute sustainable farming methods for locals to support their families and their communities. Now, the company is turning its Read More...
New building code paves the way for more sustainable cities
Residential and commercial buildings are responsible for about 40 percent of U.S. energy consumption and GHG emissions. States and cities which approve the new 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) will require new buildings to reduce their overall energy usage by 10 percent compared Read More...
Poll shows Americans want change in their their reopened communities
As communities begin to reopen their offices, restaurants, parks, and stores, some aspects of daily life are returning to normal, but some are looking radically different. Even in areas where restaurants are reopening, customers are still cautious about exposing themselves to normal life again. Read More...
Bioluminescent algae produce glowing blue waves across southern California
Beach closures vary from county to county in California right now, but ocean visitors in the southern region of the state are experiencing mesmerizing bioluminescent waves along their shores. The phenomenon occurs every couple years along the California coast and is caused by an algal bloom of Read More...