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.
White-tailed eagles return to southern England after 240-year hiatus
For centuries, there's been an eagle-shaped hole in the skies over England where the majestic white-tailed eagle once soared. The enormous raptor — its wingspan stretches nearly eight feet — was hunted to extinction in the region and near extinction in surrounding areas some 240 years ago. But Read More...
The dramatic drop in carbon emissions due to coronavirus, quantified
We’ve written quite a bit about the pollution-free skies being seen all around the world, but we have yet to quantify what that means for the environmental record over the course of the year—until now. According to data commissioned by the Guardian, global carbon emissions from the fossil Read More...
Wild animals in Yosemite are thriving as people stay indoors
Yosemite National Park has been closed since March 20th to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but in the absence of flocks of tourists, wildlife is thriving and animal populations are reclaiming the park’s empty spaces. 4.6 million tourists visited Yosemite valley in 2019, but now, only 100 to Read More...
NASA wants you to play this video game to help preserve coral reefs
Video gaming is a common pass time activity among many people confined to their homes due to the coronavirus lockdown. In a bid to make something useful out of this trend, NASA has recently developed an app that enables video-gamers and citizen scientists to help identify and classify the world’s Read More...
New photos of baby clouded leopards will surely get you a smile this morning
For all you big cat lovers on the Internet, we have a little something for you. In both Miami and Washington DC, zoos have announced the successful birthing of rare baby clouded leopards and cheetahs—and the photos are incredibly adorable. Both cheetahs and clouded leopards are considered Read More...
Some of the world’s most polluted cities are breathing fresh air once again
The screenshots began to circulate on Delhi WhatsApp groups last week, captioned with varying expressions of disbelief. Having checked the air quality index, something of a sadistic morning ritual among residents of India’s capital, most could not believe their eyes. Gone was the familiar Read More...
Why jute is one of the most promising alternatives we have to plastic
Even though we’re aware of the awful effects of plastic pollution, the detrimental environmental phenomenon continues today. Part of the problem is that plastic is such a durable, accessible material that can be used for a wide range of things such as shipping and packaging. Despite this, we know Read More...
One Norwegian town is building aviary hotels to save seabird populations
When the town of Tromsø, Norway began building more hotels to accommodate flocks of tourists searching for a glimpse of the northern lights, they received some additional unanticipated guests: seabirds. Seabirds, such as the local kittiwake, have struggled to survive in their natural sea Read More...
Residents of Punjab see tops of Himalayas for the first time in 30 years
After 21 days in lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19, residents in Jalandhar, Punjab were rewarded with a view not seen in 30 years: the tops of the Himalayan Mountain range. Reduced smog and pollution due to national shutdowns have revealed the tops of the mountains, which residents say Read More...
The UAE is going all in on indoor farming
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is situated in the scorching Arabian desert, which makes growing food outdoors a nightmare. The UAE currently imports 80 percent of its food because of this, but the government is pushing hard to localize food through the power of indoor farming. In an industrial Read More...