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.
How reforestation could help prevent another pandemic
The big question right now is “how do we prevent another pandemic from occurring?” As governments and medical professionals grapple with how to keep future generations healthy, the answer could be found among environmentalists. Infectious diseases are on the rise and the Center for Disease Read More...
Releasing grazing herbivores into the Arctic could help protect permafrost
Along with polar ice and glaciers, warming temperatures have also been having a melting effect on permafrost — the frozen layer of soil in the Arctic. In an attempt to protect this frozen ground, a team of scientists has come up with a rather unorthodox plan. The idea is to fill the Arctic Read More...
How to reduce your energy consumption while sheltering at home
COVID-19 shutdowns have reduced overall energy consumption greatly in the US. Without businesses, factories, and offices running, it is estimated that the country’s overall energy use will drop by 3 percent in 2020. However, energy use in many homes is on the rise. Isolating at home has people Read More...
Milan plans to have fewer cars on its streets after lockdown
The coronavirus has shaken up many aspects of our lives, but this trying time should also be seen as a window of opportunity to lay the ground for meaningful change within our current structures. Milan, for one, is definitely not missing this chance to redesign the city to the benefit of its Read More...
Marine life rebounded during the world wars. The same is happening now
During both world wars, the global demand for fish and seafood plummeted, forcing fishing fleets to stay at the docks while fish stocks rebounded. Now it seems a similar effect is coming into play as a result of the coronavirus crisis. The closure of restaurants and hotels, the main buyers of Read More...
Happy International Dark Sky Week! Here’s how to celebrate virtually
This week is International Dark Sky Week. Although astronomers and stargazers are not meeting up in-person this year to gaze up at our marvelous night sky, enthusiasts are still celebrating online and from the comfort of their homes. International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) has put together a Read More...
Ambitious experiment aims to protect the Great Barrier Reef from bleaching
The Great Barrier Reef is facing its first mass bleaching event in five years as a result of climate change and the record ocean temperatures. In a bid to mitigate the ecosystem’s loss and protect it from warming, scientists from the University of Sydney have recently experimented with a Read More...
What does it mean for the climate when oil prices fall below $0?
As you probably heard this week, the price of oil has actually crashed below $0 for the first time in history. At a time when the world needs to transition from fossil fuels to avoid the even bigger catastrophe of climate change, what does the state of the industry mean for the climate? Some Read More...
This series will take you to the world's most ingenious homes
We at the Optimist Daily are always curious about the latest developments in architecture and design. It came to our attention that Apple TV+ has a pretty incredible documentary series out that will take you to some of the world’s most intriguing dwellings. All the episodes in the series Read More...
Endangered sea turtles are thriving on Florida’s beaches thanks to lockdown
With the coronavirus restrictions keeping humans and harmful waste off beaches, endangered leatherback turtles in Florida are expected to enjoy a disturbance-free hatching season this year. Nesting season for leatherback turtles — the world’s largest sea turtle species — is now well Read More...