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.
Virginia is the first southern state to commit to 100 percent renewable energy
Virginia passed a landmark law on March 6 which makes it the first state in the southern United States to commit to achieving 100 percent renewable energy. The Virginia Clean Economy Act of 2020 includes plans to eliminate emissions from the electricity sector and create 13,000 new clean energy Read More...
Shady trees are saving the city of London billions
London’s leafy streets and gardens have long been prized for their beauty — and more recently their ability to counteract carbon emissions and improve air quality. But the value of urban trees can also be measured with money. A new report from Britain’s Office of National Statistics Read More...
The deepest waters south of Australia have finally been explored
Australia’s most famous coral resides on its Pacific coast. The Great Barrier Reef is amazing, to be sure, and a bellwether of how climate change is impacting reefs around the world. But there’s a reef hidden in the depths of the Southern Ocean off Australia’s south coast that could unlock Read More...
Community-level pop-up shop helps Portland get on the zero-waste wagon
As the zero-waste movement is steadily gaining momentum, there are a bunch of major grocery stores and zero-waste pop-up shops offering bulk buying options to skip unnecessary use of plastic packaging. But not every city can benefit from such alternatives. Portland, Oregon, is one example of a Read More...
How volunteer vets are saving the world’s fattest parrots from extinction
While the Optimist Daily may not have a favorite bird per se, the kākāpō is definitely one of our favorites. The kākāpō is a colorful parrot with intricate patterns, and it so happens to be the world’s fattest parrot. Endangered parrot Unfortunately for our feathered friends in New Read More...
Healthy wetlands can save coastal communities millions of dollars during storms
Wetlands such as mangrove forests, marshes, and seagrass beds are critical habitats for a wide variety of species. They also serve to protect inland areas from storm surges and strong winds. A new analysis of Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastal storms has also found that areas with larger wetlands Read More...
Want to play a hands-on role in coral reef protection? Consider this course
Roatan Marine Park (RMP) has protected the reefs and surrounding ecosystems of one of the Bay Islands National Marine Park’s three islands off the coast of Honduras and Belize since 2005. After recently completing its newest coral nursery, the park has announced it will begin offering an RMP Read More...
Scientists are planting 1m seagrass seeds to save the carbon-reducing plant
While generally overlooked, seagrass is one of our strongest allies in the fight against global heating due to its incredible carbon-absorbing abilities. The problem, however, is that the plant is also one of the most threatened organisms in the world. Up to 92 percent of the marine grass has Read More...
Instead of a new airport, Mexico is now building a huge urban park
When plans to build a third runway at London’s Heathrow airport were canceled thanks to heavy objections from environmentalist groups, we at the Optimist Daily celebrated. The only thing that could have made it better is if they turned that proposed third runway into a natural park that would Read More...
This former banker created an 'Uber Eats-style' food rescue program
Three years ago at age 44, former banker Tony Colley had only $278 to his name after a failed business venture. He went on welfare, paid his rent, but didn't have enough to eat through the day and fuel his six-foot-five-inch frame. He hid this secret from everyone except his mother. Depression Read More...