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.
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...
New study finds world’s oceans suck up twice as much CO2 as we thought
Looks like we’ve completely underestimated the carbon-sucking power of the world’s oceans. Yes, we knew the ocean plays an important role in regulating the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but what we didn’t know was that it sucks up twice as much carbon than previously thought. Read More...
75 percent of new electricity sources were renewable in 2019
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, new green energy hit an all-time high in 2019 with almost 75 percent of new energy generation coming from renewable sources. Solar, wind, and other green energy sources now make up one-third of the world’s power as fossil fuel plants Read More...
Coffee grounds could skip the landfill to produce eco-friendly bioplastics
The International Coffee Organization estimates that the world produces over 6 million tons of coffee grounds annually, most of which is tossed into the bin once it's used. Looking to find a more useful end life for coffee grounds, scientists at Yokohama National University have examined whether Read More...
This experimental housing complex holds the key to a clean, stable grid
In the small town of Basalt, Colorado, a small housing development that was meant to stand as a bulwark against skyrocketing housing prices is now dually serving as a living laboratory for testing advanced power grid technologies. The hope is that, one day, these technologies could turn every home Read More...
These 5 startups are poised to disrupt the fashion industry for the better
While some clothing companies have made great strides to clean up the polluting fashion industry, what we really need are innovators that can disrupt the industry and put us on a path towards truly sustainable fashion. With that in mind, here are five exciting startups that are set to make waves in Read More...
Behold the most awe-inspiring water photos of the year
There is something so awing about looking at the water. Whether it’s in the form of powerful waves or perfectly still ponds, water’s shape-shifting powers make it an endlessly fascinating thing to observe. Recently, the photography social network Agora held a competition to provoke Read More...