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.
Should we switch gas stoves for electric ones to fight climate change?
With climate change being a recurrent topic of conversation, legislators and organizations are looking into all aspects that can be optimized to reduce our current climate impact. The answer, legislators propose, is to push for electrification of our homes. This consists of changing the source Read More...
H&M’s new "Conscious Collection" features leather made of grapes
Vegan leather is quickly growing in popularity in response to environmental and ethical concerns about traditional leather. H&M’s new "Conscious Collection" will feature all sorts of eco-forward materials, including vegan leather made from grapes! The material is made by the Italian Read More...
A Dutch company is turning food waste into a chemical-free sugar substitute
Yesterday we brought you a story about a new type of all-purpose cleaner made almost entirely out of food waste. Today, we bring you another novel product being made from food waste: a sugar substitute. In the Netherlands, a company called Fooditive is turning leftovers from apples and pears, along Read More...
The packaging for this toy is actually a part of the toy
Whenever we receive a package or buy a new product, we’re so used to opening up the packaging and tossing it right away into the trash. But what if you could actually use the packaging for an entirely different purpose? That’s the idea being pushed forward by a company called Educational Read More...
This household cleaner is made out of an unusual ingredient: food waste
What are the main ingredients in your household cleaning supplies? If you use Industrial Organic’s new line of Veles cleaners, you may be surprised to hear the answer is food waste. Before you get grossed out, let's explain the science: 45 trillion gallons of water go into the food that Read More...
Want to help bees? Consider adding these plants to your garden
Bees are critical members of our food chain. These buzzing backyard insects pollinate three-quarters of all fruits, nuts, and vegetables, but they are on the decline. Fortunately, of the 20,000 known bee species in the world, 4,000 are native to the US and there are many flowers you can plant in Read More...
Renewable hydrogen is getting set to oust natural gas
An economy powered by hydrogen may seem like a distant dream, but the US Department of Energy is pouring millions of dollars into research and development to make it happen soon. The latest developments have all been about leveraging wind and solar energy to bring the cost of renewable hydrogen Read More...
At this internship, students earn scholarships and learn to build homes
The average internship for high school students typically involves unpaid time spent completing mindless tasks such as filing papers, making copies, or taking coffee orders. But unCommon Construction offers a unique alternative that's better preparing young adults for life beyond the classroom. Read More...
Greta Thunberg receives second nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize
Greta Thunberg has become a rallying symbol for climate activists young and old. Her call to action for more rapid climate change intervention and emissions regulations has inspired many and brought climate change to the forefront of political attention. This week, at only 17 years old, Thunberg Read More...
Want to help bees? Don’t mow over those dandelions
Spring is drawing closer, meaning it’s almost time for the great bloom of flowers. Speaking of which, there’s one flower that doesn’t get much love: the dandelion. Being such a common flower that grows on peoples' lawns, people tend to just mow over them. But according to the new president of Read More...