Today’s Solutions: December 19, 2025

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.

This waste-free toothpaste bra

This waste-free toothpaste brand is clean for your teeth and the planet

Most of us get our toothpaste out of pesky toothpaste tubes every day, but that could become a thing of the past after a Canadian company created an alternative that takes the waste out of dental hygiene.  Change Toothpaste, which was founded in January of this year, has created dry toothpaste Read More...

Researchers discover 40 new sp

Researchers discover 40 new species of fish in a single lake

The animal diversity on planet Earth is truly spectacular. A testament to that comes in the form of a recent discovery by researchers in Africa, who found over 40 previously unknown species of fish--all from one lake. Lake Mweru, located between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, is Read More...

Give kids the gift of a green

Give kids the gift of a green mindset this holiday season

This time of year it can feel like holiday gift guides are flooding your life. Gift options for kids are everywhere, but what about the impact all these plastic toys have on our environment? This week we share a different type of gift guide: engaging presents for environmentally conscious Read More...

Businesses and consumers are p

Businesses and consumers are pushing for real action at Madrid Climate Summit

While political leaders met this week in Madrid for more negotiations on the 2015 Climate Agreement, some business leaders are arguing that changes aren’t happening fast enough. That's why some companies are taking on roles as the unlikely climate leaders of the future as they recognize that Read More...

A Stanford graduate is on a qu

A Stanford graduate is on a quest to rid the world of dirt floors

The idea of living on a floor made of dirt may seem completely alien to you, but for more than a billion people in the world, living in homes with dirt floors is the norm. And that’s a problem. Dirt floors are unsanitary and can make people sick, often playing host to bugs such as termites and Read More...

Reebok just revealed the world

Reebok just revealed the world’s first plant-based performance running shoe

OK. We wouldn’t blame you if you sighed when you saw the title of this article since we’ve published quite a few stories lately on sustainable shoes. But the fact of the matter is people buy a lot of shoes each year, and most of them are made from synthetic materials. In 2017, the Read More...

Despite its own emissions, IBM

Despite its own emissions, IBM is pushing America to implement a carbon tax

When it comes to lowering carbon emissions in corporate America, momentum is building behind what is often an unpopular word: “tax." This week, tech giant IBM became the latest major U.S. company to publicly advocate for the federal government to levy a carbon tax, pledging to push Congress, Read More...

Move over Amazon: this new ser

Move over Amazon: this new service is offering low-emission same-day delivery

Earlier this week we published a piece about the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, who called out Amazon in an open letter and demanded they pay for the emissions they produce in the city. We can understand her sentiment: beyond the emissions that come with speedy delivery, Amazon’s trucks also clog Read More...

If you want to stop animal cru

If you want to stop animal cruelty, donate to one of these fine animal charities

Americans are becoming more and more concerned with animal welfare. A 2015 Gallup poll found that 62 percent of Americans said animals deserve some legal protections. Another 32 percent — nearly one-third — expressed an even stronger pro-animal stance, saying they believe animals should get the Read More...

Underwater speakers are helpin

Underwater speakers are helping scientists bring life back into the Great Barrier Reef

Healthy coral reefs emanate a remarkable soundscape, acting as a signaling mechanism for juvenile fish who are looking for a place to settle. When reefs fade away, this rich soundscape becomes a silent dessert, depriving the dying corals of the chance to ever regenerate. As scientists are Read More...