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.
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 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 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 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 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...
Coal power is becoming ‘uninsurable’ as major insurance firms refuse coverage
It was a historic year in the fight against coal power as ten major insurance firms moved to restrict the insurance coverage they offer to companies that build or operate coal power plants, taking the global total to 17. 2019 saw the number of insurers refusing coverage for coal projects more than Read More...
To solve deep-seated inequality, we must grow poor regions from the bottom up
Concentrated poverty has long been a problem in urban centers and parts of the rural South, but these days it has spread across many parts of the country. Sadly enough, regional inequality has deepened and the middle class has declined—the result of a long history of class and racial division, Read More...
Vancouver’s New Year’s resolution: no more styrofoam containers
The styrofoam container is the trademark of the takeout meal, but Vancouver is getting set to eliminate it. For the new year, the city has set a resolution to reduce single-use waste with a ban on all foam takeout containers starting January 1, 2020. The ban comes a year after New York City’s Read More...
These four projects are stopping plastic from entering our oceans via rivers
Most ocean plastic starts off in rivers, so if we want to keep the ocean free of plastic, it’s essential we intercept river plastic before it enters the sea. Fortunately, there are already four projects that are doing a seriously good job of capturing plastic in rivers. Let’s take a look at Read More...
Are glass milk bottles making a comeback in the UK?
What happened to the days where the so-called “milkman” would come by your house and drop off glass bottles of milk? Well, single-use plastics and cheaper packaging came around and eliminated the demand for recyclable glass bottles. Soon enough, disposable milk packaging became the norm. But Read More...