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.
Chicago is seeing book returns surge 240% after the mayor eliminated fees
A little over a month ago, we published a story about Chicago libraries doing away with overdue book fees, which are disproportionately affecting the city’s lower-income residents. Now, one month since the fines were eliminated, Chicago libraries are reporting a 240 percent increase in the number Read More...
Greta Thunberg effect: How carbon offsetting has spiked in the past 18 months
She is 16-years-old, and she already has a phenomenon named after her called the “Greta Thunberg effect”. It refers to the huge increase in individuals and businesses choosing to offset their emissions by investing in carbon-reducing projects in developing countries. Ever since Thunberg’s Read More...
This beach in Finland is completely covered in rare ‘ice eggs’
For years the Optimist Daily has been writing about natural phenomenons, and yet, we continue to be surprised that they happen in our awe-inspiring world. This week, something very rare happened in Finland that we bet you have never seen before. Walking along a beach on the Hailuoto island of Read More...
Coffee pods finally have a biodegradable alternative
The coffee pod is a nemesis to environmentalists, overflowing landfills across Europe and America by the millions. These pods, which are made from aluminum and plastic, are an especially frustrating source of waste because there are simply much greener ways of making coffee that require just as Read More...
Amsterdam is pushing hard to become a car-free city
Aside from its beautiful canals and delicious Stroopwafels, Amsterdam is perhaps most famous for the masses of bikes that voyage through the city. To make life easier for bikers and pedestrians, Amsterdam has been instituting policies towards its ultimate goal of becoming a car-free city. In Read More...
Turning to nature for help may be key to tackle air pollution
Dealing with air pollution that plagues cities across the United States doesn’t necessarily require fancy, expensive technology. In fact, new research suggests it may be easier, cheaper, and more effective to simply let nature do the work. Researchers from Ohio State University studied Read More...
How AI technology is revolutionizing animal conservation
Wildlife conservationists often struggle with gathering vital information about species without disrupting their lives and habitats. While studying black rhino populations in Africa, conservationists Zoe Jewell and Sky Alibhai grappled with how to study the animals without tranquilizing and placing Read More...
This carbon-negatives raincoat is made entirely from algae bioplastic
A New York designer, by the name of Charlotte McCurdy, has created a water-resistant jacket made from a bioplastic material derived entirely from large-celled algae. Because the jacket is made of algae, which is the single biggest capturer of CO2 from the atmosphere, it’s technically Read More...
Slingshotting pumpkins and other ways to deal with post-Halloween pumpkin waste
After each Halloween, more than 1 billion pounds of pumpkin get tossed out and left to rot in America’s landfills. Some are thrown away the day after Halloween, contributing to the 30.3 million tons of annual food waste in the U.S. When left to decompose in a landfill, that food waste Read More...
A Mexican student has made pavement that self-repairs with rain using old tires
Wouldn’t it be amazing if rain repaired roads rather than damage them? Well, that could soon become a reality thanks to a student by the name Israel Antonio Briseño Carmona. Using recycled tires combined with additives, the student has created a sort-of rubber pavement that turns rain into a Read More...