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.
Scientists are demanding a fifth Geneva Convention to protect nature from war
When we think of war crimes, we typically think of actions like taking hostages, torturing prisoners, or enlisting child soldiers. Now a group of scientists wants to add another item to that list: harming the environment. An open letter signed by 24 prominent scientists from around the world Read More...
This is what happened when Madrid’s new government tried repealing the car ban
When Madrid’s new administration came to power this past May, it seemed European city car bans were in peril. It’s become somewhat of a trend to ban cars from major city centers in Europe, but the city’s new government promised to scrap the law that had seen almost all private cars disappear Read More...
New Zealand’s rarest bird is having its best breeding season in decades
The kākāriki karaka, also known as the orange-fronted parakeet, is New Zealand’s rarest mainland forest bird. Around the world, it was estimated that the population of this critically endangered species ranged between 100-300. But this breeding season has apparently been the most the fruitful Read More...
Berkeley becomes the first city in America to ban natural gas in new buildings
For decades, natural gas was considered among the preferred energy sources for buildings and embraced as a bridge from dirtier fossil fuels to a green energy future. Now it seems that the transition period is coming to a close after the city of Berkeley passed a landmark ordinance that will ban Read More...
These beautiful wooden shutters move with the sun to keep homes cool
There was a time where the shutters on American homes were actually used to keep houses cool. These days, however, shutters tend to be decorations without a function. But as we look for ways to keep homes cool without blasting the air conditioning, it seems home designers are returning to more Read More...
How food-spattered plastic waste could soon heat homes in the UK
When plastic waste is spattered with scraps of food, recycling it becomes impossible. But that could soon change after a group of scientists in the UK have discovered a way to use dirty plastic waste to produce hydrogen, which can heat homes and fuel cars without producing greenhouse gas emissions. Read More...
Giant UK hospitality business to stop handing out wasteful receipts to its customers
Every year, British retailers hand out 11.2 billion receipts -- that’s 7300 tons of paper -- at a cost of nearly $40 million. Most of these receipts end up in the landfill because they cannot be recycled as a result of them being printed on shiny paper and containing other substances. In a bid Read More...
With its “virtual” power plant, Oakland looks set to move away from fossil fuels
When the demand for electricity surges in Oakland, California, a power plant burning jet fuel switches on, pumping pollution into the western part of the city. But the plant will soon close—and will be replaced in part by a network of solar panels and batteries installed in affordable apartment Read More...
Fashion giant Zara to produce clothing only using sustainable fabrics by 2025
While it’s fantastic that many niche apparel brands are popping up that make clothes in an eco-friendly manner, the toxic environmental impact that comes with fast fashion won’t be solved if bigger clothing companies don’t agree to clean up their supply chain. That’s why it’s good to Read More...
A tax on jet fuel might make your flights more pricey, but it’s worth the cost
Since World World War II, it became standard to not tax fuel on international flights in order to incentivize commercial aviation—in contrast with taxes on fuel used by trucks and cars. But at the time where we need to reduce the negative impact of the aviation industry, it no longer makes to Read More...