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.
New York City gives students the green light to walk out for youth led Climate Strike
The 1.1 million New York public school students will be excused from school to attend the Youth Climate Strike this Friday, September 20. The school board made the announcement via Twitter this week that students would not be punished for skipping class for the strike but would need to call in the Read More...
For native fish populations, a robot invasion may be a good thing
A couple weeks ago we shared a story about how robots are delivering pizzas on college campuses. This week, robots are at it again, but this time they aren’t delivering pizza, they’re saving fish populations. Mosquitofish, an invasive species, have expanded rapidly in lakes and rivers across Read More...
Coral gardeners are breathing life back into Jamaica’s reefs
Once home to a vibrant sea life abundant in stunning coral reefs, after a series of natural and man-made disasters in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Jamaica lost 85 percent of its once-bountiful corals. This resulted in a steep decline in seafood populations upon which many families’ living hoods Read More...
Major coal mine project blocked over climate change concerns
Environmental activists celebrated a major win for the planet last week, as the development of a coal mine in New South Wales, Australia has been blocked over significant concerns about environmental impacts, including climate change and the costs to future generations. The decision was taken by Read More...
The fix is in: how repairing old stuff helps in the war against planned obsolescence
It can be frustrating to repair something when it costs the same amount to replace it. But that’s how planned obsolescence works. Companies create poor quality products, so you are forced to pay to replace it. This trend has taken over the modern consumer’s life. From clothing to Read More...
25k Protestors Demand Change from Automakers in Frankfurt
Protests alone don't create solutions. Protests with highly organized, coordinated efforts, with effective demands and a message clearly delivered can be the start of something good. That's exactly what happened at Frankfurt's International Motor Show (IAA). In a coordinated effort to demand an Read More...
This algae bioreactor captures as much CO2 out of the air as two acres of trees
It’s no doubt that algae are one of our closest allies in the fight against climate change. Because of their ability to conduct photosynthesis, they represent one of nature’s most efficient machines when it comes to sequestering carbon dioxide. Now imagine optimizing that process by adding some Read More...
Mass media is stepping up with a “covering climate now” commitment
Journalists and newsrooms have wrestled with the right way to tell the climate story for almost thirty years. In fits and starts, newsrooms have covered climate change, suggested there was a reason for concern, backed off, named & renamed the crisis, and been challenged by misconceptions that Read More...
Americans waking up to the seriousness of climate crisis, a new poll shows
In a new poll conducted by CBS News, two-thirds of Americans agree that climate change is either a crisis or a serious problem. More than half of those surveyed also said they wanted immediate action to deal with the effects of this climate change. This is big news, because although the rest Read More...
CupClub makes your morning coffee sleeker and effortlessly sustainable
The to-go coffee cup is a symbol of the on-the-go worker: an iconic image of the modern professional. But the image of 600 billion discarded coffee cups clogging up oceans and landfills each year is far less glamorous. Architect Safia Qureshi wanted to make coffee cups more sustainable, without Read More...