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.
Dive into this photo gallery of Earth’s most alien landscapes
To really learn about how life emerges, evolves, and flourishes‚ and to improve our chances of detecting it elsewhere in the solar system, scientists look for life in Earth’s harshest environments. That means going to the extremes—to the hottest, darkest, driest, most acidic, saltiest places Read More...
Bury this shirt once it’s worn out. It will become “worm food” in 12 weeks.
A tech-based clothing startup by the name of Vollebak has developed a T-shirt that can either be put in a compost bin or buried in the ground once it’s reached the end of its life. That’s because the shirt is made entirely from wood pulp and algae, which breaks down in soil or in a composter Read More...
Marriott becomes latest hotel chain to ban tiny toiletries
Just a month ago, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced it will no longer offer tiny toiletries at its hotels, which includes the Holiday Inn—amongst others. The move is expected to eliminate 200 million tiny bottles each year by 2021. Now, just a month later, the world’s largest Read More...
Trade of wild African elephants will be banned under new international agreement
It will no longer be legal for wild baby elephants to be snatched from their families and exported to zoos around the world. The landmark conservation decision is the result of a new international agreement ratified by members of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Read More...
India wages war against single-use plastics to fight the country’s trash crisis
India consumes about 14 million tons of plastic every year – out of which a staggering 70 percent is simply discarded, as most of the country’s cities lack an organized system for waste management. As a result, the world's largest democracy is home to vast trash mountains that loom over the Read More...
The Amazon fires are disastrous, but not to our oxygen supply. Here’s why.
If you have been following the news about the fires in the Amazon, chances are you have heard the statistic that 20 percent of our oxygen comes from the Amazon Rainforest. Added to this observation, often in the conventional news media, is a panic-inducing statement that the lungs of the planet are Read More...
Meet the majestic “General Sherman,” resident of Sequoia National Park
General Sherman, a 2000-year-old giant sequoia, is not the largest tree in terms of height, but it does take the cake in total wood volume at an astonishing 52,500 cubic feet. The tree resides within the boundaries of Sequoia National Park and is a popular tourist destination for those who wish to Read More...
Check out this handy guide on plastic recycling. Thanks NPR!
The recycle step of “reduce, reuse, recycle” is not always as easy as it seems. With categories and policies varying based on city and disposal company, it is not always easy to know what can be recycled where. Luckily, NPR has created an easy to use guide to help the average consumer navigate Read More...
Will the growth of car sharing change how cities are built? Absolutely!
Car share services, such as car2go and ZipCar, have gained popularity in recent years as a cost-effective and easy transportation methods for less “car-centric” individuals, including students and residents of urban areas. Apps like car2go work like an instant rental car service, zoom in on the Read More...
A major company just gave its national ad airtime to the Global Climate Strike
Seventh Generation, a major company that specializes in cleaning and personal care products, is donating all of its national TV ad airtime for a whole week leading up to the Global Climate Strike. If you aren’t already aware of the global Climate Strike, it’s an event happening on September Read More...