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.
Coal generation collapsed in Europe over the first six months of 2019
Sometimes when you fall, you fall really hard. That’s how it’s going for coal at the moment, the former king when it came to energy production. According to a new report from climate think-tank Sandbag, coal generation in the European Union collapsed by 19 percent in the first half of 2019, Read More...
What it’s like to ride on NYC’s first self-driving shuttle
We write quite a lot about the development of self-driving vehicles, but it will surely feel a bit strange the first time we actually step foot in one and watch the steering wheel turn itself. In New York City, autonomous car company Optimus Ride just debuted the first public self-driving vehicle Read More...
The case for banning domestic flights altogether in Germany
We all know flights are terrible for the environment, but if you need to travel across the world and you don’t have a couple of months to spare, then a flight seems like the most sensible option to make it to your destination. But if you need to get somewhere within your own country, then Read More...
In the climate change era, these geodesic domes could be the homes of the future
The home of the future needs to be prepared for the harsh weather events that will surely come about as a result of climate change. That’s why a startup by the name of Geoship is designing buildings made from a new material that can withstand disasters: bioceramic. Geoship is using the new Read More...
Google is promising carbon neutral shipping. Can they deliver?
Google is falling behind when it comes to Apple and Samsung when it comes to its sustainability pledges. Apple, for example, has at least 50% recycled plastic in some of their gadgets and at least 11 products with recycled aluminum. Samsung also recently pledged to increase its use of Read More...
How school playgrounds could give 20 million Americans access to parks
At a public elementary school in Hell’s Kitchen in New York City, a playground that used to be a barren asphalt lot is now a green space filled with plants and trees—and when school isn’t in session, it’s open to anyone in the neighborhood to use as a park. It’s one example of a Read More...
Could this autonomous underwater robot shed new light on basking sharks?
While we know that the Basking shark is the world’s second-largest fish, there’s so much we don’t know about this fascinating creature. Such is the reason why a team of researchers has deployed an underwater robot that can discretely film the interactions of basking sharks to shed light on Read More...
San Francisco’s airport is attempting to become a zero-waste facility by 2021
San Francisco’s international airport (SFO) is in the midst of a five-year strategic plan to become a zero “waste-to-landfill” facility by 2021. For their next order of business, the airport is banning convenience shops, restaurants and vending machines from selling plastic water bottles in Read More...
A new study has revealed an effective way to help poor families escape poverty
Housing vouchers help millions of American families weather the crushing experience of poverty. With housing choice vouchers, low-income households receive federal aid to pay their rent. Also known as Section 8, the program has been a simple and effective alternative to America’s troubled Read More...
A new bill wants to redesign expiration labels to cut down on food waste
Have you ever thrown away food that looked perfectly fine, just because the package said it was expired? As it turns out, a lot of people get confused by date labels on food packaging — and a big reason why is because expiration dates are not uniformly regulated in the U.S. To combat that, Read More...