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 use an ultra-thin slice of wood to make seawater drinkable
As global warming worsens on our watch, there might eventually come a time when drinking water is harder to come by for a lot of the world. That’s why we need a better way to convert salt water to potable drinking water in case of emergencies. Inspired by the intricate system of water circulating Read More...
Singapore tower replaces greenery it has taken with indoor and outdoor gardens
Back in 2014, Singapore authorities passed a law stating that any greenery lost because of new development must be replaced with publicly accessible greenery of an equal area. This has resulted in many lush projects sprouting in the city-state. Now informed by the rule, Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), Read More...
The once-extinct bearded vulture makes an admirable comeback in the Alps
In the early 20th century, the bearded vulture - one of the world’s largest birds of prey - was hunted to extinction in the Alps, partly due to locals’ superstitious beliefs about the raptor. But recently, the birds have reappeared, flying high over the mountain range in France. This summer, a Read More...
Amazon will soon start forcing third-party sellers to use eco-friendly packaging
Amazon is (finally) doing something to reduce the massive amount of packaging waste that comes from orders off their online store. Starting on September 3, third-party sellers who use excessive packaging for large items will receive a fine from Amazon. Meanwhile, Amazon has been working closely Read More...
These biodegradable flower pots are made using waste from the paper industry
Buy a plant or flowers and more often than not it will come in a pot made of black plastic that you’ll get rid of once you replant your new purchase. But that black plastic is incredibly hard to recycle, making the act of growing plants more wasteful than it should be. Now there’s a Read More...
This ultra-efficient urban farm is run by people with disabilities
In Jackson, Wyoming, a state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse exists that is cranking out roughly 100,000 pounds of produce each year using only one-tenth of an acre of land. That alone is absolutely worth a story, but what makes the greenhouse even more newsworthy is that the 34 employees who work Read More...
This massive hotel group is phasing out mini toiletries to curb plastic waste
The days of stashing mini toiletries in your bag upon leaving a hotel room are nearing the end. InterContinental Hotels Group, which owns more than 5,000 hotels worldwide across several brands including Holiday Inn, has announced it will be phasing these out in order to cut down on plastic waste. Read More...
Wildlife rescue group uses clasps from old bras to treat injured turtles
If you think that bras have no other purpose than supporting women’s bodies, think again. A wildlife rescue organization in North Carolina last month put out a very unusual request on Facebook calling for people to donate their old or ill-fitting bras to help save turtles with cracked shells. Read More...
A new startup is on a quest to remove plastic from online grocery shipping
Single-use plastics are ubiquitous in the world of food. Sure, some supermarkets are starting to eliminate this type of packaging, but what we urgently need is a way to do groceries without all the plastic. That’s where a new online grocery service, Rise Mrkt, comes in. The startup, which says Read More...
This startup vaporizes trash and turns it into new products—without emissions
In recent weeks we have talked about waste-to-energy plants that burn waste and use the resulting heat to produce electricity. The problem, however, is that this process also produces toxic emissions. One Bill Gates-backed startup by the name of Sierra Energy has a better solution: rather than Read More...