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.
Meet the 96-year-old who saved his village in Taiwan with a paintbrush
If you heard that the town where you have lived your entire life was going to be demolished, what would you do? For Huang Yung-fu, a former soldier from Taiwan, the answer was pick up a brush and paint. For the past 10 years, Yung-fu has been waking up at 4:00 in the morning and decorating the Read More...
City buses are electrifying faster than any other conventional vehicle
Although it looks as if the era of fossil-fuel powered cars has peaked, it will still be a number of years until these cars are off our roadways completely, with 2050 being estimated as the year electric cars take over for good. But there’s one type of conventional vehicle that is phasing out Read More...
‘Supercorals’ offer glimmer of hope for one of world’s most biodiverse ecosystem
Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have caused an increase in the global surface temperature of approximately 1°C since pre-industrial times, making ocean water warmer and more acidic. This has led to unprecedented mass coral bleaching events which – combined with growing local pressures – Read More...
France wants to reduce the heavy environmental footprint of the fashion industry
French President Emmanuel Macron is tapping Kering SA, the French owner of luxury fashion houses such as Gucci and Saint Laurent, to lead a global fashion-industry sustainability drive, seeking to reduce the heavy environmental footprint of one of the country’s most lucrative businesses. The Read More...
The divestment movement has drained more than $8 trillion from fossil fuels
At $39.2 billion, Harvard University’s endowment is the largest academic fund in the world—not all of which actually goes to academia. A large chunk is invested in private funds, bonds, and other financial instruments that don’t have to disclose what they’re betting on. That means there’s Read More...
Meet the ocean farmer who grows food that cleans up pollution in the Atlantic
What if locals in your area called you the “Oyster Wench”? For Catherine Puckett, it’s the highest honor there is. Puckett, who lives on an island off the coast of Rhode Island, represents a new generation of ocean farmers, one whose singular connection to the water is coupled with a passion Read More...
These brilliant prefab homes generate their own water and energy
If you ever dreamed of having a little off-the-grid house in the woods, then you have to see these tiny prefab homes from a startup by the name of PassiveDom. These beautiful little homes feature big glass windows and rooftop solar panels that power both the heating and cooling systems of the home. Read More...
This is how to do wildlife tourism the right way
Travelers love animals. We want to get close to them and learn more about them. But the reality that many tourists don’t see is that to stay in business, animal encounters, such as elephant rides and photo ops with tigers, rely on putting wild creatures to work. Discerning the difference between Read More...
Now Ireland has joined the UK in declaring a climate emergency
Just a week after the UK made the historic decision to declare a climate emergency, the parliament of Ireland has followed up with their own declaration, making it the second country to do so. Should you be wondering why declaring a climate emergency is of the utmost importance, allow us to fill Read More...
Finally, a company has come up with a plastic-free way to shave
Unless you're going for the Mountain Man look, owning a razor is a necessity in modern society. Unfortunately, that often means using a pile of plastic. Even if you've switched from disposable razors to replaceable cartridges (an improvement), there is still excess packaging and plastic blade heads Read More...