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.
Endangered sea turtles are making a comeback in the Pacific Ocean
Amidst the seemingly endless stream of bad news we hear about the world’s oceans on a daily basis, here’s some good news: According to a new survey of sea life in the Pacific Ocean, endangered green sea turtles are making a lively comeback as populations along dozens of coral reefs in waters Read More...
The UK just announced a climate change emergency. Here’s why that matters
Before any concrete action can be taken on climate change by governments, the threat of climate change should at least be recognized officially. Last week, the UK became the first country in the world to declare a climate change emergency, taking their recognition of the threat that climate change Read More...
Single-use plastics have been banned from all cultural events in Prague
Although festivals can be good fun, for some reason people tend to treat festival grounds with reckless abandon, leaving plastic waste all over the place. The world famous Glastonbury Festival in England has banned all single-use plastic bottles earlier this year to help combat the problem, and now Read More...
Amsterdam to ban diesel and gas-powered cars and motorbikes by 2030
As the world gets hotter and more crowded, we don't need our transportation to continue pumping dirty emissions into the air we breathe. The World Health Association lists air pollution as one of the most threatening global public health issues and estimates that 90 percent of the world’s Read More...
Have a truly green spring cleaning with these eco-friendly products
It's spring-cleaning time once again! As the weather slowly warms and the sun comes out for longer each day, the urge to purge and scour our homes becomes stronger. Tackle that winter grime with the help of the following cleaning products, all designed with the environment in mind. Whether it's Read More...
Maine becomes first state in the US to ban environmentally-harmful Styrofoam
Like all plastics, Styrofoam, or polystyrene, stays around in the environment for hundreds of years. But it's particularly noxious because its light weight makes it liable to be carried by wind and water into the ocean, where it breaks down into micro-plastics that eventually make their way into Read More...
In the future, air conditioners could capture carbon rather than creating it
The air-conditioner has become somewhat of a poster child for climate change, cooling your home while eating lots of energy and spewing heat and emissions into the atmosphere. But what if we could weaponize air conditioning units to help pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere instead? According Read More...
A new algorithm is helping California scrub thousands of cannabis convictions
In the US, having a criminal record has dramatic consequences on your ability to live a normal life. From not being able to buy a home to being rejected from a job, one conviction can make it almost impossible for a person to assimilate back into society. This reality is especially sour for people Read More...
How close is Apple to fulfilling its circular ambitions?
Since Apple announced in 2017 its ambitious goal of making all new iPhones, Macs and other products from 100 percent recycled or renewable materials, its progress has been hard to track. Last month, however, Apple grounded its aspirations in action, publicly sharing materials recovery rates and Read More...
25 endangered bird species in the UK debut on the country’s singles chart
More than 40 million birds have vanished from the UK skies in just 50 years, 56 species are currently in decline, and one in ten of UK’s wildlife are critically endangered. However, only 15 percent of people in the UK realize that nature is in crisis, and even more worryingly, over a quarter of Read More...