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.
Newborn island in the South Pacific is now nurturing birds and flowers
Four years ago a volcanic eruption gave birth to one of the world’s youngest islands. But what was thought to be just another short-lived island that submarine volcanic eruptions tend to uplift now has its own flora and fauna. Dazzling pink flowering plants, sooty tern birds, and even barn owls Read More...
Rhode Island to prohibit restaurants from offering plastic straws
Movements condemning the use of single-use plastics are growing stronger, with plastic straws being singled out as one of the main culprits that pollute our oceans. And for good reason: In the US alone, over 500 million plastic straws are used every day, with the majority of those ending up in Read More...
Volunteers saved thousands of baby flamingos in drought-stricken South Africa
Years of severe drought brought the capital of South Africa dangerously close to becoming the first major city in the modern era to face the threat of running out of water, and while such a scenario was fortunately averted, the drought did cause a reservoir that hosts one of southern Africa's Read More...
Treat yourself to a visual feast of birds with these stunning photos
At the Optimist Daily, we’re constantly delivering stories for you to read. But every now and again, there’s something wonderful to be gained by simply taking in the stunning beauty of our world and the animals that inhabit it. If you follow the link below, you will be treated to a visual feast Read More...
Scientists are creating a plant that thrives on guzzling carbon dioxide
The institute that developed the first safe polio vaccine is now off to tackle another life-threatening problem: climate change. To do so, they are attempting to create the “Ideal Plant”—one that thrives on consuming lots of carbon dioxide and storing it in its roots. The scientists behind Read More...
This company is turning avocado seeds into 100% biodegradable plastics
Unless you live under a rock, you’re probably aware that single-use plastic items such as disposable cutlery and straws are falling out of favor. In fact, cities around the world such as Seattle and Paris have already issued bans on straws. But what will come in its place? The answer may possibly Read More...
Scotland’s Isle of Arran becomes first British community to go plastic-free
The Isle of Arran in Scotland attracts over 400,000 visitors a year, and is often referred to as ‘Scotland in miniature’. Now it can also be referred to as Scotland’s first plastic-free community. The island received the Plastic Free Community accreditation from Surfers Against Sewage, an Read More...
Personal care products are especially wasteful. This company wants to solve that
When entrepreneur Brian Bushell found out that a third of all the single-use plastic products in landfills are personal care products, he decided to launch a new line of personal care products called Humankind aimed at eliminating single-use packaging. A deodorant from the brand will come in a Read More...
Volunteers in India plant 66 million trees in 12 hours to break world record
When people come together and focus their energy on one thing, amazing things can happen. Just look at the state of Madhya Pradesh in India where an estimated 1.5 million people gathered together to plant more than 66 million tree saplings in just 12 hours along one of the major rivers in the Read More...
90 percent of bottles collected by Oregon’s bottle deposit system get recycled
If we want to make recycling an effective way of dealing with used beverage containers, then we must look to Oregon for inspiration. Currently, the state recycles 90 percent of the beverage containers covered by its bottle deposit system, despite major disruptions in the global recycling markets. Read More...