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.
Why reef-safe sunscreens are going mainstream
What was once a fringe environmental movement is finally going mainstream: more and more people are buying anti-chemical sunscreen. This is partially thanks to the non-profits urging all coastal areas to ban sunscreen lotion that harms coral reefs. So far, the governor of Hawaii signed into the law Read More...
Eco-friendly fitness, the Swede way: how to get started "plogging"
If you haven't already heard of the latest fitness trend sweeping the nation, now's the time to listen up. Known as "plogging," Sweden's current workout craze has officially made its way to the U.S. shores, and it's all about environmentally-friendly Read More...
Eating seaweed could reduce cows’ methane production
Researchers at the University of California, Davis have found a surprising food source that could help reduce cows’ methane production: seaweed. A recent study from the university suggests bovines who eat an experimental mix of special food and a specific strain of seaweed produce less greenhouse Read More...
Norway invites bids for storing CO2 on its continental shelf
Norway on Thursday invited companies to submit bids to use subsea reservoirs to store carbon dioxide near the country’s largest oil and gas field, Troll. The Nordic country aims to develop a full-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) by 2022 as part of its commitment to slow climate change Read More...
New elevator design could disrupt city infrastructure
It seems the endless minutes spent waiting for elevators to arrive has been inspiring more engineers. We’ve already covered the world’s first rope-free elevator and now, UK firm PLP Architecture is using a new system to create more adaptive elevator Read More...
Germany's green power output has grown by a third in three years
Germany keeps leading the transition to renewable energy in Europe. In the first six months of this year, the country produced enough clean energy to power all German households for an entire Read More...
Recycling breakthrough: this process turns 10 plastic bags into liquid in 3 hours
Yesterday, we published the news about plastic eating bacteria that can help solve the plastic pollution crisis. Today, there's another breakthrough: a company has been able to create a chemical process that turns plastic bags into a liquid that can be a resource for other chemical processes. It Read More...
Lessons in recycling: take this quiz
This is a familiar problem for many people: you stand in front of the trash cans but with your best intentions you don't know where the paper cup or the plastic bag in your hands belong. Take this quiz and it may be easier for you next time. The colors of the cans may vary from country to country Read More...
Seattle just became the first major city to ban plastic straws
Seattle just became the first major U.S. city to officially ban plastic straws and utensils. The new requirement, which went into effect on July 1, effectively bans local businesses from using plastic utensils and straws, under penalty of a $250 fine. Seattle had banned the use of non-recyclable, Read More...
Natural solution: Plastic-eating bacteria could solve global pollution crisis
The problem of plastic pollutions has been dominating environmental headlines for months. Now, a student at a college in Oregon in the United States may have found one of the most promising solutions: bacteria capable of “eating” plastic and breaking it down into harmless by-products. Much Read More...