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.
This plastic-free water bottle fully decomposes in 3 weeks
While it’s imperative that we stop using single-use water bottles, it’s also important that we find replacements. With that in mind, a British scientist has invented a plastic-free, single-use water bottle that can decompose within three weeks. The outer lining of the bottle is made out of Read More...
Stop adding to daily pollution by avoiding care products with this ingredient
Unless you wash yourself with the most natural products, chances are your shampoo is contributing to urban air pollution. In fact, a new study discovers that emissions from siloxane, a common ingredient often added to personal care products to impart a silky feel, are similar to vehicles in Read More...
Could urbanization actually help us save the planet?
Urbanization may actually lead to a scenario where the world doesn’t end in doom, according to new research paper. The paper suggests that population growth will decline drastically as more and more people move into cities, meaning fewer resources will be needed to keep the world functioning. Read More...
18 states sue the Trump administration to defend clean car rules
California is leading a coalition of 18 states to sue Donald Trump’s administration. The states represent around 43 percent of the US car market, and they say the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “acted arbitrarily and capriciously” in attempts to weaken Barack Obama-era car Read More...
This is what that 'salmon-safe' label says about your wine or eggs
In a big grass pasture in the shadow of Mount Rainier in Washington state, hundreds of chickens crowd around a little house where they can get water and shelter from the bald eagles circling overhead. This is the original location of Wilcox Family Farms, an egg farm that also has locations in Read More...
Berkeley proposes tax on disposable food containers to cut down on plastic waste
The city of Berkeley was the first city in California to ban plastic bags, and now the city is going after disposable food containers. A new measure has been proposed that would prohibit restaurants from using single-use dishes or containers when patrons eat in. All take-out containers would need Read More...
Wimbledon serves up ban on plastic straws
Wimbledon would not be the same without a thirst-quenching Pimm’s, but this year visitors to the annual tennis championships will be served the beverage without the customary plastic Read More...
The people fighting pollution with plastic-free periods
Talking about periods openly can be difficult, and discussing menstrual waste can be even harder. While the fight against single-use plastics like straws and shopping bags has become a mainstream issue, activists and environmental groups say disposable menstrual products are part of the problem Read More...
The EU is banning this widely-used bee-killing insecticide
Insecticides are killing bee populations in Europe at an alarming rate. To save our beleaguered pollinators, the European Union has moved to ban the most widely used insecticides for use in fields. Recent research showed these insecticides were not only killing insects rapidly, but were also Read More...
Big businesses are saying no to plastic trash in the UK
Over 40 companies including Coca-Cola, Nestle, Unilever and Procter & Gamble have pledged to slash the amount of plastic they use and throw away in the United Read More...