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.
These cities are changing parking lots into parks and urban farms
The self-driving cars are coming and that means that, soon, cities can do with a lot less parking spaces. Some cities are already anticipating the trend and turning parking lots into parks or even urban farms. This is one more change the self-driving car will bring: Downtown is going to be a much Read More...
A new recycling company with links to Tesla raises funding
The SEC has processed a new filing that suggests Tesla may be at work on yet another new initiative. Specifically, the filing shows a $2 million investment in a months-old, Redwood City, Ca.-based company called Redwood Materials that describes itself at its site as focused on “advanced Read More...
Stylish shoes from recycled plastic that can be washed over and over again
The shoes from this San Francisco design company are made from woven, recycled plastic that can be washed over and over again. The plastic comes from recycled bottles. When dirty, the shoes can be washed and Read More...
This factory sucks up carbon dioxide and feeds it to vegetables
At the end of this month the Swiss company Climeworks will open the first commercial plant that sucks carbon dioxide out of the air and feeds it to vegetables in a neighboring greenhouse. It will be the first business to sell carbon dioxide drawn right out of its surroundings, using a technology Read More...
Why the return of the mammoth may be crucial to reverse global warming
Russian scientists Sergey Zimov and Nikita Zimov believe they can slow the thawing of the Siberian permafrost, that contains vast amounts of carbon dioxide and methane, by bringing back grazing animals to a swath of land called Pleistocene Park. “When animals trample down the snow, they Read More...
India plans an electric car revolution to reduce the smog that kills millions
Every car sold in India will be powered by electricity by the year 2030. The technology will be introduced “in a very big way”, according to the country’s energy minister. The move is intended to lower the cost of importing fuel and lower costs for running vehicles as well as fighting Read More...
EarthRx: The Amazon is not a wilderness, it’s an advanced permaculture food forest
“Where man is not, nature is barren” - William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell One of the first things that amazed me about the Amazon—and just always continues to enthrall—is the sheer abundance of super delicious and highly nutritious foods here. In fact, in the rainforest Read More...
Perfect beauty: Manmade, conflict-free diamonds
While filming the movie “Blood Diamond,” Leo DiCaprio was horrified to learn the brutality mining funded in Africa. That’s why he invested in Diamond Foundry. The company was founded in San Francisco in 2012 with $100 million. Diamond Foundry has built a plasma reactor that creates a Read More...
The glorious comeback of California's wildflowers can be seen from space
The seeds had been sleeping on the hills for years. Yes, there were wildflowers in California during the past drought—but not many. The hills looked barred in recent years. After the abundant rains of the past months, the hills have exploded in a “super bloom”. The natural beauty is even Read More...
Growing food without fossil fuels: The example of Taylor Farms
The global food system, from fertilizer manufacture to food storage and packaging, is responsible for up to one-third of all human-caused greenhouse-gas emissions. Now, Taylor Farms, a major agricultural player in the U.S. is making an effort to make food without fossil fuels, and shrink its Read More...