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.
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...
‘There are 9 million bicycles in Beijing’ and they can clear the air
According to singer Katie Melua there are “nine million bicycles” in Beijing—more or less. All these bicyclists fight their way through excessive air pollution. Now, Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde imagines a bike that pulls in dirty air, filters it, and releases clean air. This smog-clearing Read More...
Plastic-eating worms could be the solution to pollution
A type of caterpillar that can munch up plastic bags has just been identified, fuelling excited speculation that this could one day help to eliminate global pollution from plastic waste. After a Spanish researcher had mistakenly left wax worms in a plastic bag one day, she found that the critters Read More...
Oslo, London, Amsterdam lead push for greener transport: study
Oslo, London and Amsterdam are leading a shift by major cities to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from transport, helped by new technologies that will help to curb climate change and reduce air pollution, a study showed on Tuesday. European cities filled eight of the top 10 spots, along with Read More...
Could universal environmental education spur a green revolution?
We know that the only way to save the planet is to restructure the way the world operates. This includes building the necessary infrastructure for producing clean energy, reshaping the economy into a circular one, and maintaining ecosystems that absorb carbon. So how do we ensure that all of these Read More...
How companies can lead on anti-deforestation efforts
Pressure, both from environmental groups and local communities, has been instrumental in nudging multinational companies to become more environmentally responsible. Consumer preferences are shifting as well, though most have made it clear that they only want environmentally responsible products as Read More...
Can we fight climate change with trees and grass?
Can we use trees and other plants as a weapon in the fight against climate change? Earth's greenery comes with natural carbon-capturing abilities, but now several studies are investigating how to tweak those tendencies to have a maximum impact on carbon dioxide levels in the Read More...
You can eat this algae-based water bottle when you’re done with your drink
A plastic water bottle may take hundreds–or even thousands–of years to degrade in a landfill. A new conceptual design for a water bottle is at the opposite extreme: Immediately after you drink it, it starts to fall apart. And if you don’t want to throw the bottle away, you can eat it. The Read More...