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.
Scientists are finally realizing how important giant bats are for the durian
Depending on who you ask, the durian is either the best or worst food on the planet. Recently, researchers found out that this strange piece of fruit, which is a delicacy in Malaysia, relies on healthy populations of flying fox for survival. As it turns out, the flying fox is the unlikely Read More...
Adding crushed rocks to croplands helps capture CO2 and boost food security
A new study has found that farming crops with crushed rocks could capture CO2 and give increased protection from pests. The scientists also found that crushed silicate rocks help to restore soil structure and fertility. As we look for new solutions to help reduce emissions and improve food Read More...
Problem-solving could be key to grey squirrels' success, study finds
The ability to solve problems may explain why grey squirrels are thriving at the expense of native red ones in the UK, research suggests. Wild greys and reds were presented with an easy task (opening a transparent lid) and a difficult version (a more complex process of pushing and pulling levers) Read More...
Translucent ‘hugging’ towers could help clean Hong Kong’s air pollution
Architect Suraksha Acharya from Midori Architects has proposed a pair of ultra-green translucent towers for the Hong Kong skyline. The futuristic Aero Hive skyscrapers are clad in an organic facade interspersed with greenery that leads up to the towers’ expansive open-air rooftop gardens. The Read More...
China is placing a ban on fishing in the Yellow River starting this year
Illegal fishing is rampant on the Yellow River, the second largest river in China. That’s why the Chinese government will ban fishing in the Yellow River between April 1 and June 30 every year starting this year. The ban aims to protect aquatic organisms in the river as excessive fishing Read More...
Quebec places new restrictions on pesticides in bid to protect honeybees
Quebec is introducing new restrictions on pesticides considered harmful to honeybees. Under the changes, farmers will have to get permission from a certified agronomist before using certain pesticides on crops. The restricted pesticides include three types of neonicotinoids, as well as Read More...
What the rest of the world can learn from the flying cows of Switzerland
Even today, in the face of imminent climate change, we continue to function as though there’s more atmosphere somewhere, ready to whisk off our waste to someplace else. It is time, though, to think of the world as a closed system in which we operate with the full understanding of how one thing Read More...
One day without plastic. Can you do it?
Like it or not, plastic is everywhere. We sit on it, store our food in it, drink from it, text with it, type with it, wear it, and carry our groceries home from the store in it. Yet we know that plastic is harsh on the environment in its production and even harsher when it winds up in our Read More...
Ocean wind farms are becoming artificial reefs
Offshore wind proponents are touting new undersea footage that suggests a vibrant marine habitat is growing around the nation's first offshore wind farm — a five-turbine operation off Rhode Island's Read More...
Waste doesn’t have to be wasted: Creative ways of recycling trash
Not only is the waste we produce rapidly increasing, but we are also running out of ways to dispose of it. In January this year, China said it would no longer process the millions of tons of “foreign garbage” shipped to it each year by the West. Fortunately, there are already organizations who Read More...