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.
To curb climate change, we need to protect and expand US forests
Forests have been removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing carbon for more than 300 million years. When we cut down or burn trees and disturb forest soils, we release that stored carbon to the atmosphere. Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, one-third of all carbon dioxide Read More...
Sweden passes climate law to become carbon neutral by 2045
Sweden has committed to becoming a net-zero carbon emitter by 2045, under a law passed in parliament on Thursday. Lawmakers voted 254 to 41 in favour of the proposal, which was developed by a committee involving seven out of eight parliamentary parties. Only the far right Swedish Democrats did Read More...
Oslo is becoming the first European city without cars: A textbook
Freeing the center of a major city of cars is not an easy exercise. Almost two years ago the city council of Oslo decided that the Norwegian capital would become car free as the first major city in Europe. After business protests, the council changed its strategy and did the next best thing: it Read More...
The consequences if the world decided to go meat-free
It’s World Meat Free Day – but what would actually happen if the whole world suddenly went vegetarian permanently? Here’s a briefing about the potential pros and cons for the climate, environment, our health, economy and more. If vegetarianism was adopted by everyone by 2050, the Read More...
The largest fishing companies of the world are teaming up to stop overfishing
Overexploitation of the planet’s fish has more than tripled since the 1970s, with 40 percent of popular species like tuna now being caught unsustainably. That’s why the United Nations is hosting its first ever Ocean Conference this week in New York, which will feature member states discussing Read More...
Scientists have found a way to turn rusty stainless steel into batteries
Metal from the trash heap may one day wind up inside your smartphone instead of the other way around thanks to a group of Chinese scientists. The scientists have figured out a way to turn rusted stainless steel mesh, a material often used for filters and screens in facilities such as wastewater Read More...
This 'tree' fights air pollution like a forest
We need to plant more trees. In fact, as we recently published, each citizen of planet earth would need to plant 240 trees to restore the environment. That’s a challenge and the “City Tree” may help. It is a mobile installation which removes pollutants from the air and it has been popping up Read More...
Greenhouse emissions fall for another year in California
California has continued to chip away at its greenhouse gas emissions even as its economy grows, according to new data released by state regulators on Wednesday. Emissions fell by a third of a percent in 2015, which regulators said was equivalent to removing 300,000 vehicles from state roads for a Read More...
Business is leading the transition to renewables while politicians dither
It is a volatile time for energy politics. Last week the US president, Donald Trump, rocked the world by following through on his pledge to pull the US out of the Paris climate agreement. Considering even North Korea is party to the accord, this leaves the US marooned and alone as a rogue climate Read More...
France is being sued by a Parisian because the air is too polluted
After pollution hit record levels last December, a Parisian woman decided to take the French state to court. She claims the French state is responsible for failing to protect her health from the effects of air pollution, which has caused her a series of respiratory problems over the last few years. Read More...