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.
Evolution is happening faster than we thought
A friend recently invited me over to see the blackbird that had taken up residence in a potted plant on her balcony. Serenely incubating eggs in the inner city, this bird had little in common with its shy, reclusive ancestors that nested in Europe’s forests. Early in the 19th century, Read More...
Beyond organic at Miracle Farms in St-Anicet: Permaculture transforms an apple orchard into an oasis
When biologist Stefan Sobkowiak took over the orchard in St-Anicet in 1993, there were very few birds. His commercial apple orchard in the Montérégie region of Quebec, about 90 kilometres southwest of Montreal, was surrounded by non-organic neighbours, and this seemed to impact the Read More...
Finally, a Starbucks coffee cup that can be recycled
An estimated 60 billion paper cups in the US end up in landfills every year because they can't be recycled easily. A coffee cup is an environmental nightmare. Most are made from cardboard with a thin layer of plastic tightly attached to the cup. This keeps the drink warm and prevents the cardboard Read More...
Fighting climate change with cloning 3000-year old trees
California’s sequoia trees can be 3,000 years old, and scientists believe their size and robustness make them ideal for absorbing greenhouse gases that drive climate change on the planet. Some compare them to people who drink and smoke all their lives, yet thrive well into their 90s. That’s why Read More...
Rotterdam offers burial at sea for greenhouse gases
A scheme to collect millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases and bury them under the North Sea off the coast of Rotterdam is Europe's best hope of showing it can make carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology work. Rotterdam, Europe's largest port, is the home to the sole survivor of a dozen Read More...
Ban diesel cars in London, thinktank urges
Diesel vehicles must be banned from London if the UK is to meet its air pollution targets, a thinktank warned on Monday. Cars, vans and buses using diesel fuel are the leading cause of air pollution in the capital, and although steps are being taken to discourage their use, through the congestion Read More...
To save the environment, scientists are turning carbon dioxide into stone
A group of scientists in Iceland are injecting carbon dioxide and water into basalt though a process called the "CarbFix Process." The scientists behind the project say this method of carbon capture could help with reducing the effects of CO2 emissions. Video courtesy of Reuters. Follow TI: On Read More...
Taste for mushrooms helps Tanzanian farmers protect forest
Magdalena Gwasuma ducks carefully into a small, dark cage at the back of her house, where rows of fresh oyster mushrooms sit on wooden shelves. “I didn’t know anything about growing mushrooms at home - we used to get them from the forest,” the 60-year-old told the Thomson Reuters Read More...
New Zealand: People use crowdfunding to buy back and protect the commons
Crowdfunding makes it possible for large groups of people who contribute a little money to accomplish big things. In many places in the world, beautiful parts of nature are privately owned by wealthy people. Crowdfunding can bring such places back to the public. An inspiring example just happened Read More...
Eating meat is worse for the planet than driving your car
Many people feel guilty about driving their cars or about flying to distant places. It is true that cars and planes substantially contribute to global warming. However, traveling also makes a great contribution to more social cohesion and better understanding in the world. But you can travel Read More...