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.
Solutionary Rail: Turning America’s railroads into a climate solution
To this editor, who was born in The Netherlands where it was recently announced that the railways are completely powered by wind energy, the image above doesn’t look very innovative. And, yet, electrified railroads powered by renewable energy can make a big positive environmental solution to the Read More...
Can organic cotton become as mainstream as organic food?
Organic cotton textiles register no more than a footnote in the world’s cotton production, but Vishal Naithani wants to change that. His company, Sustained Organic Living in Edina, selects certified organic cotton grown in India with non-GMO seeds. The products are made using only fair trade Read More...
Barcelona to begin banning old cars in 2019, Munich plans diesel ban
In response to worsening air pollution problems in many of Europe’s largest cities, Barcelona (Spain) and Munich (Germany) have been moved to action. In Barcelona’s case, voluntarily, and in Munich’s case, as the result of a court order. To be more specific, Barcelona will begin banning cars Read More...
Anti-fracking protesters take government to court in Lancashire
The government will go to court this week to defend test drilling at a fracking site in Lancashire as it comes under pressure to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds to cover the cost of policing anti-fracking protests. The high court in Manchester will hear two cases on Wednesday that pit Sajid Read More...
Stockholm’s mayor is taking on climate change
Karin Wanngård, the mayor of Stockholm, rides an electric bike to work each morning — at least when it is not snowing too heavily. She also wears second-hand clothing — a trendy move in Stockholm, she says — and eats less meat than she used to. It is all part of her contribution to meeting Read More...
House passes bill to ban fracking in Maryland
The Maryland House of Delegates passed a milestone fracking ban bill Friday with unprecedented bipartisan support. House Bill 1325, which passed by a vote of 97 to 40, would ban hydraulic fracturing Read More...
With this simple device reforesting the planet becomes easy
We urgently need to repair the soil of our planet. Here’s a simple invention that protects seedlings from harsh arid climates and reduces the amount of water they need to thrive—and boosts their survival rate by as much as 80 Read More...
Your next set of tires could be made of tomato waste and egg shells
One of the key elements of a tire is carbon black, a filler that adds durability to the rubber. The substance isn’t very eco-friendly. It's made from petroleum, which is why researchers are experimenting with a “greener” way to replace carbon black. Using egg shells and tomato skins Read More...
This reusable sponge can clean oil spills top to bottom
Researchers have created a reusable sponge that can effectively clean up oil spills. Unlike most methods that can only clean up the surface, the Oleo Sponge can go deep into a column of water and soak up oil beneath the surface. When the spill is cleaned up, the sponges can be wrung out and reused, Read More...
Carbon emissions in the U.K. have hit a 120-year low
The last time the UK emitted less carbon dioxide than it did in 2016, most Brits were still traveling by horse and carriage. Carbon emissions in 2016 fell by 5.8 percent compared with 2015, and the use of coal fell by a record 52 percent over the same period. The U.K. also generated more power from Read More...