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.
The world’s first carbon-neutral town could end up in the most polluted country
Meenangadi, India In November 2015, Thomas Isaac, a 64-year-old economist and finance minister for the Indian state of Kerala, traveled to Paris to present a paper on waste disposal at the United Nations Climate Change Conference. He came back to Kerala with an audacious plan: Turn Meenangadi, a Read More...
Urban jungle: saving city wildlife with trees, green roofs and pools
The federal government recently released the Threatened Species Prospectus, showcasing the numerous opportunities for businesses to be involved in conservation. This is great for the bush, but what about the wildlife that calls the city home? With more than 80 percent of Australia’s population Read More...
Beautiful pictures: This photographer shot every national park in just one year
“Now, more than ever, we need to support these incredible natural treasures.” Since the establishment of Yellowstone National Park, in 1872, 58 more were created – symbols of some of the United States’ most beautiful and important natural resources. The parks are governed by Read More...
If we really love animals, we should close all zoos now
For a lifelong animal lover, zoo owner David Gill appears to have developed an unfortunate habit of loving creatures to extinction. Even before he came to national notice, after fresh reports of negligence, and 12 percent mortality, at his private zoo, South Lakes, his autobiography suggests his Read More...
Ocado is planning to cut air pollution by delivering groceries using electric vehicles
Ocado has been testing grocery delivery by electric vehicles as part of a bid to cut its carbon footprint, reduce congestion and keep noise levels to a minimum, especially in residential areas. The Danish-designed TRIPL vehicle for home deliveries will reduce emissions and is much quieter than a Read More...
China coal consumption drops for the third year in a row
As solar and wind energy production continues to rise in China, coal consumption continues to fall. In fact, China’s coal consumption has declined for the third straight year in 2016, down 4.7 percent from the year before. CO2 emissions dropped a total of 1 percent, and researchers expect that Read More...
Instead of being buried beneath the ground, humans can become the soil
As the cities of the world become denser and denser, land becomes increasingly more precious. Why waste that land on cemeteries and funeral homes for the dead instead of, well, just about anything else for the living? Instead of being buried beneath the soil, an architect has come up with a way to Read More...
Coca-Cola U-turn could help UK catch up on can and bottle recycling
More firms are expected to announce bottle deposit return services after Coca-Cola unexpectedly came out in favour of the idea. Pepsi, Nestlé, Unilever and M&S have already committed to producing more eco-friendly bottles by using plant-based materials or less plastic, and an uptick in Read More...
Sustainable ceramics without a kiln
The manufacture of cement, bricks, bathroom tiles and porcelain crockery normally requires a great deal of heat: a kiln is used to fire the ceramic materials at temperatures well in excess of 1,000°C. Now, material scientists from ETH Zurich have developed what seems at first glance to be an Read More...
Eat organic bread to fight global warming
Fertilizers used in wheat cultivation contribute almost half (43 percent) of the greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new study. Fertilizers consist of substances and chemicals such as methane, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and nitrogen. The emissions from these substances in synthetic fertilizers Read More...