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.
Sweden's capital is on its way to becoming fossil fuel free by 2040
At the recent Paris climate summit, world leaders set an ambitious global target: no net carbon emissions by mid-century. That means all of the carbon we burn from fossil fuels must be absorbed by the world’s forests and oceans. Achieving that — well, easier said than done. Popout Share Read More...
Trust the soil, cherish the crop
When a young Japanese agronomist, Shinya Imahashi, started his small Natural Agriculture demonstration farm near Yatesbury in Wiltshire, he invited organic farmers to hear about the way he works. His visitors were interested, but they warned him that, unless he fed his soil or used rotation, within Read More...
Extinct plant species discovered in amber
Biologists have described a new species of extinct plant, based on two fossil flowers that were trapped in chunks of amber for at least 15 million years. Strychnos electri belongs to the genus whose tropical shrubs, trees and vines are famous for producing the deadly toxin strychnine. The US Read More...
How Costa Rica is becoming one of the most environmentally friendly places on earth
Costa Rica's emerging status as a green energy leader has won renewed praise from experts discussing the country's 99 per cent fossil-free electricity use. The central American country achieved an almost completely carbon-neutral footprint when sourcing electricity for its citizens in 2015, Read More...
Cow gas smells like success for organic farmer
In a land famous for cutting-edge agricultural technology, one Israeli farmer gets his sustainable ecological solutions not from a computer – he doesn’t own one – but from the backside of his cows. That’s right: We’re talking about methane, the odiferous, Read More...
Climate-smart agriculture: Building resilience to climate change
The current El Niño weather phenomenon has brought devastating drought to parts of Ethiopia, showing the urgent need for farming to adapt to new weather patterns. With global populations expanding rapidly, it has been estimated that agricultural production will have to rise by as much as 70% by Read More...
'Climate change has put focus on necessity of renewable energy', India minister says
Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu on Sunday said climate change has put the focus on the necessity of renewable energy and this is also being used as an opportunity to help the transition to a cleaner and greener world. Speaking after inaugurating World Utility Summit (WUS), during ELECRAMA 2016 - Read More...
Study finds plankton are the key to carbon sequestration
An international team of scientists has begun to illuminate how the ocean plucks carbon from the atmosphere, where it contributes to global warming, and shuttles it to the bottom of the sea. The new study, published in the journal Nature, establishes the important role of plankton networks in Read More...
Sweden to go carbon neutral by 2045
Seven out of eight parliamentary parties back proposal for rapid greenhouse gas emissions cuts, boosted by Paris agreement By Megan Darby Sweden is aiming to neutralise its greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. The Scandinavian country will cut territorial emissions at least 85% from 1990 levels and Read More...
This suit made of mushroom spores helps decompose bodies sustainably
With the rise of electric cars, sustainable architecture, eco-friendly diets, composting, and countless other options, forging a sustainable life is often as easy as it is trendy. Now, it's even easy after death, thanks to a bodysuit made from a decidedly old-school material: mushrooms. The Read More...