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.
MIT researchers develop cost-effective battery made of common materials
The environmental benefits of using electricity rather than fossil fuels to power our world goes without saying— however, the process of electrifying everything has its obstacles. One of the greatest obstacles is the limited resources of lithium, nickel, and cobalt which are all used to create Read More...
Hunger stones, dino tracks, and lost cities; discoveries exposed by drought
The severe droughts that are plaguing many parts of the world are altering life as we know it. Even though the climate crisis and the warming planet may end our civilization, the silver lining is that it's led to the resurfacing of archaeological treasures that may have remained secret Read More...
8 clever cleaning hacks that are zero waste and toxin-free
When the average person reaches for their cleaning supplies, they are likely opening a cabinet full of plastic spray bottles, solutions, and solvents that employ harsh chemicals to make everything sparkle and shine. However, there are many alternative ways to clean the house without chemicals and Read More...
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim confronts climate crisis with Indigenous wisdom
According to Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, “if you’re born as an Indigenous person, you’re born an activist, because you’re born with the problems surrounding your community.” Ibrahim is a native Mbororo woman from Chad, a country that the UN describes as “one of the world’s most Read More...
Wildlife researchers scour Costa Rica’s highways to help reduce roadkill
Costa Rica is a jewel of a country, and one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. Residing in its mountains, jungles, and beaches are approximately half a million animal and plant species. Although Costa Rica is a leader in conservation, it also has the highest density of roads in Read More...
Study shows: if we biked like the Dutch, global emissions would drop dramatically
A new study from researchers at the University of Southern Denmark has determined what we already knew— cycling is much better for the environment than driving conventional internal combustion vehicles. The study took a look at the bike-loving Dutch, and quantified just how much global carbon Read More...
What is degrowth and how can it help tackle climate change in an inclusive way?
We are indeed finding ourselves in a geological epoch – aka the Anthropocene – when human activity has become so earth-shaking it is throwing entire ecosystems and the planet’s climate out of balance. As the science behind global warming is becoming ever harder to dismiss, humanity is facing Read More...
Queens is soon to rule in the world of composting!
Starting in early October of this year, Queens, New York will proudly be running the nation’s grandest composting program. The 2.2 million New Yorkers living in Queens will have a weekly pickup service for organic waste. This means that yard debris and food scraps, and food-soiled paper Read More...
Birth of endangered red panda cub is a “symbol of hope” for the species
Since Disney Pixar released the animated feature film Turning Red earlier this year, interest in red pandas has blossomed. This is excellent news for the species since they're classed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list. Currently, fewer than 2,500 Read More...
Are hydrogen fuel cell cars a better choice than plug-in EVs?
There is no doubt that The Optimist Daily is excited about the increasing number of electric vehicles on the roads. In the US, infrastructure for plug-in EVs has been fleshed out in many regions, easing drivers’ range anxiety. With new tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act, we can expect Read More...