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.
Forensic science could be key in stopping endangered animal poaching
Later this month, the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species will meet with forensic scientists to propose a series of changes that could make new technologies available that can help track down poachers. With the latest forensic technology, a poacher caught with a rhino horn, Read More...
Cleaning ports and seas with a trash-eating “shark” drone
The Port of Rotterdam in The Netherlands is using a new experimental drone vessel to clean the harbor. The “Waste Shark” can gather up to 500 kilograms (1120 pounds) of waste before returning it to a collection point. The vessel also gathers data about water quality, and designs more efficient Read More...
Sustainable farming and regenerating soil hold key to tackling global warming
Soil is the second biggest reservoir of carbon on the planet, next to the oceans. It holds four times more carbon than all the plants and trees in the world. But human activity like deforestation and industrial farming—with its intensive plowing, monoculture and heavy use of chemical fertilizers Read More...
Marine conservation efforts just took a major step forward
Ocean conservation efforts took a significant step forward on Friday when a measure to protect 30 percent of the world's oceans by 2030 passed during a major meeting in Hawaii. The resolution, which is non-binding, garnered widespread support from the governments and global organizations Read More...
Kenya to plant a 'green dress' the size of Costa Rica
Kenya aims to restore trees and vegetation across almost nine percent of its land mass by 2030, the government said on Thursday, in a bold initiative to combat climate change, poverty and hunger. The 5.1 million hectares of deforested and degraded land targeted for landscape and forest restoration Read More...
Fungus could be the answer to recycling smartphones
As the world’s supply of lithium nears depletion, researchers are looking at fungus as a solution to the issue. Lithium is used in the batteries of electric cars and smartphones, and what researchers are finding is that fungus can naturally eat up old batteries and spit out lithium, along with Read More...
Blockchain technology can be used to support sustainable fishing
Illegal fishing endangers many fish species. But fishing is notoriously hard to track and control. However, the blockchain technology first used to power the currency Bitcoin, has now been tested to track fish from trawler to the supermarket in a breakthrough that could help stop human rights Read More...
Conservation efforts help many humpback whale populations make a comeback
Humpback whales have made an epic return after being hunted to the brink of extinction in several areas.Most of world’s humpback populations have finally been removed from the endangered species list, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Tuesday. NOAA Fisheries said Read More...
New York water conservation project to 'enthrone' oysters with recycling
In one of the more unusual water conservation initiatives in recent memory, New York City and its Department of Environmental Protection plan to install one gigantic oyster bed along with four smaller satellite beds made partly of crushed toilets. Yes, those thrones. Oysters are well known for Read More...
Nespresso launches mail-in disposal service in hope of curbing coffee pod waste
The incredibly popular Nespresso coffee pods make brewing your favorite caffeinated beverage a breeze, but the problem with these pods are that they are too small for most recycling services to process, which means they often end up in landfills. That’s why Nespresso has launched programs in the Read More...