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.
Coral reefs highlight the key role of existing biodiversity for climate change adaptation
New research on coral reefs led by the University of Southampton suggests that existing biodiversity will be essential for the successful adaptation of ecosystems to climate change. About 25% of all marine biodiversity depends on coral reefs, the three-dimensional calcareous framework laid down by Read More...
A renewable energy boom in developing countries as solar beats coals
Some world leaders, especially in developing countries like India, have long said it’s hard to reduce the emissions that are warming the planet because they need to use relatively inexpensive — but highly carbon-intensive — fuels like coal to keep energy affordable. That argument is losing Read More...
This program will make cutting carbon emissions lucrative for farmers
Farmers make their profits from the food they produce, but what if they received an extra sum of money for the emissions they didn’t produce? Under a new program run by the California Air Resources Board, 21 of the state’s rice farmers have an extra incentive to think green. The program has Read More...
An international deal to limit aviation emissions may soon be ready for takeoff
Aviation was controversially left out of the final Paris Agreement, but now it seems a much-needed deal to tackle global aviation emissions is set to be delivered this coming September. The deal, led by the U.N-backed International Civil Aviation Organization, would set the first limits on flight Read More...
Hundreds of UK churches set to go green, switch to renewable energy-charities
More than 400 churches in the United Kingdom plan to switch to clean energy providers for their light and heat, shifting spending of 1 million pounds ($1.4 million) to renewables from fossil fuels, two Christian charities said on Wednesday. The move is part of the Big Church Switch, an initiative Read More...
You can eat this algae-based water bottle when you're done with your drink
The world has a massive plastic pollution problem fueled by consumers’ habit of purchasing bottled water, so what if we replaced conventional plastic bottles with biodegradable ones? In Iceland, a product design student has created an algae-based water bottle that starts to decompose immediately Read More...
Better fishing practices would help recover fish populations, support fishermen
After decades of declines, most of the world's fish populations could recover in just ten years while fishermen make more money at the same time, scientists reported in a new study. The solution is for more countries to adopt systems for sharing rights to harvesting fish, which have been Read More...
The enormous carbon footprint of food that we never even eat
Discussions about how to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions frequently center on clean energy, more efficient transportation and sustainable agriculture. But research suggests that if we really want to pay attention to our carbon footprints, we should also be focusing on another, less-talked-about Read More...
New study shows desert mangroves are major source of carbon storage
Researchers found that short, stunted mangroves living along the coastal desert of Baja California store up to five times more carbon below ground than their lush, tropical counterparts. The new study led by researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego estimates that coastal Read More...
France plans a palm oil tax to protect animals and rainforest in Indonesia
By the time you finish reading this article, browse the internet, scroll through Facebook, and grab a snack, up to 300 football fields of forest across Indonesia will have been cleared to make room for palm plantations. Palm oil is a popular, cheap oil that is used in around 50 percent of consumer Read More...