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.
A birthday gift for David Attenborough – how about the Great Barrier Reef?
The patron saint of quality television is 90 years old today. When his Great Barrier Reef series was broadcast at the start of the year, it was reported that this was likely to be his last series, or at least his last made on location. But it’s difficult to believe David Attenborough Read More...
India to fight climate change with dwarf cows that rarely break wind
India is discovering a miracle cow: The Vechur. It’s the smallest bovine in the world, standing less than three feet tall. But Indian scientists now believe it could have a big future in global dairy production, after a study of its unusual ability to withstand extreme heat and drought Read More...
GOP states benefiting from shift to wind and solar energy
WASHINGTON — If there’s a War on Coal, it’s increasingly clear which side is winning. Wind turbines and solar panels accounted for more than two-thirds of all new electric generation capacity added to the nation’s grid in 2015, according to a recent analysis by the U.S. Department of Read More...
We've been mayors of New York, Paris and Rio. We know climate action starts with cities
The Paris Climate Agreement, already signed by more than 175 countries, was successful in large part because national governments recognized cities’ progress in reducing carbon emissions. On Thursday, as world leaders gather in Washington DC to discuss how to reach the goals set in Paris, they Read More...
Biologist who snatched eggs from nests of world's rarest bird wins the 'Nobel prize' of conservation
A Welsh biologist once criticised for stealing eggs from the nests of the rarest bird in the world has been awarded the ‘Nobel prize’ of conservation after his controversial methods saved nine species from extinction. Professor Carl Jones won the 2016 Indianapolis Prize - the highest Read More...
Denmark considers beef tax to fight global warming
Taxes drive behavior. Cigarettes and alcohol are taxed to discourage their consumption. The Danish Council of Ethics, which reports to the Danish parliament, is recommending that Denmark introduces a beef tax to fight global warming. Globally, food production accounts for up to 29 percent of Read More...
Plant-based packaging extends shelf life of food, reduces waste
A research organization in the European Union has developed bioplastic packaging that extends the shelf life of food and has a sensor that notifies retailers and consumers of when the food inside is really no longer fit to eat. About a third of all food produced on the planet is wasted. This isn't Read More...
Researchers Aim to Put Carbon Dioxide Back to Work
“The big challenge is, how do we go from milligrams to megatons?” said Dick T. Co, a Northwestern University professor and managing director of the Solar Fuels Institute, a group that encourages collaboration among researchers in the field. “How do we make a dent in our energy portfolio when Read More...
Kenya burns world's biggest ivory stockpile worth $150 million, wants global ban
Kenya has burned 105 tons of ivory from 8,000 elephants and 300 rhinos, the biggest ever stockpile burn, in a bid to send a message to poachers and ivory traders. President Uhuru Kenyatta said that Kenya will call for a global ban on ivory sales at an international wildlife summit in South Read More...
Michigan utility company closes 7 coal-fired power plants, shifts to solar
The Michigan utility company Consumers Energy recently finished the process of shutting down 7 regional coal-fired power plants, and, at the same time, beginning operations at a new community solar energy project in the area. The new 3 megawatt (MW) solar energy project is located on a 17-acre site Read More...