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.
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...
Mathematicians can make traffic jams history—all we have to do is listen to them
It may be difficult to find things that we all agree on—but we’re confident that everyone will agree on this: traffic jams suck! What makes traffic even more irritating is that, according to traffic flow experts, most of the congestion on the road is completely unnecessary. According to Read More...
Chicago pledges to run all city operations with clean energy
As countries large and small struggle with the undeniable impacts of climate change, more and more cities are taking a lead in mapping out strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One particularly fruitful avenue to follow involves stamping out the excessive burning of fossil fuels. Well, the Read More...
Being human together
The African equivalent to Rene Descartes’s famous dictum, “I think, therefore I am,” which is the foundation of much modern Western culture, is called ubuntu and goes something like this: “We are, therefore I am.” Or: “I exist to the extent that others acknowledge and respect Read More...
Burger King Austria makes plant-based their "new normal"
Burger King Austria’s new campaign is boldly challenging the public’s expectation of what “normal” ought to be. In a climate-conscious world, making plant-based the default standard for burgers is quite a statement. The brand's experiment is simple and straightforward. When customers order Read More...