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.
Germany accelerates schedule to become carbon neutral
People are more animated than ever before for green energy and calling on their governments to aim bigger. And it seems like they're listening. With increasing gas prices from the war in Ukraine and scientists' warnings about climate change, governments realize the need for a speedier change to Read More...
Ecuador grants wild animals legal rights in a world first
In a landmark ruling, Ecuador has become the first country in the world to grant legal rights to individual wild animals. Back in 2008, the country became the first in the world to recognize nature, or Pachamama, as a deserving right-bearing entity. However, while that law was enshrined in the Read More...
This chemical treatment makes plastic waste absorb CO2
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A huge focus of research in scientific fields is to make things more efficient. This can mean simplifying designs and reducing energy consumption, or it can mean doing two things at once. In the case of researchers from Rice University, they are doing two Read More...
Coping with climate anxiety: 9 tips for personal resilience
Reading the news and keeping up to date about the changing climate can make it difficult to maintain a positive attitude. Climate anxiety has become a very real thing, particularly among young people who will have to one day carry the torch of environmental stewardship. The American Psychological Read More...
This former coalmining town is revitalizing itself with eco-tourism
While coal is very harmful to the environment, phasing it out of use has left an economic hole in many communities. People used to rely on coal as a means of living. Now, communities are going green, energy sources are going renewable, and these formerly coal-powered communities are Read More...
The chemical compound of love: oxytocin turns lions into kittens
Love’s effect can sometimes be mystifying. A tender embrace from a friend or the adoring eyes of a pet can bring us back from anger or sadness at almost any time. Affection soothes the beast inside all of us, and it can even be tracked scientifically. What we feel when we experience love is Read More...
Four questions to make your grocery trip more sustainable
If you’re looking to reduce your household waste, the easiest place to start is with the activities and products you use the most. For almost all of us, this means taking a good hard look at the food we buy and eat every day. To make your grocery shopping more sustainable, here are four great Read More...
Chile joins the legislation green wave
A beautiful thing about democracy is that it is inherently self-correcting. Democratic constitutions survive because they change with the times. They adapt to new environments. That’s why they’re called “amendments” to the constitution. Chile is joining a wave of constitutional change in Read More...
The EU proposes plan to ensure fast fashion goes out of style
At the end of last month, the European Union announced a plan to counter the pollution generated by mass-market fast fashion with the overarching goal of ending the throwaway culture that compels consumers to use cheap clothing that becomes deformed or ruined after only a few wears. The EU Read More...
Architects transform old wine silos into apartments to minimize resources
Breathing new life into old things is one of the best ways we humans can reduce the number of resources extracted from the environment. A new development in Amsterdam did just that by creatively repurposing former industrial wine silos into residential buildings. Beyond reusing the obsolete silos, Read More...