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.
Sponge Cities: the future of flood resilience
The world’s cities and population centers are overwhelmingly located near water. This makes good sense since water is essential for living, and throughout history, people have built their settlements where water is accessible and in abundant supply. However, in recent decades the vital good that Read More...
Deep sea snail venom lessens pain as well as morphine
Because Asprella cone snails reside at such great depths, scientists have not thoroughly studied them. Now we know, though, that these creatures have an impressive hunting strategery where they use their venom to stun and disorient fish. Then they feast upon the unfortunate fish, like a gory scene Read More...
The climate victory garden movement is springing up all over America
A lot of people picked up vegetable gardening as a pandemic pastime, but what started as a casual time (and tummy) filler has become a mainstay for many Americans. According to Green America, an organization focused on encouraging people to grow their own food to fight climate change, offset Read More...
Norway's walrus population bounces back thanks to hunting bans
Imagine the marvelous mass of a walrus, lying leisurely in its natural habitat. What does the landscape surrounding your imagined walrus look like? You’re probably picturing this tusked creature on a frigid chunk of ice, and that’s because walruses eventually settled mostly in two main places Read More...
This experimental "super forest" shows how to plant trees the right way
Reforesting our lands is key to safeguarding the future of Earth’s life-giving systems. However, it is of utmost importance to do it strategically in order to reap the most benefits out of planting trees. An experimental forest in England aims to showcase how to restore our forests the right Read More...
Medical students demand better climate change education
Thanks to the continued efforts of the students at Emory Medical School, the school’s administration is making a revolutionary change to include climate change as a formal part of its curriculum. The climate crisis isn’t just affecting the weather. While the more glaring signs of climate Read More...
Eco-friendly algae oil could finally solve palm oil's drawbacks
From food to cosmetics, palm oil can be found in countless products today, making it the world’s most widely used vegetable oil. As you may know, though, palm oil is far from environmentally friendly. Additionally, experts have raised concerns about palm oil’s effects on our health. Soon, Read More...
10 key ingredients for your plant-based pantry
Committing to cutting down on meat, or switching to a plant-based diet altogether, is good for you and is a more sustainable choice for the environment. Let’s face it, though, the texture and taste of meat and meat byproducts are hard to adequately replace with alternatives like tofu or Read More...
Lab-grown meat can reduce your pet's carbon pawprint
Did you know about one-fifth of global meat production is for pet food? This means that around 5% of food-based greenhouse gas emissions are due to our furry friends' appetites. In the US alone, an estimated 65 million tons of CO2-equivalent methane and nitrous oxide is due to dog and cat Read More...
Buying a used EV? Not a bad idea
Recently, The Optimist Daily published a story about a few things to keep in mind when buying an electric vehicle. Along with gas prices, the popularity of electric cars is rising, but EVs have been on the rise since before the crisis. Now, thanks to that demand, if you’re in the market for a new Read More...