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.
How a group of islanders is using AI to save coral reefs
Coral reefs are some of the planet’s most biodiverse ecosystems, providing not only a key habitat for many species of marine life but also a crucial source of income for many coastal communities worldwide. These lush and vibrant ecosystems, however, are also greatly threatened by a number of Read More...
These spring vegetables are coming into season
Eating vegetables seasonally helps cut down transport emissions by preventing import of produce from the other side of the world. It also means your food will be fresher, more nutritious, tastier, and less expensive. If you’re wondering which vegetables this spring are coming into season, look Read More...
Marvel superhero tackles climate change and social injustice
There’s a new Marvel superhero in town, and she’s a Puerto Rican heroine pumped to tackle climate change, political corruption, and all the intertwined social injustices. In an upcoming installment of the graphic novel series La Boriqueña, the Nuyorican (a portmanteau that refers to Read More...
As Iceland’s whaling industry decreases, its whale-watching increases
It’s nice when the economically responsible thing to do is also the right thing to do. Iceland announced in February its intentions to end whaling by 2024 because demand for whale meat has decreased significantly. “There is little proof that there is any economic advantage to this Read More...
Want to buy an EV? Make a plan first
As you can probably tell by now, The Optimist Daily is a big fan of electric vehicles. EV’s offer a practical way to lower our personal carbon emissions and hold promise for additional benefits in the near future, such as powering our homes in an emergency. It also feels like EV's have finally Read More...
How do solar panels break? And how do we fix them?
At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, teams of scientists and researchers spend large parts of their day jumping on, twisting, smashing, and generally coming up with various ways of breaking solar panels. It’s not malice, it’s not incompetence. It's not Read More...
5 tips for ethically and sustainably sourced springtime bouquets
Once spring has sprung, it’s only natural to want to bring some of that fresh spring feeling indoors in the form of a whimsical bouquet or two. An elegant vase filled with bright blooms is the perfect finishing touch to anyone’s spring cleaning frenzy. Before you commit to buying flowers Read More...
In the market for sustainable swimwear? These are the fabrics to look for
The weather is getting warmer, and the days are growing longer. Now that travel is finally back on schedule, many of us are dreaming of seaside vacations. Sand and sun and relaxation. Sounds great! However, over the pandemic period, many more issues have bubbled to the surface of our collective Read More...
Why we need more rooftop gardens in a changing climate
As you may know from personal experience, summers tend to be much hotter in the city than in the countryside. This phenomenon is called the “urban heat island” effect. This difference in temperature happens in large part because urbanized areas have a greater concentration of buildings and Read More...
This startup uses a plant-derived material to make roads carbon negative
Similar to building new roads, repairing existing ones is not an environmentally friendly endeavor. One of the main problems is bitumen, a fossil fuel-derived binder that holds asphalt together. A startup in Norway is recycling old roads using a plant-based binder instead, a process that could Read More...