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Florida animal sanctuary opens its doors to former circus elephants
The use of wild animals, like elephants, in circus performances is banned in many parts of the US, but the question of what to do with these animals once they are no longer in use still remains. The White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee, Florida is a 135-acre sanctuary intended to give Read More...
Over 100 endangered turtle hatchlings released after rescue from the cold
In early February, a nest of 113 endangered loggerhead turtle eggs was discovered on a beach in northern New South Wales, Australia, and reported to the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Because the eggs were laid late in the season, the conservationists feared that the turtles wouldn't be able Read More...
Researchers want to reintroduce jaguars to the American Southwest
The successful reintroduction of native bison and wolves in the US has been so environmentally beneficial that researchers are looking into other once-plentiful species that could be used to restore ecological balance. The latest effort is one to reintroduce the jaguar to the Read More...
Alabama removes anti-LGBTQ language from sexual education curriculums
Sexual education classes are a critical component of health education, but the content and quality of these curriculums vary widely from state to state. For example, only 22 US states actually require schools to teach sex education. In Alabama, curriculums in much of the state emphasize Read More...
Instagram adds a field for your gender identity pronoun preferences
Instagram announced an exciting change to their platform in 2021—the introduction of a new field where users can specify their preferred gender identity pronouns on their profile. You can add up to four gender identity pronouns next to your name above your bio, which will appear in light grey Read More...
New York bans the use of mini plastic toiletry bottles in hotels
It’s no secret that single-use plastic is one of the chief contributors to the pollution crisis. Around eight to ten million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year, and in recent years, our newsfeeds have been flooded with images that clearly illustrate the suffering all that plastic Read More...
Forests as big as France have regenerated in the past 20 years
Good news from our planet’s reforestation endeavor! A new study has found that a forest area the size of France has regrown naturally across the world since 2000. As reported by the BBC, the restored forests have the potential to sequester the equivalent of 5.9 Gt of carbon dioxide — more than Read More...
Study: MDMA-assisted therapy is an effective treatment for PTSD
We at The Optimist Daily have written before about how psychedelic-assisted therapy can offer mental health relief and even help save the environment. Now, the journal Nature has published data from the phase-III clinical trial results on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, and the outcome is Read More...
Roaming wild bison help mitigate Spain’s wildfire risk
European bison populations are rebounding and their growth is offering new opportunities in the field of wildfire prevention. Researchers in Spain are hopeful that increased bison populations could offer beneficial grazing and wildfire risk reduction. As reported by the Guardian, forest fires Read More...
Electric car manufacturing to be cheaper than combustion engines by 2027
Electric cars and vans will cost less to manufacture in Europe than conventional vehicles with internal combustion engines by 2027, according to a new BloombergNEF study. Commissioned by nonprofit Transport & Environment, the study sheds new light on the future of electric transportation, Read More...