Today’s Solutions: March 18, 2024
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Shield your drinking water fro

Shield your drinking water from microplastics via boiling

On February 28, scientists released a revolutionary study in Environmental Science and Technology Letters that investigated the effectiveness of boiling tap water in eliminating microplastics. What about the discovery? Boiling water for five minutes could result in a 90 percent decrease in these Read More...

Innovative drought relief in C

Innovative drought relief in California: from toilet to tap

California is pioneering a daring strategy of turning sewage into safe, potable water in response to the severe concerns of water scarcity exacerbated by climate change. The State Water Resources Control Board approved laws that allow treated wastewater to flow straight into Californians' taps, Read More...

Great Lakes Cleanup

$1 billion to be invested in cleaning up Great Lakes

The US Great Lakes are treasured and iconic wonders of North America's natural splendor. Countless families and individuals flock there for fun and thousands of species of animals, fish, insects, and birds call those waters home. Being important waterways, they also hold major economic importance Read More...

okra on a cutting board, some pieces whole others cut

Okra: the surprising hero in the fight against microplastics

According to new research from scientists at Tarleton State University in Texas, okra — you know, the green, finger-shaped pod that is often added to delicious dishes like gumbo and soup — is a valuable weapon in the fight to get microplastics out of our drinking water. What are Read More...

Separated egg white and yolks into two bowls and broken egg shells are at background

Are egg whites the missing ingredient for cheap effective water filtration?

As microplastic contamination and the lack of drinkable water worsen, finding efficient technologies to filter and desalinate seawater becomes increasingly vital. A novel airgel, fabricated from egg whites, shows great promise. An egg-citing concept Professor Craig Arnold of Princeton University Read More...

cute robin splashes in bird bath

As the weather warms up, here's how to help animals handle a heatwave

Right now, much of Europe and North America are experiencing ongoing heatwaves with record-breaking temperatures.  It’s not just humans that are struggling to cope. Yes, it’s getting hot in here—but taking off a sweater, jacket or shirt isn’t an option for local wildlife or for most of our Read More...

Seagrass

Scientists discover world’s largest plant off Australian coast

General Sherman is the largest tree in the world. It’s a giant sequoia in Sequoia National Park standing at 275 feet, nearly the length of a football field. It turns out, though, that General Sherman isn’t the biggest plant on earth.  Scientists have discovered a patch of seagrass off the Read More...

Highfin Dragonfish

Rare highfin dragonfish spotted by MBARI researchers

Some creatures’ adaptations help them camouflage so well that, along with predators, naturalists and researchers find it hard to spot them. This is the case with the rare highfin dragonfish (Bathophilus flemingi), which researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) have Read More...

Wastewater energy

Oregon wastewater facility makes its own power with human waste

Two weeks ago, we wrote a piece on upcycling your “business,” going into the green uses some companies found for human waste. Innovation and recycling mean looking everywhere possible for solutions, and The Optimist Daily loves writing about the ones that are found… even if they come out of Read More...

Beavers

Supporting beavers and our ecosystems

At The Optimist Daily, we’ve written a great deal about the benefits beavers bring to their environment and the importance of restoring their populations in certain areas. Beavers are often vilified in certain communities for the same reason they’re such iconic North American creatures: they Read More...