Scotland legalizes water cremation, giving families a greener third option
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A quick note: this article walks through how water cremation works, including some detail about the process. If you'd prefer to jump straight to the environmental and policy context, feel free to scroll to the subheadings. Scotland is making history in Read More...
Orbex rocket prototype makes debut at Scottish Highlands spaceport
While humans are naturally earthbound creatures, we need space travel. Our society, as it is, needs the myriad functions and services our satellites provide, and so far, there’s only one way to get them up there. To that end, space scientists and engineers are constantly innovating ways to make Read More...
Scottish forests are the biggest they’ve been in 900 years
Scotland is a proud and iconic country, with a unique culture and landscape. Travelers from all over the world come to visit Scotland’s highlands, lowlands, and lochs. Another invaluable part of the Scottish wilderness, largely and unfortunately overlooked by visitors, is its Read More...
Golden eagle population soars from Scottish conservation efforts
The Optimist Daily loves reporting about the successful global efforts to restore biodiversity and protect endangered species. Whether that be the creation of a Nepalese bird sanctuary or how the Australian humpback whale has come back from endangered status, every comeback is a reason to Read More...
Scotland plants over a million trees to help save wild salmon
The bodies of water around the world have been experiencing unprecedented warming that is taking a toll on the ecosystems and marine life that inhabit them. One of the species that is suffering from this warming is wild salmon. That’s why, in Scotland, the River Dee Board and Trust in partnership Read More...
New carbon capture facility will remove 1m tons of CO2 from the air yearly
We have previously written about emerging carbon capture technologies and their potential to help us tackle climate change. Now, we’re thrilled to share with you a real breakthrough in our efforts to cut the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. Scotland is set to become home to Read More...
Scotland blows up its last coal plant as part of its green energy transition
In recent years, an increasing number of countries have moved away from coal in an effort to meet their climate targets. Scotland, for example, severed its ties with fossil fuel back in 2016, when it shut down its last remaining coal power plant. Last week, government officials blew up that same Read More...
Man and dog trek 8,000 km to help rewild Scottish Highlands
A Scotland native and his dog recently completed an 8,000-kilometer fundraising walk across Canada, all while wearing a kilt. After a nine-month odyssey, the tenacious pair finally reached Canada’s most easterly point, Cape Spear in Newfoundland, on Sunday. Michael Yellowlees and his faithful Read More...
Scotland to provide free bikes to kids in need
We at The Optimist Daily are big fans of cycling—it’s good for your mental and physical health, and it’s a better mode of transportation for our planet. So, it’s no surprise that we are happy to report that the Scottish government is planning on releasing six pilot schemes that will Read More...
Golden eagles hatch chicks in Orkney after almost 40 years
The golden eagle was once a common occurrence in the skies above the Orkney Islands in Scotland. By 1848, however, only a single pair remained in the area. The country had to wait until 1966 to see the return of the first pair of breeding golden eagles, one of which died in 1982. Now, Read More...