England is turning 99,000 hectares of land into nature recovery projects
In recent years, an increasing number of influential scientists have suggested that we reserve half of our planet for protecting nature to make Earth more liveable. In England, a huge conservation project aims to contribute to that goal by turning 99,000 hectares of land into nature reserves. The Read More...
Brownies will now earn merit badges in STEM
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are not just highly lucrative and profitable fields, they are essential for the continued progress of society. That being said, every field, whether it be in STEM or the arts, benefits from a variety of minds entering their workforce. Read More...
UK building huge software mind for world’s largest radio telescope
Every day, we come closer to answering the essential questions that arise from looking up at the sky. How did we come to be? What’s holding all of this together? Are we alone? Astrophysicists and astronomers need data in great volume and detail to find the answers to these questions, and a new Read More...
Last month, the UK saw more EV sales than ever before
It’s no secret that if we are to prevent the most devastating effects of climate change, we have to make big changes to our consumption-driven lives. One change that will help drive down CO2 emissions is the large-scale abandonment of conventionally fueled vehicles in favor of electric Read More...
To watch out for predators, voles trim the grass around them
Here at The Optimist Daily, we commonly report on new ecological findings from animals all around the world. The more scientists uncover about the behavior and lives of the creatures we share the world with the better able we are to help them. Whether that’s uncovering snow monkeys incredible Read More...
UK cracks down on greenwashing
As is so often and tragically the case, commerce can adapt more quickly than policy. We’re seeing this right now in what’s known as greenwashing. This is where companies label their products as “eco-friendly,” “greener,” or “sustainable” to appeal to environmentally conscious Read More...
Peatlands, a boggy carbon sink absolutely worth saving
For those in the world who have to live with it, you may wonder “what on earth is peat good for?” Peatland is a mossy wet mass that you can’t build on, you can barely walk on, you can’t grow crops on it, and all its stagnant water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes which bring Read More...
This is the UN plan to tackle plastic pollution
The Optimist Daily very much likes writing about plastic cleanup in the oceans. So, we were ecstatic when we learned about the beginnings of a treaty on par with the Paris Climate Accords to clean up plastics. The Paris Climate Accords made history as an international effort of 192 countries to Read More...
The UK repeals anti-homelessness law
The UK Vagrancy Act criminalizes sleeping outside and begging—essentially homelessness—in England and Wales. Under this law, police have the power to arrest people found begging in public, or in enclosed spaces. Anyone convicted of these crimes is charged with up to £1,000 in fines along with Read More...
High-schooler presents first student-written bill for UK climate education
Youth climate activist Scarlett Westbrook decided that she was fed up with the lack of formal education UK students receive on the devastating climate crisis. At one point during a geography exam, she was even asked to list the benefits of climate change — and while this was disappointing, she Read More...