Climate Action
What is Climate Action? Climate Action is humanity's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance our planet's resilience against climate change. From adaptation to mitigation, at The Optimist Daily you will learn about the most recent positive news stories and solutions targeting climate change and other environmental issues.
Ingenious chemical process turns non-recyclable PVC into useful materials
Chemical advances continue to bring new materials into the domain of recyclability, and new research from a team at the University of Michigan has targeted one of the most difficult to reuse. The researchers created a method for transforming scrap PVC (polyvinyl chloride) into useable items, which Read More...
The Domino effect: pizza place splurges on electric delivery fleet
Domino's Pizza is investing in a fleet of 800 electric Chevrolet Bolts painted in Domino's livery to supplement its understaffed driving crew. As the world's largest pizza company, Domino's investment in EVs represents a particularly high-profile adoption of electric transportation by the fast Read More...
6 ways to have a positive impact while holiday shopping this year
Making sure your practices align with your values can be tricky all year round, but this is especially true during the holiday season. Here are six great ways to make a positive impact while going about your festivities this year. Support indie bookshops Even though bookshops have experienced a Read More...
These innovative solar panels stalk the sun across the sky
In order to get the most out of its energy, a Portuguese company's sustainable solution stalks the Sun as it journeys across the sky. SolarisFloat has created an innovative floating solar system that is unlike the many others that are currently stationed in bodies of water across the world. The Read More...
Detroit’s two new EV-charging roads will let drivers power up on the go
Last year, The Optimist Daily wrote an article about how the state government in Indiana was testing roads that could charge EV vehicles while they were being driven. Now, it seems this technology is leaping forward in Detroit. Inductive charging technology is being connected to two short Read More...
How tiger sharks help researchers map the world’s largest seagrass system
Tiger sharks have a symbiotic connection with seagrass habitats, acting as the apex predator to prevent overgrazing by other species while patrolling the underwater meadows for food. Using cameras affixed to their backs, scientists investigating these species have used their free-roaming Read More...
For the first time ever young people have a "seat at the table" at COP27
This year's United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt, more commonly referred to as COP27, is the first ever to give children an official platform: the Children and Youth Pavilion. Considering how young activists like Vanessa Nakate and Greta Thunberg have led the climate campaign in Read More...
France mandates that all large parking lots be outfitted with solar panels
Last week, the French Senate passed legislation mandating the installation of solar panels on all new and current parking lots with room for at least 80 vehicles— an enormous boost for solar power. Doubling solar and wind energy The new provisions are part of French President Emmanuel Macron's Read More...
Eco-anxiety and grief part II: how to cope
Part one of this two-part series discussed the differences between ecological grief and eco-anxiety, two relatively new terms used in reference to the feelings of sadness and distress that are related to the climate crisis. Now, let’s dive into how we can face them. How to cope with Read More...
Eco-anxiety and grief part I: the differences
Environmentalists have warned about climate change's effects for decades, and in light of the COP27 conference in Egypt, climate change is certainly on many people's minds and hearts. Increasingly intense wildfires and other weather events, deforestation, food shortages, species extinctions, and Read More...