Today’s Solutions: January 10, 2025

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.

Drone flying amid trees in a forest

This startup fights deforestation with tree-planting drones

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, our planet loses 70,000 square kilometers of forested area every year. Since trees play a key role in combating the effects of climate change, it’s always reassuring to come across innovative projects that aim to restore green areas around Read More...

woman's hands around hot bowl of soup

7 storage strategies for your leftover soup

When the winter cold is chilling you to the bone, there’s nothing more comforting than a tasty and nourishing soup. Yes, it’s soup season, and fortunately, most soup recipes yield quite large serving sizes, which means that you can have your soup now and store it away for an easy snack that Read More...

man's hand picks up littered purple plastic bottle from roadside

The Litterlotto app gamifies litter picking to trade trash for cash

Gamification is proving to be an effective strategy for mobilizing communities to build healthier, safer, and greener habits. We’ve shared stories about how gamification has been implemented to reduce traffic emissions, and how it’s being used to plant millions of real trees. Now, there’s Read More...

floating homes in the Netherlands

Floating communities can help us rise to the challenge of climate change

It’s no secret—climate change is already upon us, and we have no choice but to adapt to it if we want to survive. While some regions of the world combat increasingly dangerous wildfires or droughts, other places, like the Netherlands, must learn to live with worsening floods while dealing with Read More...

Exterior view of the RE modular facade with a floor-to-ceiling PV element.

Modular facade can be installed onto old buildings to cut their emissions

Heating and cooling our buildings comes with a hefty environmental footprint. In the US alone, heating and cooling systems account for 38 percent of greenhouse gas emissions of residential housing. Coming up with more sustainable ways to maintain a favorable temperature within our homes is thus key Read More...

Family happily organizes pantry

Reduce home food waste part I: The pantry

Most of us have probably caught on by now: food waste is not a good thing for our wallets or our world. As reported by the National Resources Defense Council, the average American family of four chucks out $1,500 worth of food annually—but according to the experts, you can help improve this dire Read More...

View from inside of fridge of dad and young daughter reaching inside for food

Reduce home food waste part II: The fridge

Food waste continues to be a huge problem all over the world. Luckily, according to the experts, you can help improve the global food waste situation in your own home with just a little bit of re-organization. Below, you’ll find organizational tips from nutrition experts and foodies that will Read More...

New York City skyline at dusk

New York City moves away from natural gas in new buildings

As cities scramble to meet their ambitious emissions reduction goals, local governments are increasingly looking to shift from fossil fuels to cleaner forms of energy. New York City, for example, has become the latest major city to ban the use of natural gas in new buildings, reports Reuters. As Read More...

Here are 8 eco-friendly option

Here are 8 eco-friendly options for your New Year’s Resolutions

If you’re still struggling to figure out what to set as your resolution for the New Year, it may be worth considering a resolution that includes the wellbeing of the environment! In the past 50 years, humanity has more than doubled the consumption of natural resources, which will have (and Read More...

Single pearl in mollusk shell.

The secret symmetry of pearls revealed

Pearls are created when an irritant, such as a grain of sand or debris, gets trapped inside a mollusk. As protection, a smooth layer of mineral and protein called nacre forms around it. Humans have been fascinated by these iridescent beauties since we first discovered them thousands of years ago. Read More...