Environment
Need some good news about the environment? The Optimist Daily is your go-to herald of positive environmental news, highlighting eco-friendly solutions and scientific progress around climate action, circularity, conservation, and more. Learn about everything eco in our Environment section.
Rat patrol: African rodents trained to sniff out smuggled wildlife products
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Move over, sniffer dogs! Scientists in Tanzania are now using African giant pouched rats to locate smuggled wildlife products such as pangolin scales, rhino horns, elephant tusks, and illegal timber. The organization Apopo's effort capitalizes on these Read More...
UN Biodiversity Summit agrees to include Indigenous voices in conservation decisions
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP16) closed with a revolutionary agreement to formally integrate Indigenous peoples in nature protection decisions, marking a watershed moment in environmental history. The decision, announced in Cali, Read More...
Changemakers of the week: Third Act and HeartMath
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Every day on the Optimist Daily, we report on solutions from around the world. Though we love solutions big and small, the ones that emerge from our local communities often have the greatest impact. Welcome to the fifth round of The Optimist Daily’s Read More...
Washington voters uphold groundbreaking climate law, a victory for climate action
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM On November 5, Washington voters made an important decision for the future of climate action by deciding to uphold the state's Climate Commitment Act (CCA), one of the nation's most ambitious climate laws. This vote marked a huge loss for Republican efforts Read More...
Changemakers of the week: Lowlander Center and Ridwell
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Every day on the Optimist Daily, we report on solutions from around the world. Though we love solutions big and small, the ones that emerge from our local communities often have the greatest impact. We can’t believe we’re already at the fifth round of Read More...
Melting Antarctic glacier raises alarm, but Arctic sea ice project offers hope
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM As the globe grapples with the growing effects of climate change, a fresh study from Antarctica has revealed alarming findings: the Thwaites Glacier, sometimes known as the "Doomsday Glacier," is retreating at an unprecedented rate. The disintegration of this Read More...
Migrating birds find refuge in pop-up wetlands thanks to the innovative rice farming program
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Every year, tens of millions of birds fly thousands of miles along the Pacific Flyway, a critical migration path that runs from the Arctic to South America. The western sandpiper, for example, migrates from Alaska to as far as Peru, stopping to rest and feed Read More...
Brazil fines meat producers $64 million over ties to deforested Amazon land
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In a major environmental crackdown, Brazil's IBAMA fined meat packers and cattle ranchers $64 million for rearing or purchasing livestock on unlawfully deforested Amazon property. This effort seeks to reduce one of the primary causes of Amazon deforestation: Read More...
Changemakers of the week: The Waikōloa Dry Forest Initiative and Treasure House Fashions
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Every day on the Optimist Daily, we report on solutions from around the world. Though we love solutions big and small, the ones happening locally, and being driven by our communities often make the greatest impact. Today we are excited to publish the Read More...
In 4 years, US power grid increased battery storage to the equivalent of 20 nuclear reactors
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM As climate-related disasters worsen and the need for renewable energy grows, the United States has resorted to large-scale battery storage to help maintain its power grid. According to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), more than 20 Read More...