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.
UK surgeons perform first carbon-neutral operation
Healthcare and sustainability have been at the forefront of global discussion lately. Doctors at the UK’s Solihull Hospital in the West Midlands have accomplished something that prioritizes both of these major issues: the world’s first “net-zero” surgery. To take care of patients Read More...
Stanford study shows cleaner air leads to more crops
Fertile soil, good seasons, and plentiful water aren’t the only things that affect our crops. Air pollution, and one air pollutant in particular, negatively affect the number of crops we can grow. Using satellite imaging, Stanford researchers discovered just how many nitrogen oxides affect Read More...
Ikea US will soon be offering consumers solar panels
Soon, shoppers in the US at Ikea will be able to buy more than just cute household furniture and accessories. Ikea announced an exciting new product in a press statement: solar panels. The Swedish home and living giant partnered with SunPower, a California-based company that sells and installs Read More...
Firefighting goats and The Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council
Surrounded by rugged steep mountains penetrated by hot dry Santa Ana winds, the Ojai Valley is particularly susceptible to wildfire, being in the top one percent of regions in the U.S. and the top three percent in California. The region's limited evacuation routes, vulnerable grid dependency, and Read More...
G7 countries plan to stop fossil fuel development overseas
Environmental and energy ministers from the world’s largest economies agreed to stop funding any overseas fossil fuel development by the end of 2022. This will cut off investment in high carbon pollution programs that threaten the world from meeting its climate targets. The G7 countries Read More...
Wildlife Conservation Society builds massive database of Amazonian wildlife
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) scientists have been working on an enormous project: building an extensive database of the wide array of wildlife in the sprawling Amazon Basin. For this study, an international team of 147 scientists hailing from 122 research institutions and nature Read More...
Watchdogs zero in on greenwashing financial institutions
Individuals and companies around the world are looking to invest with their conscience and only support eco-friendly enterprises. Many fund managers noticed the rise in popularity of funds in line with ecological, social, and governance (ESG) principles and embellished how green they Read More...
This recycling program in Catalonia aims to rid streets and beaches of cigarette butts
The Catalan government has launched a clever plan to rid their streets and beaches of cigarette butts. As an added plus, the plan has provided a small source of income for the homeless. According to the environmental organization Ocean Conservancy, cigarette butts are the most plentiful type of Read More...
New Zealand announces plan to help families buy greener cars
While most of us know the long-term environmental and economic benefits of switching from a gasoline-powered car to a cleaner hybrid or electric vehicle, the upfront costs of making such a change can make it difficult for many to actually make the swap. That’s why New Zealand’s Prime Read More...
How ocean vegetables could help tackle the global food crisis
As the world population is expected to reach 9 billion people by 2050, we need to increase our food production by 70 percent to be able to feed everyone. But more importantly, we need to figure out ways to do it sustainably. Traditional agriculture won’t cut it because of growing water scarcity Read More...