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.
How to make flood risk research more equitable
Climate change is exacerbating flood risks in many parts of the world, but unfortunately, research about the impacts of this climate-related flooding is not evenly conducted around the world. Research on flood-vulnerable communities, and subsequent mitigation funding, tends to center on more Read More...
Kazakhstan will become home to the world’s largest green hydrogen plant
Kazakhstan is the ninth biggest — and 18th least densely populated — country on the planet, with just seven people per sq mile. Plus, about a third of the country consists of endless plains of the steppe. All of this means that there’s plenty of land to install renewable energy infrastructure Read More...
Yorkshire Dales rewilding initiative lets nature reclaim the land
Another expansive rewilding initiative was launched last week in England. The restoration process is focused on the gorgeous but barren landscape of the Yorkshire Dales. While the Yorkshire Dales is celebrated for its bleak beauty, the fact of the matter is that the land’s striking appearance is Read More...
Rosario, Argentina: A case study in the benefits of urban farming
In an effort to address the financial collapse of 2001, the municipal government of Rosario, Argentina came up with an ingenious plan to get the city’s residents back to work. Officials partnered with 700 farming families to dedicate unused land in the city for farming. This not only created Read More...
This free tool estimates a small company’s carbon footprint in 60 seconds
For a small business that lacks a sustainability department, calculating the company’s environmental footprint can be a daunting process. In a bid to offer a solution, a new website aims to help small office-based businesses and retail stores calculate their carbon footprint quickly and Read More...
New Zealand will ban most single-use plastic items by 2025
While New Zealand is considered to be one of the greenest countries in the world, it is currently one of the top ten per-capita producers of landfill waste worldwide. That may soon change, however, thanks to new legislation that will ban most single-use plastics by 2025. Among the main items Read More...
Dissolving ‘skyscraper’ intends to recover ecosystems destroyed by wildfire
As climate change makes wildfires a more common and severe threat to ecosystems, Italian architect Alberto Roncelli has come up with a design for a dissolving ‘skyscraper’ that would naturally spread nutrients and seeds to ravaged forests — all in a bid to regenerate ecosystems destroyed by Read More...
Solar-powered umbrella aims to make your beach holiday more sustainable
Given how much time parasols on coastal beaches sit under the sun, wouldn’t it make sense to replace the thick fabric they’re made of with solar panels — and maybe even use some of the energy generated to power, let’s say, beachfront ice-cream freezers? Italy’s leading gelato and frozen Read More...
Another luxury brand pledges to stop using fur in its products
High-end coat company Canada Goose has pledged to phase out the use of fur in its products. Mainly known for its luxury-priced fur-lined winter jackets, the North American brand has now vowed to stop buying fur by the end of this year and cease manufacturing it by 2022. Animal rights group Human Read More...
Tree Equity Score tool maps out critical areas for urban forestry
Trees and urban green spaces are essential for city dwellers. Vegetation improves air quality, and tree cover provides shade from the heat of the sun—something that is increasingly sought after as human-induced climate change takes temperatures to extremes. Unfortunately, low-income Read More...