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.
Beekeepers and airports join forces to save pollinators
Back in 2012, Ben Shertzer, wildlife administrator at Pittsburgh International Airport, found himself dealing with a perplexing problem: swarming bees. The bees would land on the winglets of an aircraft, which interrupts refueling and baggage loading, or they would obscure lights on the taxiways, Read More...
Paris set to transform Champs-Élysées into huge garden
The Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets in the world. In its heyday, it was a premier shopping destination and even called “the world’s most beautiful avenue.” Many top companies still fight for retail space along the street and it still offers stunning views of the Arc de Read More...
New carbon capture facility will remove 1m tons of CO2 from the air yearly
We have previously written about emerging carbon capture technologies and their potential to help us tackle climate change. Now, we’re thrilled to share with you a real breakthrough in our efforts to cut the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. Scotland is set to become home to Read More...
Technology reduces Chernobyl's radiation levels by 47%
Swiss company Exlterra (Excellence for Earth) in partnership with Ukrainian entity State Specialized Enterprise Ecocenter (SSE Ecocenter) has successfully reduced radiation in the soil and air in the Chernobyl exclusions zone thanks to a new technology called Nucleus Separation Passive System Read More...
NASA technology offers full picture of regenerative agriculture benefits
As you are probably well aware by now, most current agricultural practices have a hugely detrimental effect on the environment, leading to the degradation of swathes of land across the world which would otherwise serve as a tool against climate change. The good news though, is that farmers around Read More...
3 Ways to help hummingbirds survive the winter months
Hummingbirds are genetically programmed to migrate to warmer climates during the winter months, which means that if you live in a colder climate, your hummingbird feeder may not get many visitors. With that said, if there are any stragglers or early arrivals in your area, keeping a hummingbird Read More...
Feeding cattle seaweed could change the world
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and a major contributor to climate change. About 70 percent of agricultural methane comes from enteric fermentation, chemical reactions that occur in the stomachs of cows and other grazing animals as they digest plants. Fortunately, studies have shown that Read More...
Scotland blows up its last coal plant as part of its green energy transition
In recent years, an increasing number of countries have moved away from coal in an effort to meet their climate targets. Scotland, for example, severed its ties with fossil fuel back in 2016, when it shut down its last remaining coal power plant. Last week, government officials blew up that same Read More...
Researchers spot Turkish fish for the first time since 1974
Ichthyologists recently came across a surprising discovery in two streams in southeast Turkey. The team was scouring the river when it came across a Batman River loach, a critically endangered fish last spotted in 1974. The hunt for the fish was part of the Search for Lost Fishes project from Read More...
Study confirms that access to nature in urban areas reduces loneliness
Cities tend to have a bad reputation for being places that are poor for mental health and breed loneliness, however, a team of scientists has discovered that contact with nature in cities can dramatically reduce citizens’ feelings of isolation. Loneliness is considered a major public health Read More...