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.
US Fish & Wildlife Service approves unprecedented move to save manatees
In Florida, near Cape Canaveral, wildlife conservationists are getting desperate to save the wild manatee population, which has been dying at alarming rates. More than 1,000 manatees have perished in 2021. The primary cause of death is pollution, which has brought the seagrasses in the Indian River Read More...
Researchers make huge leap in fusion reactor technology
In a historic first, a fusion reactor has exceeded the energy efficiency of fossil fuels! The reaction yielded 1.3 megajoules of energy, a higher amount than the input of fuel it took to power the reactor. The group of physicists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory responsible for this Read More...
Art sale dedicates profits to endangered animals and ecosystem conservation
Looking for a new piece of art to tie your home together? Buying a print from Vital Impacts will give you a stunning natural photograph for your home while also supporting endangered habitat conservation efforts. Founded by award-winning photographer Ami Vitale and visual journalist Eileen Read More...
Meet the knitwear designer teaching this waste-reducing knitwear trend
Scotland-based knitwear designer Flora Collingwood-Norris is on a mission to teach people how to mend their clothes in the name of using fewer resources and avoiding waste. The fashion industry is pretty wasteful, so why fan the flame by purchasing more clothes to replace torn or damaged Read More...
Rare white sperm whale spotted near Jamaica
A white sperm whale was recently spotted by sailors off the coast of Jamaica. This beautiful creature is normally grey, though this rarer form is famous for its depiction in the classic novel “Moby Dick." Why does the whale have a white color? These white giants lack color because of two Read More...
Game of Trawls: How AI-equipped fishing nets could help reduce by-catch
While a very popular practice in the fishing industry, bottom trawling has long been criticized for its huge negative impact on marine ecosystems. A new device from researchers in France, however, could finally help make the method more eco-friendly. What is bottom trawling and why is it bad for Read More...
Man and dog trek 8,000 km to help rewild Scottish Highlands
A Scotland native and his dog recently completed an 8,000-kilometer fundraising walk across Canada, all while wearing a kilt. After a nine-month odyssey, the tenacious pair finally reached Canada’s most easterly point, Cape Spear in Newfoundland, on Sunday. Michael Yellowlees and his faithful Read More...
Every Welsh household gets a free tree to help tackle climate emergency
The Welsh government has come up with a £2 million scheme to help tackle the climate emergency that will give a tree to every household in the country. This adds up to approximately 1.3 million newly planted trees. People can choose tree species that are native to their region, but if they Read More...
Paris has an Olympic-sized plan to clean up the Seine
If you stroll through Paris on a warm summer day, you’ll likely see groups of sunbathers and picnickers lounging near the Seine, but you probably won’t see anyone swimming. Waste management and pollution issues have made the river too dirty to swim in, but that may change thanks to a new city Read More...
This neighborhood supports one of Latin America’s largest community gardens
The Manguinhos neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro was once a polluted and dangerous area, but thanks to community efforts, the area is now a thriving vegetable garden that feeds 800 families in the city. Made up of 300 beds and the size of four soccer fields, the community garden is one of the Read More...