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.
These 17 “super trees” make cities vastly more livable
Creating more green space in urban areas is a highly effective way to lower temperatures and improve health outcomes during heat waves, but when it comes to tree planting in cities, not all trees are created equal. Research from Rice University finds that 17 “super trees” are most powerful in Read More...
Prefab home design weaves sustainability and affordability together
In a quiet residential neighborhood in Brant County, Ontario, lies a home that outperforms neighboring houses not only in sustainable design, but also in affordability. Boasting Passive House standards — a highly energy-efficient building standard — the new house is an experiment for Habitat Read More...
Drones help scientists gather winter climate data from Gulf Stream
Collecting weather data along the Gulf Stream in severe winter conditions is a challenge, to say the least, for traditional ships with human crews. To make the process easier and more efficient, Saildrone, headquartered in Alameda, California, manufactures surface vehicles that use renewable Read More...
US will stop financing fossil fuel projects abroad
The US government has officially halted federal aid to overseas fossil fuel projects. The new policy comes after the US joined nearly 40 other countries in a COP26 pledge to end foreign fossil fuel financing by the end of 2022. The funding change will mean no more US financing for coal plants, Read More...
Bug-inspired floating robots can clean up ocean pollutants
Thanks to human behavior, the ocean is cluttered with pollutants like oil and contaminants from drinking water. These materials are harmful to the ecosystem, as they prevent vital oxygen from reaching marine life and are also toxic. Currently, to clean up oil spills, people are sent on ships to do Read More...
Major automaker will incorporate parts previously rejected for cosmetic flaws
Global supply chain challenges are making for a stressful lead up to the holiday season, but for one company, it’s actually driving some greener choices. Toyota has announced that the company will now use scratched or blemished parts that would otherwise have been thrown away. The parts, which Read More...
Ecuador's high court rules in favor of nature, saving Los Cedros cloud forest
Earlier this month, Ecuador’s highest court passed a landmark ruling in favor of the protected cloud forest in the northwest of the country, Los Cedros. Enami EP, Ecuador’s national mining company, held rights for mining concessions that involved areas in two-thirds of the reserve, however, Read More...
Album comprised of endangered bird calls tops Australian music charts
There’s a surprising new album that was released in Australia that’s taken over top hits like Abba, Mariah Carey, and Michael Bublé within its first week, landing the No. 5 position on the music charts. So, what makes this release so alluring? The album, called Songs of Disappearance, is Read More...
Study: Secondary forest sites are remarkably resilient
Rainforest destruction is happening at an alarming rate around the world, but new research indicates that once these clear cut lands are abandoned, tropical forests can re-establish themselves remarkably quickly. Researchers from Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands analyzed 77 Read More...
First IVF corals successfully spawn on Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF) has an exciting announcement: The first generation of IVF coral babies have officially reproduced on a degraded reef. As described by GBRF, coral IVF uses modern technology to breed and distribute corals so they have the highest chance of survival. “Our Read More...