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.
“The Gathering Basket” is a growing collection of Indigenous recipes
Yucca, three-leaf sumac and chiltepin are all staple ingredients in Indigenous recipes, but the rich history of Indigenous cooking is often forgotten or overlooked, especially in Western kitchens. To highlight Indigenous recipes, ingredients, and chefs, Indigenous chef organization I-Collective, Read More...
This mangrove forest can help us better understand climate change
When botanist Carlos Burelo was a young boy, he used to play among a grove of red mangroves along the banks of the San Pedro Martir River in the middle of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The funny thing is that mangroves typically grow in coastal salt waters, while these ones thrive in freshwater 124 Read More...
US reported record solar power growth in 2020
We’ve previously written about how renewables outpaced fossil fuels in Europe for the first time in 2020. Now, new data demonstrates how US renewables, specifically solar, also thrived despite the challenges of a global pandemic. Last year, the US built more utility-scale solar power plants Read More...
This program bridges the gap between Indigenous knowledge and Western science
The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) has launched a new program aimed at bridging the gap between Indigenous knowledge and Western science. Part of the UAF’s College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, the program offers fellowships to Indigenous graduate students with the goal of researching Read More...
Birmingham switches gears from car-centric to low-traffic
Birmingham, the second-largest city in the UK, has announced a revolutionary transport plan designed to lower CO2 emissions and make the city more livable by transforming it from a car-centric area into a super-sized low-traffic neighborhood. The city currently has a population of 1.2 million Read More...
White House announces restoration of protections for three national monuments
The US federal government has announced plans to restore protections for three national monuments: Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts. "Restoring the Monument's boundaries and conditions restores its integrity, upholds efforts to honor the federal trust Read More...
This unique greenhouse is made from over 4,500 recycled jars
[caption id="attachment_1408340" align="alignleft" width="265"] Axton Burton and their greenhouse[/caption] Axton Burton is a tropical plant enthusiast, but in their rainy home state of Washington, keeping warm weather-loving plants alive is no easy feat. Seeking out a greenhouse for their leafy Read More...
This paper is partly made from grass to reduce its environmental footprint
Following an increasing number of people turning away from single-use plastic packaging, the market for paper packaging has seen a boom in recent years. More demand for paper, however, means more logging, some of which still happens in old-growth forests, which are major absorbers of CO2 and Read More...
Mathematical visitation law can predict urban movement anywhere in the world
The hustle and bustle of city streets may seem like a random and chaotic movement of people, but researchers have discovered that this movement can in fact be predicted with a mathematical equation─a discovery that could hold implications for the study of disease and city planning. The model Read More...
Austria announces new carbon tax to curb emissions
In order to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the Austrian government has introduced a new carbon tax that is set to be fully implemented by July next year. This means that Austrians will have 30 euros (around $35 USD) added to their consumer bills per ton of CO2. This cost will rise to 55 euros Read More...