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.
Mustard plant could be the solution to greener aviation fuel
Aviation accounts for about three percent of all global emissions, but coming up with more sustainable fuel sources would significantly gut down on the industry’s footprint. Researchers from the University of Georgia think they have a green fuel solution with the development of a fuel based on Read More...
This new tool is a roadmap for safe renewable energy development in Maine
Maine has identified a new tool to proceed with renewable energy expansion more sustainably. The state’s new Renewable Energy Siting Tool is an interactive map that allows officials and energy developers to identify the safest places for renewable energy projects where they will have the least Read More...
Hamburg introduces energy-saving digitally automated tram
This year’s Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) World Congress is in Hamburg, Germany, and highlights mobility solutions and innovation. The congress opened alongside the exciting introduction of the country’s first fully automated “Digital S-Bahn Hamburg” tram. German rail company Read More...
California says goodbye to gas-powered gardening equipment
We recently wrote an article about why you should invest in all-electric gardening equipment. Recognizing the environmental and public health benefits of this transition, California has signed a bill into law that will ban the sale of new gas-powered leaf-blowers, lawnmowers, power washers, and Read More...
Celebrated landscape architect finds beauty in the margins of public space
The newly-established Cornelia Hahn Oberlander International Landscape Architecture Prize honors advancements and innovation in landscape architecture. The inaugural winner of the award is Julie Bargmann, and when you look at the work she does, it’s no surprise that her work is being celebrated Read More...
Grauer’s gorilla population makes surprising comeback in DRC
A recent study led by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has good news for gorillas. The study found that the number of Grauer’s gorillas, the world’s largest gorilla subspecies, has increased from 6,800 compared to a 2016 estimate of 3,800. The 3,000 animal increase is a promising sign Read More...
Japan strives to harness the incredible power of typhoons
In the last week of September, the metropolis of Tokyo, Japan, along with the country’s chain of small offshore islands, was narrowly missed by Mindulle, the third super typhoon to form in the Western Pacific this year. The storm, which originated close to the island of Guam, had powerful wind Read More...
Bull elk with a car tire wrapped around its neck for two years is finally free
In 2019, wildlife officers first sighted an elk sporting an unlikely (and uncomfortable) ornament around its neck—a car tire. The wildlife officers happened upon the elusive elk while conducting a population survey for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and mountain goats in the Mount Evans Read More...
Why fish poop is more important than we realize
A new study published in Science Advances has some news for the scientific community: We should be paying more attention to fish poop. While not a glamorous subject, the study finds that fish and their feces play an underappreciated role in ocean ecosystems. Why fish? Phytoplankton in the Read More...
Shareholder pressure leads to right-to-repair evaluation at major tech company
The EU and the UK have both recently expanded right to repair laws aimed at reducing e-waste and saving customers money. As this movement gains popularity, Microsoft shareholders have successfully pressured the company into expanding the repairability of its goods. Although the US has limited Read More...