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.
Cornwall hospital turns disposable masks into litter-pickers
Disposable surgical masks are a prevalent problem worldwide due to the pandemic. The issue is that we need them to keep ourselves and each other safe, but there is no denying the massive quantity of litter that their constant use produces. The Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro is doing its best Read More...
Lidar allows researchers to tell how fat a bear really isーfrom a distance
Last week we celebrated the launch of Fat Bear Week 2021. You can check out the lineup of chunky contestants here, but today, we’re looking at some of the science behind these giant creatures. Researchers working in Brooks River in Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve are using state of the Read More...
French railway company is recycling abandoned trains into new ones
After 40 years of neglect, hundreds of abandoned trains in France are getting a new lease of life. That’s thanks to an initiative from railway company SNCF, which aims to recycle and reuse old trains to manufacture new ones. The company has already kicked off the project in Rouen, in northern Read More...
Formed coalition commits seven countries to ending all new coal power
During a recent UN General Assembly, a coalition of seven countries formed the No New Coal Compact to adhere to Paris Agreement commitments to limit global warming to 1.5°C. The compact calls for all countries to halt the construction of new coal-fired power generation projects by the end of Read More...
Researchers capture first-ever video of the center of a hurricane
None of us, unless we are very unlucky, will ever see first-hand what it looks like at the center of a hurricane. However, new footage from a crewless vessel in the Atlantic Ocean gives us a good idea of what this experience would be like as it has captured some of the only footage from inside a Read More...
Tesco and Loop begin easy and convenient refillable shopping scheme
Taking on greener shopping practices is essential in the fight against climate change, however, it can be hard to break old habits and remember to grab refillable containers on our way out to the shops. Well, Tesco’s new zero-waste shopping scheme, developed in partnership with the Loop, removes Read More...
Familial Forestry teaches villagers in India that trees are a part of the family
Shyam Sunder Jyani is a professor of sociology in India, but his passion project for the last 15 years has been tree planting. He was inspired by the sparse tree coverage at the campus he worked at back in 2003. With help from his class, he was able to replace the dying trees around the college Read More...
Hyenas offer surprising public health benefits in African cities
Hyenas are often portrayed as the villains of the savanna, but a new study from the University of Michigan demonstrates that these scavengers are more useful than we might think. The study, based in the Ethiopian city of Mekelle, counted the number of hyenas seen around town as well as the number Read More...
US restores protections for migratory birds
The US government has restored protections for migratory birds, reviving an old environmental law that prohibits hunting, killing, capturing, selling, or otherwise hurting these avian species. A rule from the previous administration rolled back protections for migratory birds, relaxing legal Read More...
Synthetic starch saves huge amounts of land and water
You probably use starch while cooking or maybe doing your laundry, but this versatile ingredient has applications in textiles and pharmaceuticals as well. Fortunately, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have found a way to produce this good more sustainably. Current starch Read More...