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.
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...
Australia returns one of world's oldest rainforests to Indigenous people
This past Wednesday in a formal ceremony, the state government of Queensland, Australia, agreed to return four national parks to the Indigenous Eastern Kuku Yalanji people. The official decision follows four years of negotiations. One of these four parks is Australia’s Daintree Rainforest, one Read More...
This new ultra-strong glass is inspired by mollusk shells
If you’ve ever experienced the frustration of a broken phone screen, you’ve probably wished there was a more durable material available for electronics. Thanks to researchers from McGill University, that may soon be a reality. The team has developed a new type of glass, inspired by the inner Read More...
Drone footage shows growth in California kelp forests
Kelp is a key pillar of marine ecosystems and a huge carbon sink, but along the California coast, populations have been dwindling in recent years. Overpopulation of sea urchins, which feast on kelp, as well as rising sea temperatures, have devastated these marine forests, but new drone images from Read More...
Australia sends sunshine to Singapore in gigantic renewable energy project
We’d venture to say that all countries hope to take on renewable energy, especially since all evidence suggests that if we don’t curb our fossil fuel use, the world will go careening into climate catastrophe. However, not all countries have access to the resources needed to make the Read More...
Fat Bear Week 2021: Meet the contenders
It’s that time of year again. Fat bear week is upon us and this year’s candidates do not disappoint. The National Parks Service has put together their collection of the chunkiest bears from Brooks River, Alaska. Katmai National Park and Preserve has partnered with explore.org to allow us to Read More...