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.
“Mount Recyclemore” brings attention to the dangerous issue of e-waste
The leaders of the world’s leading democracies who attended the G7 Summit in Cornwall last month were welcomed by a statement art installation called “Mount Recyclemore.” The piece featured the likeness of each of the seven world leaders in attendance, all made from discarded electronics. To Read More...
Mexican army rescues street dogs to find them homes and vocations
After getting news that a large number of stray dogs were wandering around the construction site of Mexico City’s new airport, the Mexican army stepped in and decided to find those animals a new home. To that end, the army transformed an unoccupied kindergarten building near the airport into a Read More...
This sleek compostable lamp is made from discarded orange peels
Earlier this year, we wrote about how the city of Sevilla, Spain, is using leftover oranges to generate clean energy. Driven by the same mission to turn waste from citrus into something useful, Milan-based startup Krill Design has 3D printed orange peels into a sleek, compostable lamp, dubbed Read More...
Study: Renewable energy jobs were more resilient during pandemic
According to a Department of Energy report, jobs in the renewable energy sector were far more resilient to the economic turmoil of the pandemic than those in the oil and gas industries. In 2020, one in ten energy workers lost their job, but the wind energy sector grew by two percent, Jobs in the Read More...
Easy steps to rejuvenate your garden soil
Healthy soil makes for healthy plants, but building nutrient-dense soil can be challenging. No matter what you’re working with, here are five tips to help you build dark, moist, bug-rich soil to feed your garden. Start with compost Making your own homemade compost is the best way to feed your Read More...
UK painter uses her talent to support wildlife conservation
UK-based painter Sophie Green combines her artistic talent and passion for wildlife conservation to raise awareness of the splendor and vulnerability of endangered animals. She paints photorealistic portraits with empty backdrops to capture the essence of giraffes, bison, elephants, and other Read More...
This school features a vertical garden and rooftop cycling track
Over the last decade, the city of Pune, India, has experienced significant urban growth with worsening air quality as a result. Now, architecture studio Nudes is working to tackle this problem. The firm recently won a competition to build an eco-friendly school in the city. The company’s Read More...
Mussels could help us remove harmful microplastics from the ocean
Microplastics are one of the most pernicious forms of plastic pollution threatening our oceans, so scientists are hard at work to find solutions that could help filter this ecological burden out of the marine environment. Recently, we wrote about how sea squirts can help us monitor the steadily Read More...
The Optimist View: Down to EarthーStorytelling as a solutions journalism medium
“Long-term survival on this planet for us and for all generations after us is a pretty good idea. Remember, the earth will probably always be here. We just may not be able to live on it for too long.” - Zac Efron BY Amelia Buckley and Arielle Tiango Little was known about the world of Read More...
Scientists develop a disintegrating natural plastic
The plastic problem that we face today is a serious issue that is inspiring many scientists and researchers to find alternatives or modify the plastic manufacturing process so that the material can safely and quickly degrade. Researchers in China have done just that by creating a new kind of Read More...