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.
This campaign wants to remove single-use plastics from the big screen
Have you ever noticed that characters in your favorite movies and TV shows tend to use a lot of single-use plastics? Whether it’s a busy professional grabbing a cup of coffee on the go or an athlete drinking out of a plastic water bottle, modern media definitely normalizes the consumption of Read More...
This endangered baby tapir is on an important conservation mission
The Baird’s tapir is listed as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List, with less than 5,500 animals left in the wild. As a result of habitat loss induced by logging and land clearing for agriculture, the animal population has decreased by over 50 percent in the past three decades. Tapirs Read More...
Meet Pattie Gonia, the environmentalist drag queen fighting for inclusivity
The climate movement could use all the help it can get, and environmentalist drag queen Pattie Gonia is determined to make sure it can by pushing for it to be more inclusive. Pattie uses her Instagram account, which has more than 300,000 followers, to challenge what a conventional climate Read More...
These dogs are sniffing out solutions for safer wind farms
Wind turbines are a great source of renewable energy in blustery climates, but like every solution, there are potential risks to be weighed as well. Turbines take a toll on local birds, bats, and insects, and although the effects of turbines on large birds like condors and eagles are well known, we Read More...
How cooling chips are revolutionizing the refrigeration industry
It goes without saying, cooling technologies like air conditioners, freezers, and refrigerators have significantly improved our lives over the last few decades. But the chemicals underlying these technologies have also proved to be very detrimental to the environment, harming the ozone layer and Read More...
World’s second largest steel producer is going green
The amount of carbon dioxide emissions from steel manufacturing is almost double the amount of steel created, which stands at 1.8 billion tons per year. It is thus paramount to clean up the steel industry if the world is to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050. In a bid to help us get closer to Read More...
How to cultivate a tranquil moss garden
Moss is nature's humble carpet and is often overshadowed by flashier plants, however, that doesn’t stop moss from bringing a lot to the table. Moss doesn’t require fertilizer and filters out air pollution at least three times more efficiently than other plants (depending on the pollutant). Moss Read More...
Lifesaving apps protect humans and snakes in India
As we try to tackle the climate crisis, people are becoming more and more conscious of the importance of protecting and conserving the world’s biodiversity—even wildlife that can harm or potentially kill us. However, when faced with a dangerous animal, what is the “best way” we can react? Read More...
“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...