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.
Researchers turn biodegradable cutlery into recycled insulation
Picking up a biodegradable fork may seem like an environmentally friendly choice, but these utensils still require new materials for their production and oftentimes won’t actually degrade naturally. Fortunately, researchers at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand have come up with a way to Read More...
7 Foods that are good for you and the planet
From beef to almonds, we hear a lot of discussion about the least sustainable foods, but what about the most sustainable foods? If you’re looking to adjust your diet to be more healthy for you and the planet, here are some options to green up your plate. Oats. This popular breakfast choice Read More...
Another luxury brand pledges to stop using fur in its products
High-end coat company Canada Goose has pledged to phase out the use of fur in its products. Mainly known for its luxury-priced fur-lined winter jackets, the North American brand has now vowed to stop buying fur by the end of this year and cease manufacturing it by 2022. Animal rights group Human Read More...
Tree Equity Score tool maps out critical areas for urban forestry
Trees and urban green spaces are essential for city dwellers. Vegetation improves air quality, and tree cover provides shade from the heat of the sun—something that is increasingly sought after as human-induced climate change takes temperatures to extremes. Unfortunately, low-income Read More...
Giant panda gives birth to tiny twin cubs at Tokyo zoo
Good news for the conservation of one of the most beloved creatures on earth! A giant panda has given birth to two cubs at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo in Japan. Last Wednesday, 15-year-old Shin Shin gave birth to tiny twin cubs. The event marks the first time that twins have been born at the zoo. "Baby Read More...
Years of exclusive rainforest recordings are now available worldwide
The recordings of Cornell University’s Elephant Listening Project, which was established in 1999, are finally going public—and here’s why that matters. The gigantic acoustic monitoring effort covers about 480 square miles in the Republic of Congo’s Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, an area Read More...
The Bison Bridge - World's longest human-made wildlife crossing
Chad Pregracke is an impassioned conservationist who spends his time on barges, cleaning up refuse from the Mississippi River. While on the river, he watches cars drive across a 55-year-old concrete bridge that is meant to be demolished and replaced—but when he sees the aging bridge, he imagines Read More...
Eco-labels will soon show the sustainability of Europeans food products
Living a more sustainable life is a valiant and worthwhile goal, however, following through with it is a daily challenge. As consumers, the information we need to make the most sustainable choice is often not readily available, and reading through the labels and small print is exhausting and takes Read More...
Study of 90 cities links green space access with increased happiness
More and more cities are making tree-planting and green space allocation a key part of their urban planning strategy. Not only do green spaces mitigate the heat island effect, but they also work to purify the air and improve the health of residents. The correlation between nature and happiness has Read More...
LEGO’s new prototype bricks are made from discarded plastic bottles
From cutting plastic from packaging to using plant-based materials, famous toymaker LEGO has been hard at work in recent years to make its beloved toy bricks more sustainable. With that same goal in mind, the company has recently created its first prototype building blocks using recycled PET Read More...