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.
ActionAid initiative trains Cambodian women to adapt to climate change
We recently wrote about how farmers in Bangladesh are using floating gardens to survive when floods and monsoons raise water levels. Now, the ActionAid campaign She is the Answer is harnessing these same farming tactics to empower women in Cambodia whose livelihoods are increasingly threatened by Read More...
E-waste: Scientists develop the world’s first fully recyclable transistor
One of the main reasons why so many electronics end up as e-waste instead of getting recycled at the end of their life is the fact that it’s really difficult to separate and recover the valuable materials that make them up. Now, a new technique developed by scientists at Duke University may help Read More...
The Optimist View: Zero Foodprint and the table-to-farm regenerative movement
“Since the goal is to truly change many acres of farmland, then we must not only try to source well, but specifically ask our existing supply chains to change. In fact, we should help pay for the transition.” - Anthony Myint, Zero Foodprint BY Amelia Buckley If you visit the famous Chez Read More...
Florida is cracking down on the exotic pet trade
Reports of pythons eating local cats have become more and more common in Florida as exotic pet ownership has gone off the rails. Snakes, iguanas, and other reptiles are posing a serious ecological threat in the state where many people adopt exotic pets only to realize how difficult they are to care Read More...
Byway Travel wants to make your next vacation more sustainable
Excited to return to travel, but concerned about doing so sustainably? New travel company Byway Travel could hold the solution to your problems. Founded in March of last year by Cat Jones, the company organizes what they call “slow travel” itineraries that guide travelers to fascinating Read More...
The EU signs historic deal that makes its climate goals legally binding
The European Union has signed a major climate deal with ambitious new targets to curb climate change, pledging to make them legally binding. Under the new law, an agreement between member states and the European Parliament, the bloc will cut carbon emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030, Read More...
Hawaii marks threat of climate change with state of emergency declaration
Hawaii is poised to take a momentous step in the recognition of the severity of climate change with the adoption of the State Senate Concurrent Resolution 44. Under the new bill, Hawaii will officially declare a state of emergency in response to the threat of climate change. Although this may Read More...
German high court rules in favor of young climate activists
The consequences of human-induced climate change are looming, and young people around the world are making it clear that they refuse to accept the inadequate efforts of today’s governments to curb carbon emissions and protect what’s left of the world’s ecosystems. This past Thursday, Read More...
One of Britain’s rarest butterfly species bounces back from near extinction
Ten years ago, a butterfly called the Duke of Burgundy was listed as Britain’s rarest, with the species hurtling towards extinction. Thanks to wildlife-friendly farms, however, the population of the small butterfly has now bounced back, with the number surging by 25 percent over the last Read More...
Dutch couple moves into Europe's first fully 3D-printed home
3D printing has gained popularity as scientists, engineers, architects, and innovators discover more ways that we can use this technology to make housing more equitable and sustainable. Now, as reported by The Guardian, a Dutch couple has become the tenants of Europe's first fully 3D printed Read More...