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.
Australia launches first National Plastic Plan
Plastic pollution is a huge concern, especially for marine environments. To tackle the growing plastic crisis, Australia has announced a new “National Plastic Plan” which aims to comprehensively reduce plastic pollution and its associated health and environmental hazards. The new plan Read More...
California will be home to the world’s first 3D printed housing community
Last week we shared a story about how the United States’ first 3D printed homes are nearing completion in Austin, Texas. Now, Rancho Mirage in California is expected to become home to the world’s first 3D printed housing community — marking an important milestone in the transition of the Read More...
Ryerson University’s new health education tower raises sustainability standard
Toronto’s Ryerson University has reached a new standard for sustainable campus design with its award-winning Daphne Cockwell Health Sciences Complex. The building, designed in the hopes of achieving LEED Gold certification by global design practice Perkins and Will, is a 28-story tower comprised Read More...
Which toilet paper is the most eco-friendly? Bamboo vs. Recycled
Here at The Optimist Daily, we have already discussed the negative environmental impact of destroying forests to produce single-use paper products like toilet paper. For years now, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has been urging consumers to switch to more sustainable alternatives to Read More...
Philadelphia will dim its lights to help save migrating birds
Most migratory birds in North America use the night sky to navigate their way between north and south every year. However, as they pass over big cities, they can get disoriented by bright artificial lights and skyglow, often causing them to collide with buildings or other outdoor structures. This Read More...
Santa Catalina Island is using “underwater Roombas” to clean up toxic waste
Residents and vacationers who frequent Santa Catalina Island were shocked to learn from a recent Los Angeles Times investigation that their shores were contaminated with poison from the nation’s largest DDT manufacturer who had dumped barrels of the chemical along the coast for almost 40 years. Read More...
Indulge guilt-free with these 5 ethical and eco-friendly chocolate brands
We are big fans of chocolate here at The Optimist Daily and have written extensively in the past about its many health benefits, from keeping you mentally sharp to lowering your risk of heart failure. But if we are going to indulge in this delicious treat, it’s important to be aware of how Read More...
This skyscraper in Taipei features a carbon-absorbing vertical forest
According to the World Green Building Council, our built environment is responsible for almost 40 percent of the world’s carbon footprint. Facing a dire need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, architects and urban planners must ensure that our future buildings have the smallest negative Read More...
LEGO is ditching plastic bags to reach its sustainability goals
LEGO has been a building block of many happy childhood memories since the 1930s, but as the world reforms its views on sustainability and works toward a more eco-friendly future, LEGO is shifting its operations to meet new environmental expectations. LEGO’s signature building blocks rely on Read More...
UK joins the EU in passing “right to repair” mandates for appliances
Right to repair has been a hot topic lately as France and the broader EU implement sustainable policies to make fixing old electronics more feasible. Starting this summer, consumers in the UK can feel more confident in their appliance purchases as well as a new law mandates that producers make Read More...