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 Russian fashion brand creates pieces entirely out of recycled plastic
“Ethical” and “sustainable” are fashion trends that we at The Optimist Daily hope never go out of style. We’re uplifted that many popular brands such as Adidas and Levi’s are rethinking how they manufacture their products so that they are more eco-friendly. Russian fashion house Read More...
This startup is paying farmers to turn locust swarms into animal feed
In recent years, climate change has created ideal breeding conditions for locusts, swarms of which have been devouring crops and other vegetation in East Africa and the Horn. Kenya, in particular, has been battling some of its worst locust plagues in decades, with farmers losing huge amounts of Read More...
Using this debit card helps fund reforestation projects around the world
You might be familiar with the Google-alternative, eco-friendly search engine Ecosia, which uses 80 percent of its ad-generated revenue to plant millions of trees around the world. If you have been using the search engine to help fight climate change, you'll probably be excited to hear about Read More...
North Atlantic right whale sees most productive calving season since 2013
The North Atlantic right whale is highly endangered, but this year’s calving season offers a more optimistic outlook for the future of the species. According to environmentalists, this has been the most successful breeding season for the whale since 2013 with 18 new calves recorded off the East Read More...
Virginia becomes fourth state to ban cosmetic animal testing
California became the first state to ban cosmetic animal testing in 2018, followed by Nevada and Illinois in 2019. Now, Virginia will follow suit thanks to the efforts of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and other dedicated animal rights advocates. Starting on the first of January 2022, animal Read More...
Use the “dirty dozen” and “clean 15” to make more conscious produce choices
Organic produce is healthier for local ecosystems and also eliminates the potential human health hazards of pesticide ingestion, many of which we don’t know the full extent of. However, buying organic is more expensive and not always available in remote areas. Learning about which fruits and Read More...
Buy Nothing groups help save money and foster local connections
Do you ever find yourself with unused miscellaneous objects in the back of your cupboard that you know you won’t use but don’t want to throw away? Thanks to the Buy Nothing Project, your excess stuff can be easily picked up by a household near you that needs it instead of adding to a landfill Read More...
This furniture maker will disclose the carbon footprint of all its products
Earlier this month, we wrote about the promising carbon labeling trend among brands to inform their customers about the ecological impacts of the products they use. Now, we’re happy to share that this trend is going beyond the food and cosmetic sectors to include the furniture industry Read More...
This electric 'urban sled' is a model for zero-emissions parcel delivery
A growing urban challenge created by delivery vans is that, when they stop for deliveries in crowded cities, they tend to block lanes and cause traffic. One way to alleviate this problem is to replace delivery trucks with electric cargo bikes (aka trikes), which can fit on bike lanes and also help Read More...
This social enterprise in Zambia puts sustainability and community first
As the business sector comes to grips with the fact that it needs to shift away from business-as-usual and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable world, impact-driven social enterprises serve as a source of inspiration for how to achieve that. Take Tribal Textiles, for example. The Zambian Read More...