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.
What!? Scientists discover life 3,000 ft below Antarctic ice shelf
Scientists have been forced to rethink the limits of life on Earth after accidentally stumbling upon marine organisms living on a boulder 900 meters (3,000 ft) below an Antarctic ice shelf. The scientists were attempting to sink a borehole through nearly a kilometer of the Filchner-Ronne ice shelf Read More...
Meet the Spanish designer who created a cosmetic line out of food waste
A third of the European Union’s horticultural production is estimated to be rejected by supermarkets based on sub-par cosmetic quality, meaning that plenty of perfectly good food is needlessly going to waste. But Spanish designer Júlia Roca Vera has created a sustainable cosmetic line made of Read More...
The Optimist View: "Our Moment of Choice" - Reflections on hope for the future
“A conscious business is a mission with a business, not a business with a mission.” - Steve Farrell, in Our Moment of Choice BY ARIELLE TIANGCO As I reflect on the unexpected events of this past year, I am confronted with a strange mix of emotions. Trepidation clashes with gratitude. Read More...
You can help save endangered species by playing this mobile game
Loss of biodiversity has become an urgent environmental problem in many places around the world. Habitat loss, air and water pollution, over-exploitation, and unsustainable use of natural resources, have all significantly contributed to this problem in recent years, with more than 35,500 species Read More...
Seismologists use whale calls to map out the seafloor
Whales are famous for their deep, loud calls that travel for miles in the ocean. In fact, the bellows of fin whales can be heard from 600 miles away. Researchers are now looking to those whale calls to help them map out elusive sections of the deep seafloor. Seafloor imaging is used to study Read More...
This robot could help our efforts of planting 1 trillion trees
From helping us sort waste to monitoring endangered species, robots have been increasingly supporting our efforts to safeguard a better future for our environment. Now, some of them are looking to help us combat climate change by accelerating our reforestation efforts. An Estonian company, called Read More...
Dirty Labs is removing water-polluting chemicals from laundry detergents
Considering that almost everyone has to do laundry, it’s pretty shocking that we use laundry detergents that contain chemicals that harm the environment and can’t even be removed by standard water treatment plants. Fortunately, a biotech startup by the name of Dirty Labs has come up with a Read More...
Coca-Cola to test fully recyclable paper bottle in Hungary
Coca-Cola has partnered with Danish startup Paboco (“Paper Bottle Company”) as one of many strategies to reduce the three million metric tons of plastic packaging it goes through per year. The company is already developing ways to use more recycled material, increase recycling rates, and test Read More...
How communities in Pakistan are protecting the rare Indus dolphin
The Indus River in Pakistan is home to the Indus dolphin, one of the rarest dolphin species in the world. These dolphins were facing near extinction in 2001 when their numbers had dropped to 1,200, but relatively recent conservation campaigns involving local and global partners have managed to Read More...
The ozone hole is on track to close within 50 years
The Montreal Protocol banned the use of trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11) in 1987 after CFCs were linked to ozone depletion. New atmospheric data shows that the protocol has been effective and the hole in the ozone is on schedule to close within the next 50 years. Researchers were concerned Read More...