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.
For the first time ever young people have a "seat at the table" at COP27
This year's United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt, more commonly referred to as COP27, is the first ever to give children an official platform: the Children and Youth Pavilion. Considering how young activists like Vanessa Nakate and Greta Thunberg have led the climate campaign in Read More...
France mandates that all large parking lots be outfitted with solar panels
Last week, the French Senate passed legislation mandating the installation of solar panels on all new and current parking lots with room for at least 80 vehicles— an enormous boost for solar power. Doubling solar and wind energy The new provisions are part of French President Emmanuel Macron's Read More...
Eco-anxiety and grief part II: how to cope
Part one of this two-part series discussed the differences between ecological grief and eco-anxiety, two relatively new terms used in reference to the feelings of sadness and distress that are related to the climate crisis. Now, let’s dive into how we can face them. How to cope with Read More...
Eco-anxiety and grief part I: the differences
Environmentalists have warned about climate change's effects for decades, and in light of the COP27 conference in Egypt, climate change is certainly on many people's minds and hearts. Increasingly intense wildfires and other weather events, deforestation, food shortages, species extinctions, and Read More...
Could wind turbines capture CO2 while generating clean energy?
Wind turbines have long been one of the primary sources of clean energy. While they have not been without controversy over the years, they are widely acknowledged as a planet- and people-friendly answer to climate change when compared to other green energy sources. Soon, they may be able to Read More...
6 reasons to be optimistic about COP27
This year, the effects of the climate crisis have become even harder to deny – from flooding in Bangladesh and Pakistan to soaring temperatures in the UK – it’s clear that there is a lot on the line as we prepare for another crucial climate conference. From November 6 to 18, Egypt will Read More...
The RobotFalcon, an innovative solution to bird and aircraft collisions
One of the unfortunate side effects of air travel is increasing collisions between birds and aircraft. These incidents, which are known as bird strikes, kill thousands of birds each year and can also cause damage to aircraft, cause flight delays, and even cancellations. This costs the Read More...
Climate justice is intrinsic to COP27’s success. Here’s how to address it
The Conference of the Parties (COP) in Egypt this year is crucial. In Glasgow last year, countries pledged increased climate financing and committed to raising their goals, but in the end, fell short of the 1.5 degree Celsius global warming limit. COP27 is an opportunity to fix that problem Read More...
Tips to keep your heating costs low this winter despite rising prices
This winter, Americans are expected to pay the most for home heating in a decade. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association estimates that the average U.S. household will pay 17.2 percent more for heating costs—$177 more—than last year, which already saw record-breaking Read More...
Australian study reveals a low-cost strategy for recycling solar panels
A new study has proposed a low-cost method of recycling solar panels to help handle the growing volume of retired photovoltaic (PV) cells expected by the end of the decade. A team from the University of New South Wales published a paper last week outlining a process for collecting and extracting Read More...