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.
Google is promising carbon neutral shipping. Can they deliver?
Google is falling behind when it comes to Apple and Samsung when it comes to its sustainability pledges. Apple, for example, has at least 50% recycled plastic in some of their gadgets and at least 11 products with recycled aluminum. Samsung also recently pledged to increase its use of Read More...
How school playgrounds could give 20 million Americans access to parks
At a public elementary school in Hell’s Kitchen in New York City, a playground that used to be a barren asphalt lot is now a green space filled with plants and trees—and when school isn’t in session, it’s open to anyone in the neighborhood to use as a park. It’s one example of a Read More...
Could this autonomous underwater robot shed new light on basking sharks?
While we know that the Basking shark is the world’s second-largest fish, there’s so much we don’t know about this fascinating creature. Such is the reason why a team of researchers has deployed an underwater robot that can discretely film the interactions of basking sharks to shed light on Read More...
San Francisco’s airport is attempting to become a zero-waste facility by 2021
San Francisco’s international airport (SFO) is in the midst of a five-year strategic plan to become a zero “waste-to-landfill” facility by 2021. For their next order of business, the airport is banning convenience shops, restaurants and vending machines from selling plastic water bottles in Read More...
A new study has revealed an effective way to help poor families escape poverty
Housing vouchers help millions of American families weather the crushing experience of poverty. With housing choice vouchers, low-income households receive federal aid to pay their rent. Also known as Section 8, the program has been a simple and effective alternative to America’s troubled Read More...
A new bill wants to redesign expiration labels to cut down on food waste
Have you ever thrown away food that looked perfectly fine, just because the package said it was expired? As it turns out, a lot of people get confused by date labels on food packaging — and a big reason why is because expiration dates are not uniformly regulated in the U.S. To combat that, Read More...
Scientists use an ultra-thin slice of wood to make seawater drinkable
As global warming worsens on our watch, there might eventually come a time when drinking water is harder to come by for a lot of the world. That’s why we need a better way to convert salt water to potable drinking water in case of emergencies. Inspired by the intricate system of water circulating Read More...
Singapore tower replaces greenery it has taken with indoor and outdoor gardens
Back in 2014, Singapore authorities passed a law stating that any greenery lost because of new development must be replaced with publicly accessible greenery of an equal area. This has resulted in many lush projects sprouting in the city-state. Now informed by the rule, Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), Read More...
The once-extinct bearded vulture makes an admirable comeback in the Alps
In the early 20th century, the bearded vulture - one of the world’s largest birds of prey - was hunted to extinction in the Alps, partly due to locals’ superstitious beliefs about the raptor. But recently, the birds have reappeared, flying high over the mountain range in France. This summer, a Read More...
Amazon will soon start forcing third-party sellers to use eco-friendly packaging
Amazon is (finally) doing something to reduce the massive amount of packaging waste that comes from orders off their online store. Starting on September 3, third-party sellers who use excessive packaging for large items will receive a fine from Amazon. Meanwhile, Amazon has been working closely Read More...