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.
Nature helps: Trees in the city grow faster than trees in rural areas
This was an article we featured back in 2017 but thought it would be interesting to rerun it now, in light of recent reports on how much of a difference that urban greenery has on human AND planetary health. Back then, it was reported that researchers had discovered that trees in metropolitan Read More...
Ikea proves it is ethical and profitable to go green in business
Ikea has achieved a clean energy milestone this week, more than a year ahead of schedule. The furniture company will now produce more renewable energy from solar and wind farms than it consumes. The renewable energy comes from two large solar farms in the U.S. and a wind farm in Romania. Read More...
This is what global climate activism looks like
With over 2,500 events in 150, last Friday’s global climate strike will be remembered as one of the largest environmental demonstrations in history. Spearheaded by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, people from all walks of life, from students to indigenous groups to Silicon Valley employees, are Read More...
How hacking the urban landscape can bolster climate resilience
Landscaping is moving away from the days of white picket fences and manicured lawns. We are quickly learning there are smarter, more beneficial, and therefore more beautiful, ways to design landscaping so it works for us, and the environment. This is especially critical in urban areas where Read More...
A new company is using drones to revolutionize reforestation
Climate change is a daunting challenge, so it can feel tricky for the average person to make an impact. However, a new company, Now, is hoping to give people a platform to contribute to slowing climate change by going to the source of carbon absorption: trees. What makes the company stand out from Read More...
Experts and innovators from all sectors meet to boost action around CO2 capture tech
As the world is looking for new viable solutions to prevent catastrophic climate change, a new effort to rally governments and corporations behind technologies that capture planet heating gases from the atmosphere has been launched at the United Nations on Tuesday. It was the first annual Global Read More...
New York City gives students the green light to walk out for youth led Climate Strike
The 1.1 million New York public school students will be excused from school to attend the Youth Climate Strike this Friday, September 20. The school board made the announcement via Twitter this week that students would not be punished for skipping class for the strike but would need to call in the Read More...
For native fish populations, a robot invasion may be a good thing
A couple weeks ago we shared a story about how robots are delivering pizzas on college campuses. This week, robots are at it again, but this time they aren’t delivering pizza, they’re saving fish populations. Mosquitofish, an invasive species, have expanded rapidly in lakes and rivers across Read More...
Coral gardeners are breathing life back into Jamaica’s reefs
Once home to a vibrant sea life abundant in stunning coral reefs, after a series of natural and man-made disasters in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Jamaica lost 85 percent of its once-bountiful corals. This resulted in a steep decline in seafood populations upon which many families’ living hoods Read More...
Major coal mine project blocked over climate change concerns
Environmental activists celebrated a major win for the planet last week, as the development of a coal mine in New South Wales, Australia has been blocked over significant concerns about environmental impacts, including climate change and the costs to future generations. The decision was taken by Read More...