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.
Here’s one simple thing you can do to help spare the seas
Of all the forms of plastic pollution on this planet, the Ocean Conservancy lists cutlery as amongst the “most deadly” to sea turtles, birds, and mammals. And since alternatives to plastic cutlery are not widespread, the solution, for now, is rather straightforward: we should carry our own Read More...
India’s first ‘garbage cafe’ provides meals in exchange for trash
They say you shouldn’t waste your food, but in this unique case, the waste you collect is what can get you food. India just launched its very first ‘garbage cafe’ in the city of Ambikapur in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. An initiative of the Municipal Corporation, the idea is to Read More...
This is actually what happens when you flush a goldfish down the toilet
It sounds like the most outrageous of urban myths: When you flush a goldfish down the toilet it survives and becomes an enormous super fish in the wild. But this is no myth! And in fact, it's a huge problem. Recently, a Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper (BNW) posted a photo on Facebook of a whopping Read More...
This environment-friendly house is made out of 600,000 recycled plastic bottles
When plastic bottles are recycled they can be made into lots of things, but in a first, Canadian builders have figured out a way to turn your everyday plastic waste into a home. D Composites, a construction company, built a three-bedroom home along the Meteghan River in Nova Scotia from more Read More...
Environmentalists pulled 40 tons of abandoned fishing nets out of the Pacific
When it comes to ocean pollution, fishing nets are especially dangerous to marine life as they drift through the ocean, entangling whales, seals, and turtles. In an effort to rid the ocean of this harmful marine debris, nonprofit Ocean Voyages Institute managed to pull 40 tons of abandoned Read More...
Why public banks hold the key to a successful Green New Deal
Let’s be honest: If we want the Green New Deal to succeed, then America’s banking system is going to make some major changes. The current banking system in the US doesn’t meet the equity or environmental aims of the Green New Deal, and many of the banks we put our money into actually support Read More...
Love bacon? Then you should try these mushroom-based bacon bits
While plant-based beef burgers may fool the taste buds of meat eaters, there’s no way anyone could mimic the taste of bacon without meat, right? Wrong. A food brand by the name of Hanley’s Foods has created a sustainable stand-in replacement for bacon using crispy mushrooms that taste Read More...
Over 600 local governments have now declared a climate emergency
The municipal government of Sydney recently voted unanimously to enter a state of emergency over the looming threat posed by the climate crisis. The decision sees Sydney join a variety of local and national governments around the world in a movement that is increasingly gaining momentum. In total, Read More...
Del Taco has sold two million meatless meat tacos since launching 2 months ago
OK. In the past couple of months, we’ve talked a lot about the rise of plant-based meat alternatives and how fast-food chains have quickly incorporated them into their menus. But how are those vegetarian options actually competing against meat-based options? For an answer to this question, Read More...
Scientists have discovered a way to harness the heat from subway tunnels
If you’ve ever walked over a grating in the city that sits above a metro line, you’ve probably felt a warm gust of air. That’s because subway tunnels are full of trains, electronics and people packed in like sardines, which turns them into pretty hot places. In theory, all that heat could Read More...