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.
IKEA launches new collection made of leftover rice straw to reduce smog in India
Once the rice is harvested in India, the straw is commonly burnt by small-scale rural farmers to make way for the new crop. This smoke contributes to the smog peaks that cause numerous health problems for the population of northern India, where nine out of 10 of the world's most polluted cities are Read More...
Chile just made a pledge to eradicate coal by 2040
Although Chile represents a mere 0.25% of global emissions, the country is one of the 10 most vulnerable nations to climate change. It doesn’t help that Chile’s economy is heavily dependent on coal. But now with the annual UN climate talks coming to Chile this December, the South American Read More...
Actor Robert Downey Jr. wants to solve the climate crisis with nanotech
Celebrity activism often has a pejorative connotation, but it is actually one of the most effective ways to draw attention to social problems and, in some cases, to even raise efforts to solve them. Take, for instance, actor Robert Downey Jr of ‘Iron Man’ who has recently announced the Read More...
Costa Rica has doubled its forest cover in the past 30 years
Long committed to the environment, Costa Rica has often been praised for its successful efforts in sustainability, biodiversity, and other protections. More recently, the nation has made headlines by pledging to go entirely fossil-free by 2050. In an interview with The New York Times, the Read More...
Wrangler has come up with a way to make blue jeans that isn’t super wasteful
Think about classic blue jeans. The rich color comes from indigo, and it’s so ubiquitous both in fashion and in the American cultural imagination that it’s easy to imagine denim cloth as a naturally occurring phenomenon. It’s not. To get that blue-jeans hue, the yarn that’s eventually Read More...
This brand is making biodegradable comforters from eucalyptus fibers
You probably don’t think a lot about bed-linen waste, but according to a recent survey, it accounts for 10-million tons of the textile waste that ends up in US landfills. The good news is New York homeware brand Buffy has launched a comforter that uses natural eucalyptus pulp for its case, Read More...
You have to watch these 8 environmental documentaries this summer
Instead of watching another Hollywood blockbuster for your next movie night, use the time to put on an environmental documentary. Why? Because there’s nothing like a quality documentary to get the activist within you jumping out of your seat to make a difference in our world. If you need some Read More...
Finland sets ambitious 2035 deadline for going carbon neutral
Finland, one of the world’s richest countries, has decided to set an example to other wealthy states in the West by pledging to go carbon neutral by 2035, setting one of the world’s earliest timelines for reaching that mark. Unlike neighboring Norway, which has set an even earlier 2030 Read More...
African elephant poaching falls dramatically as ivory demand slows
Africa is home to some of the world’s most iconic animals, but the crisis of illegal poaching has left numerous species vulnerable and even on the brink of extinction. Among these animals are elephants, that die in the number of tens of thousands each year for their ivory tusks. The good news Read More...
Making Friends with Coyotes and Critters: A film review of The Biggest Little Farm
“For a new generation to be able to simultaneously make a decent living and pursue a profession that they feel is synonymous with how they want to live on this planet is an exceptional opportunity.” - Alan York By Kristy Jansen In 2007, a group of my friends and I read Barbara Read More...