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.
Federal judge halts drilling in large swath of Wyoming, citing climate change
The fossil fuel industry took a blow last week when a federal judge ordered a halt to oil and gas exploration on almost 500 square miles in Wyoming, stating that the US government must account for its cumulative effect on global climate change. The order marks the latest in a string of court Read More...
Cement is a huge polluter. Here’s how the industry is tackling the problem
While cement is incredibly versatile, the relatively cheap building material comes with a huge downside: it’s a massive greenhouse gas emitter. In fact, it’s responsible for about 8 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. If the cement industry were a country, it would be the Read More...
Monsanto’s cancer-causing herbicide is being banned in cities across America
Los Angeles didn’t wait a moment to act when a second jury in a matter of months declared that the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, glysophate, causes cancer. Following the case, the county of Los Angeles banned any further use of the toxic weedkiller by all county departments. Read More...
Hilton is taking used soap bars from its hotels and recycling them into new ones
Last May, Hilton conducted a survey asking guests if they look into a hotel’s environmental and social efforts in making their travel plans. They discovered that social, environmental and ethical considerations are important in making booking choices, especially for those younger than 25 years Read More...
Chinese production of bio-plastics shows a promising upward trend
Chinese plastic manufacturers are responsible for nearly 30 percent of global plastic production. That's an alarmingly high amount for one country, but the good news is that Chinese plastic makers are increasingly switching to biodegradable materials as the government ramps up regulations against Read More...
Carbon capture firm receives $68 million funding to commercialize its tech
Carbon capture technology is poised to be a vital tool in the global fight against climate change. The only problem is high costs and a limited commercial market makes scaling it up a rather slow process. Recently, however, that trend seems to be changing. Take, for example, a Canadian company Read More...
An intimate look at the last of Africa’s big tusker elephants
Like living relics from a bygone era, the last of Africa’s big tusker elephants roam in a vast, remote wilderness in Kenya. These majestic animals have massive tusks that nearly reach the floor of the earth, with an individual tusk weighing as much as 130lbs. Africa’s big tusker elephants are Read More...
Bernie Sanders Campaign to offset all its emissions during presidential race
The field of Democrats running in the 2020 presidential election features a number of candidates who place climate change as a top priority. To stand out from the crowd, Sen. Bernie Sanders has announced his presidential campaign will become the first in the 2020 race to promise to offset the Read More...
Starbucks on a mission to replace its cups with compostable ones
After pledging last year to phase out plastic straws from all of its locations by 2020, Starbucks announced plans this week to test recyclable and compostable cups. The coffee chain aims to “double the recycled content, recyclability and compostability, and reusability” of its cups and Read More...
South Korea to shift all commercial vehicles to run on fuel cell energy by 2035
When it comes to air pollution, South Korea is one of the Asian countries that suffer the most. The country’s government is eager to change that, which is why it has set out a bold plan of shifting all of its commercial vehicles – including trucks and construction machinery – to run on fuel Read More...