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.
The next president could declare a national emergency over climate change
President Trump has the country up in arms once again after declaring a national emergency to pay for an unneeded border wall, which will inevitably lead to a massive battle in court. Yes, Trump sure knows a thing or two about enflaming the American public, but what he doesn’t know is that he’s Read More...
To get adults to care about the climate, motivate kids to talk to them about it
While many adults may not care about the environment, they do care about their children. And since younger people these days tend to be more concerned with climate change than older generations, getting adults to care, let alone acknowledge climate change as a problem may be as simple as getting Read More...
A British power plant is trialing ‘negative emission’ carbon-capture technology
Burning biomass has been seen as a green-ish option for power generation, as it is renewable, although scientists have warned the emissions caused by burning it may outweigh the benefits. Capturing those emissions, however, could solve that problem. In England, the biggest power station fueled by Read More...
Cities are turning alleys into green spaces to help people reconnect with nature
From Montreal to Portland, cities across North America are starting to rethink all that cement that’s used to pave the streets. Alleys and alley sides, in particular, are being effectively imagined as people-friendly pathways, parks, and lushly planted urban habitats that stand in stark contrast Read More...
New research is motivating Australia to plant a billion new trees by 2050
After new research uncovered that tree-planting worldwide could make a substantial dent in the world’s net greenhouse gas emissions, the Australian government has come forth with a plan to plant a billion new trees. The tree-planting project, which will run until 2050, will eventually remove 18 Read More...
Planting more trees could phase out a decade of human carbon emissions
Planting trees is definitely one of the most enjoyable ways to reduce our global carbon footprint. Apart from that, a new study has found that replenishing the world’s tree coverage on a grand scale would suck enough carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to cancel out a decade of human emissions. Read More...
These cute robotic vessels can collect debris from rivers
IKEA, the Swedish furniture giant, has designed a remote-controlled boat that clears trash from water. Modeled after one of its bath toys (the SMÅKRYP to be exact), the boat is equipped with technology that can collect and store any debris it comes across in the water. Obviously, this is publicity Read More...
Teens across Europe are ditching school on Fridays to protest climate inaction
Generation Z, the group that came after Millennials, is often labeled as smartphone-obsessed youth that only care about themselves. If that’s the case, how can anyone explain the youth-led protests taking place across Europe that are urging politicians to act on climate change? Each Friday, teens Read More...
This floating rubbish bin is capturing plenty of plastic in Perth
Frustrated by the increasing amount of plastic floating in the surrounding waters, two surf-loving Aussies created a buoyant rubbish bin that sucks litter and debris out of the ocean. The device is about the size of a regular rubbish bin and acts as a vacuum cleaner in the sea, being able to trap Read More...
The recovery of these 9 beleaguered animals proves that conservation works
Conservation works. Sure, there’s a lot of grim news in the world when it come to wildlife, but that doesn’t mean the collective effort of humans can’t help declining populations from recovering. Just take the Humpback whale, for example. Before a hunting moratorium was introduced in 1966, Read More...