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.
IUCN lists 15 new sites as world’s best protected areas
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has admitted 15 new natural sites to the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas – the first global standard recognizing best practice in protected Read More...
Animal welfare lawyers say New York's 'loneliest elephant' is a person
A 47-year-old Asian elephant named Happy has lived in isolation at the Bronx Zoo for the past 12 years. A team of lawyers is now fighting for Happy’s freedom, saying she’s a legal person who’s been falsely Read More...
Climate solutions: is it feasible to remove enough CO2 from the air?
Is there still time to avoid runaway climate change? To a large degree, the answer depends on the feasibility of “negative emissions” — techniques or technologies that suck CO2 out of the air. In the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), all scenarios for Read More...
One woman's fight to save rainforest
There is only one place in the world where orangutan, rhinos, elephants, and tigers still co-exist in the wild. Environmental activist Farwiza Farhan is fighting to protect this last wilderness, Sumatra's Leuser Read More...
France has unveiled plans to ban “imported deforestation”
The French government is set to alter its import policies in an effort to end worldwide deforestation. The new national strategy will focus on curbing imports of unsustainable products such as soybean, palm oil, and cocoa, which are directly or indirectly tied to forest degradation. The country Read More...
Climate Change: A Crisis of Human Belonging and Connection
In our ongoing search for solutions and indications of progress, we come across many opportunities and possibilities. We are much inspired by the creative forces around the world that persevere to serve humankind and the environment in the best possible way. We see many possibilities to make Read More...
This has to be the most sustainable bicycle on Earth
A bicycle shop in London is offering customers the opportunity to build their own bicycle out of bamboo sticks. While building a bike out of bamboo sounds strange, bamboo is actually a terrific material for building bikes because it’s so light and shock absorbent, which helps to provide a smooth Read More...
How farms can benefit from the presence of solar panels
After observing solar farms for the past couple of decades, researchers have found that solar farms have an incredible ability to alter the microclimate under them. In fact, scientists in Oregon found that 90 percent more biomass flourished in areas partly or fully covered by solar panels. This was Read More...
London schools want to cover their walls with plants to fight air pollution
Schools in London are attempting to raise thousands of pounds to help pay for an initiative that aims to cover school walls with plants to protect children from air pollution. “Living walls” can be an effective strategy for cleaning heavily polluted air while providing calming benefits as Read More...
System to capture astronaut exhalations inspires Earth-based CO2 removal
When astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) exhale carbon dioxide (CO2), it's removed from the air and pumped into space. Could an Earth-based version help remove greenhouse gas emissions from our atmosphere? In order to limit global warming to Read More...