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.
This soda company is going out to sea to clean up plastic waste
Sodastream has always stood out as a company. Not only does their own product avoid or reduce the use of single-use plastics, but they’ve publicly shamed the competition for their waste. Now the company has taken another step in this direction, sailing out into the open ocean to collect trash Read More...
This study proves why building a hyperloop in America’s heartland is a good idea
Building a hyperloop route from Kansas City to St. Louis would be well worth the effort, according to a new study. Researchers examined the engineering, viability and economic challenges of a proposed line running parallel to the I-70, and they found that it would not only cut the journey between Read More...
New initiative in Istanbul offers metro money for recycling
What better way to motivate people to recycle than offering subway money for it. That's the idea in Istanbul as the Turkish capital has moved forward with a plan to install “reverse vending machines” at metro stations that allow passengers to add credit to their subway cards simply by inserting Read More...
Could cutting CO2 emissions provide water during droughts?
Power plants provide homes and businesses with electricity on a daily basis. But plants also consume a daily essential: Read More...
For the good of all, make your city more walkable
If you care about humanity, you should be doing what you can to make your city more cyclist- and pedestrian-friendly. Almost everyone benefits, especially the most vulnerable among us, including the poor, the elderly, and the Read More...
Small Indian state takes top prize in UN award for going 100 percent organic
When the small Indian state of Sikkim decided to ban chemical fertilizers and pesticides in 2016, the state’s decision was met with much skepticism. Now those skeptics have been turned into believers after the state won the top prize in a UN-backed award for its 100 percent organic policies. Read More...
Even as it grows, Seattle aims to go carbon neutral
From the Bullitt Center’s roof, Seattle’s status as the North American crane capital is in full view. Sixty-five cranes are currently reshaping the Seattle skyline, a building boom that reflects this city’s phenomenal growth Read More...
Britain wants to ramp up efforts in fight against climate change
Following the recent UN report that warns that we have one last chance to prevent a climate disaster, the British government is seeking to increase its efforts to achieve full-on carbon neutrality. The country’s current target of reducing carbon emissions by 2050 stands at 80 percent, but experts Read More...
How mushrooms can unlock a future of sustainable production
A sustainable innovation company is using the mycelia of mushrooms to help create anything from lab-grown meat to 3D-printed organs and biofabricated leather. Mycelia, the complex hair-like network of cells that grows in mushrooms, can be manipulated into high-performing materials that are both Read More...
Cleaning up: the world's worst plastic polluters ranked
In June and September 2018, more than 10,000 volunteers in 42 countries participated in events to tidy up their surrounding. Their main goal was to collect plastic waste and record the names of the brands that produced Read More...