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.
Mumbai bans plastic bags and bottles
Mumbai has the become the largest Indian city to ban single-use plastics, with residents caught using plastic bags, cups or bottles to face penalties of up to 25,000 rupees (£276) and three months in Read More...
Taiwan researchers introduce diaper recycling innovation
Every day millions of diapers end up in landfills where it can take 400 years for them to decompose. Even biodegradable diapers can take up to 50 years to decompose. Burning diapers is no alternative as that produces toxic substances. Now, researchers in Taiwan have developed a new technique to Read More...
Restoring nature with the support of beavers
We know that humans can make big changes to the environment. Few species can have a similar impact. But beavers can. At one point, the rodents numbered in the hundreds of millions in North America, they were hunted to near extinction. Now scientists are bringing them back because beaver dams Read More...
The fascinating reason why there are no mosquitoes at Disney world
There are no mosquitoes in The Most Magical Place on Earth. That's right, Disney World is so dedicated to making sure you have the time of your life that they've made the bugs practically disappear. How do they pull that off? No, the answer isn't magic. Vlogger Rob Plays delved into the answer in Read More...
First paper straw factory in decades opens in Wales as UK bans plastic
The United Kingdom is moving forward towards a ban on single-use plastic products. That policy opens new opportunities for smart entrepreneurs. In Wales, a packaging company has started the first British paper straw factory in decades. The company has already reached out to the 1,361 McDonald’s Read More...
Colorado joins California, adopts stronger emission rules in face of EPA rollbacks
Colorado has become the 14th U.S. state following California and adopting tougher emission standards for vehicles despite a decision by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) two months ago to roll back vehicle greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency standards for the model year 2022 cars and beyond. Read More...
Power companies keep shutting coal plants despite Trump’s rescue order
One of President Trump’s campaign promises was that he was going to help the struggling coal industry in the U.S. Earlier this month Trump ordered a rescue of the nation’s coal sector and proposed to use emergency powers to force grid operators to buy power from struggling plants. However, his Read More...
One answer to the bee crisis: Turn everyone into backyard breeders
In Switzerland, two scientists have found a way to engage the public in the effort to preserve bees – and pollination. They’ve designed kits that allow people to set up homes for mason bees in gardens and on balconies. Five years after the launch of their start-up business, the concept has Read More...
Yosemite is spending $40 million to protect 1,800-year-old sequoias
Sequoia trees can live up to 3,000 years. Yosemite Park hosts many 1,800-year-old trees. When the park was created, the focus was first and foremost to show the magnificent trees to visitors. Now, Yosemite will invest $40 million to restore the natural habitat of the trees—replacing asphalt with Read More...
Coal plant waste helps build environmentally-friendly, cementless concrete
Concrete production is one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide emissions in the world, after transportation and energy. To make the ubiquitous building material more environmentally friendly, the industry has been adding by-products from coal-fired power plants, but doing so had its own Read More...