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.
Reforesting US topsoils stores massive amounts of carbon,
Forests across the United States—and especially forest soils—store massive amounts of carbon, offsetting about 10 percent of the country's annual greenhouse gas emissions and helping to mitigate climate Read More...
Forget about recycling, we need to start re-using
With China banning all types of recyclable containers, it’s time for us to take a new path in the use of containers. In fact the word recycle could be replaced with the word reuse and to take our possible change of thinking further, let’s add the word zero to waste so we always refer to zero Read More...
Britain and Europe must ban palm oil in biofuel to save forests, EU parliament told
If Britain and other European nations are to fulfil forest protection goals, they must ban the use of palm oil for biofuel and tighten oversight of supply chains, a delegation of forest peoples told parliamentarians this week. The call for urgent, concrete action comes amid an increasingly heated Read More...
According to big data, the urban farming revolution is getting started
Using Google’s Earth Engine software, as well as population, meteorological, and other data sets, researchers determined that urban agriculture could produce as much as 180 million metric tons of food a year if fully implemented in cities around the world. This is about 10 percent of the global Read More...
Scientists are finally realizing how important giant bats are for the durian
Depending on who you ask, the durian is either the best or worst food on the planet. Recently, researchers found out that this strange piece of fruit, which is a delicacy in Malaysia, relies on healthy populations of flying fox for survival. As it turns out, the flying fox is the unlikely Read More...
Adding crushed rocks to croplands helps capture CO2 and boost food security
A new study has found that farming crops with crushed rocks could capture CO2 and give increased protection from pests. The scientists also found that crushed silicate rocks help to restore soil structure and fertility. As we look for new solutions to help reduce emissions and improve food Read More...
Problem-solving could be key to grey squirrels' success, study finds
The ability to solve problems may explain why grey squirrels are thriving at the expense of native red ones in the UK, research suggests. Wild greys and reds were presented with an easy task (opening a transparent lid) and a difficult version (a more complex process of pushing and pulling levers) Read More...
Translucent ‘hugging’ towers could help clean Hong Kong’s air pollution
Architect Suraksha Acharya from Midori Architects has proposed a pair of ultra-green translucent towers for the Hong Kong skyline. The futuristic Aero Hive skyscrapers are clad in an organic facade interspersed with greenery that leads up to the towers’ expansive open-air rooftop gardens. The Read More...
China is placing a ban on fishing in the Yellow River starting this year
Illegal fishing is rampant on the Yellow River, the second largest river in China. That’s why the Chinese government will ban fishing in the Yellow River between April 1 and June 30 every year starting this year. The ban aims to protect aquatic organisms in the river as excessive fishing Read More...
Quebec places new restrictions on pesticides in bid to protect honeybees
Quebec is introducing new restrictions on pesticides considered harmful to honeybees. Under the changes, farmers will have to get permission from a certified agronomist before using certain pesticides on crops. The restricted pesticides include three types of neonicotinoids, as well as Read More...