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 device can collect 20,000 plastic bottles from the ocean each year
In 2015, a duo of Australian surfers developed a device that can clean waterways on its own. It works by sucking in various kinds of pollution (including oil) and spitting out clean water. Now, nearly two years after unveiling the device and creating a crowdfunding campaign, the surfers have Read More...
Plastic bottle deposit return scheme could save England's councils 35m a year
Councils across England could save up to £35m every year if the government introduces a deposit return scheme [DRS] for plastic bottles and other drinks containers, according to a new Read More...
From fluffy pillows to concrete: The uses of captured CO2
Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are contributing to global warming, so could technologies removing some of the gas from the atmosphere help slow the process? When you tuck yourself into bed tonight - curling up on your memory foam mattress and fluffy pillows - consider this: you could be helping to Read More...
Meet the man leading the fight to protect animals from extinction
“Chip is much more popular than me everywhere we go,” Chris Darwin says, jovially co-operating by posing for photos with the toy bald eagle he carries on his shoulder. “I nicked him from my children’s bedroom and he gets lots of Read More...
The eco guide to disposing of litter
Litter brings out an urge in me to ban everything. Under my regime, straws would be Read More...
Drones support wildlife research in the Arctic
Increasingly, drones are being used to study wildlife and the environment in places that are not easily accessible. These efforts help scientists better understand behavior patterns and the impact of global warming. And that helps conservation Read More...
Norway wants to bury other countries’ carbon emissions—in their own backyard
Norway’s wealth was built on mostly pumping fossil fuels out of the ground. In fact, one of Norway’s sovereign wealth funds is also known as the “Oil Read More...
The shirt of the future will be made by methane-eating bacteria
Instead of using ancient fossil carbons to make materials, a startup wants to utilize the greenhouse gas methane to create a new model of garment production. To do this, the startup is feeding waste methane to a certain type of bacteria that eats it and produces biodegradable bio-polyester fibers. Read More...
Scottish government bans fracking after public opposition
The Scottish government has banned fracking after a consultation found overwhelming public opposition and little economic justification for the industry. Paul Wheelhouse, the Scottish energy minister, told MSPs that allowing fracking would undermine the government’s ambitions to deeply cut Read More...
Paris bans cars for a day and sees the smog go away
On Sunday, the city of Paris looked entirely different. Instead of being clogged with cars as Paris usually is, the city streets were filled with pedestrians, bikers, and the occasional roller skater. Paris successfully held a Car Free Day in 2015 and 2016, but this was the first time the city Read More...