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.
Can we fight climate change with trees and grass?
Can we use trees and other plants as a weapon in the fight against climate change? Earth's greenery comes with natural carbon-capturing abilities, but now several studies are investigating how to tweak those tendencies to have a maximum impact on carbon dioxide levels in the Read More...
You can eat this algae-based water bottle when you’re done with your drink
A plastic water bottle may take hundreds–or even thousands–of years to degrade in a landfill. A new conceptual design for a water bottle is at the opposite extreme: Immediately after you drink it, it starts to fall apart. And if you don’t want to throw the bottle away, you can eat it. The Read More...
The Reducetarian Solution could be the best way to health for people and planet
Eating less meat will curb climate change and will make us all healthier. But getting everyone to become a vegetarian is not realistic. That's why Brian Kateman, in a new book, proposes The Reducetarian Solution: It is possible to get people to reduce the amount of meat in their diet. Kateman Read More...
Coffee chains trial fully compostable cup
The company behind the cup, which uses a revolutionary type of 'bioplastic', describes it as a "world first". It says the plastic, which uses eucalyptus, means the cup can withstand heat better than other types of bioplastic. Yet within three months on a compost heap, both the cup and the lid break Read More...
Save money: Beat the summer heat by painting your roof white
The difference between a house that is unbearably hot and one that is substantially cool lies in the color of the roof. A flat roof in the midday sun receives about 1,000 watts of sunlight per square meter. A dark will absorb most of this energy, heating up the underlying building as well as the Read More...
Living in a holistic universe: Plants "hear" water, move roots toward the source
This story shows that we live in a more complex and connected world than most of us think and experience: Plants can "hear" water. According to researchers at The University of Western Australia, plants have the ability to sense sound vibrations from running water moving through pipes or in soil. Read More...
Whales keep carbon out of the atmosphere
Unlikely heroes could play a starring role in helping the Pacific islands meet their climate commitments: whales. Residents of the Pacific islands are keeping an anxious eye on the whales that populate their steadily warming waters. Many are concerned that climate change will take a toll on the Read More...
Microbes, new weapon against agricultural pests in Africa
Microscopic soil organisms could be an environmentally friendly way to control crop pests and diseases and even protect agriculture against the impacts of climate change, a leading researcher says. Africa is battling an outbreak of trans-boundary pests and diseases like the invasive South America Read More...
Farmers could lead the way on climate action. Here’s how.
President Trump, congressional Republicans, and most American farmers share common positions on climate change: They question the science showing human activity is altering the global climate and are skeptical of using public policy to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. But farmers are in a unique Read More...
Sweden presents: The shopping mall that only sells recycled, repaired goods
Sweden’s recycling is so revolutionary that the country is running out of trash. So this initiative shouldn’t surprise us: Sweden has recently opened the first shopping mall that only sells recycled, upcycled and repaired goods. The mall features 15 stores offering goods from home decor and Read More...