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 laundry bag prevents microfibers polluting the food chain
Pollution from plastic fibers may be “the biggest environmental problem you’ve never heard of.” The fibers end up in the oceans disrupting marine life. This bag contains synthetic clothing within a mesh bag that lets in soapy water while trapping any plastic fibers that are loosened during Read More...
El Salvador becomes first country to pass total ban on metals mining
After a decades-long fight by environmental activists, El Salvador has become the first nation in the world to completely ban the mining of gold and other metals. Toxic chemicals and heavy metals pollute an estimated 90 percent of surface waters in the country. Several Latin American countries have Read More...
Meet the nine-year-old girl who is suing the Indian Government over climate change
A nine-year-old girl has filed a court case against the Indian Government for failing to take ambitious action to tackle climate change. Ridhima Pandey’s lawyer told The Independent she was a “compassionate child” who wanted her Government to help protect the planet for future Read More...
Meet the woman who's cleaning up the fashion industry
Fashion is the second dirtiest industry in the world, causing widespread pollution and subsequent health problems in Asia, where most clothing production takes place. Innovator Rebecca Burges witnessed the harmful effects of the fashion industry firsthand when she was working in villages in Asia, Read More...
Defying Trump California plans to set stricter emissions standards for cars
When it comes to setting emissions standards California has long led the world. And California's market is too big and too important: No car company can afford to ignore the standards set in the sixth largest economy in the world. Despite a new administration in Washington determined to relax the Read More...
‘Moore’s law’ for carbon would defeat global warming
According to "Moore’s law" innovation doubles the number of transistors on a computer chip about every two years. The law has held true for 50 years. Researchers say a similar "law" of exponential growth can already be seen in clean energy, which is why they are proposing a new “carbon law a la Read More...
Cell phones in Amazon trees alert rangers to illegal logging and record wildlife
A newly funded application which makes use of solar-powered cell phones placed high in jungle canopies now helps park rangers — and regular citizens — join the fight in saving Amazonian rainforests. Dubbed the Rainforest Connection, the app uses phones hidden in trees throughout the Read More...
New Toyota Mirai billboards in California help clear the air
Toyota took zero-emission motoring to the next level with its Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle, which is currently available only in California. The Mirai, which needs hydrogen fuel to power its electric motor, emits nothing but water vapor. The FCV will be featured on a new billboard (nothing new Read More...
New cleanup technology burns oil spills while minimizing water and air pollution
Science News from research organizations Source: Worcester Polytechnic Institute Summary: Tests of a novel technology that can accelerate the combustion of crude oil floating on water demonstrated its potential to become an effective tool for minimizing the environmental impact of oil spills. The Read More...
Ancient Egyptian irrigation technique protects plants against drought
In ancient times North-Africans buried clay pots to water the roots of their plants. An Egyptian company has modernized this ancestral technique to create a cheap and effective larger irrigation Read More...