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.
Six tips to transform your garden into a child-friendly space
Having a family garden is a wonderful tool to teach kids the importance of eating sustainably as well as how to be responsible for another living being—but sometimes kids and plants don’t mix well. We at The Optimist Daily have previously written about how to make your garden pet-friendly. Read More...
This solar-coated high-rise is self-sustaining
A high-rise office building in Melbourne, Australia, boasts a solar facade made up of 1,182 solar panels which, together with additional rooftop solar, sustain the building with renewable power. Helping others by helping itself “The building is designed to be self-sustainable,” says Pete Read More...
Paris protestors save trees around the Eiffel Tower
Environmental activists defending more than 40 trees surrounding the Eiffel Tower in Paris celebrate a tree-umphant win after weeks of protest. The city of Paris planned to clear the area around the iconic tower on the Champ-de-Mars to make the tower more accessible and the area around it Read More...
4 policy strategies to reduce the environmental cost of meat
Many food systems have a detrimental effect on the environment, especially when it comes to the cattle industry. Cheap meat does not reflect its true price when it comes to its negative cost to our planet. So how can we bring meat products up to their true cost without hurting the pockets of the Read More...
Insect informants—Bees help Italy’s Carabinieri police force fight pollution
Italy’s special police force, the Carabinieri, is known for handling high-profile criminals such as the mafia. However, they also are charged with the important responsibility of protecting local forests and the surrounding environment. To do so, the Carabinieri has worked closely with an Read More...
Baltimore aims to expand public internet access with city-owned network
State and local governments are coming to appreciate the internet for what it is: an essential utility. With much of the workforce working from home and children going to school online, reliable internet is vital for workers in all sectors of the economy. In the wake of successful programs Read More...
The Ivory Coast is building a wall to protect nature reserve from pollution
The world’s second-biggest urban park is located in the city of Abidjan on the Ivory Coast. Though the Banco National Park provides valuable ecosystem services to the city, the park has been suffering from pollution and illegal tree felling in recent years. In a bid to help protect the natural Read More...
US pushes through solar panel imports while helping boost production
A tariff investigation by the Commerce Department has stalled the expansion of the United States solar industry. This was a look into whether or not Chinese solar manufacturers were improperly funneling parts through other Asian countries. Determined to meet its clean energy and climate goals, Read More...
University of Illinois students build solar charging station for food truck and other EVs
Students at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) have demonstrated once again the ingenuity and motivation of today’s youth to meet the challenges of climate change. The team built a solar-powered charging station so that an on-campus food truck can make emission-free deliveries. The Read More...
This device helps farmers raise happier, healthier cows
Dairy farmers have a regular problem when it comes to testing their cows’ health and the quality of their milk. They have to ship milk samples to labs for each cow and wait on the results. Two MIT alumni aim to help with their new device which gives the same results in 10 minutes. Testing Read More...