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.
The environmentally friendly, flying ships of the future
These days, electric cars, bikes, scooters, trams, and trains are common modes of transport. However, one mode of transport which hasn’t got the electric memo is ferries, which are still almost exclusively powered by fossil fuels. The problematic factor here is battery capacity, which cannot last Read More...
This beautiful eco-school protects students from harsh desert heat
In the north-western Indian city of Jaisalmer, female literacy ranks below 40 percent. The staff at a new, sustainable school located in the nearby Thar desert, aims to change that. Students in the region often have to brave scorching temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) to Read More...
“Digital twin” of Ithaca, NY helps to plot climate ambitions
In 2019, Ithaca, New York was the first US city to resolve to eliminate or offset all carbon emissions by 2030. The college town allocated $100 million to fund the effort, but they still needed a plan of how to decarbonize all its buildings. Two architectural professors from Cornell University Read More...
This doggy-bag law in Spain intends to curb food waste
Did you know that in Spain, it’s not a common practice to take home uneaten food from a restaurant? According to news site The Local, “Spain isn’t a country with a longstanding tradition of leftover restaurant food going in doggy bags, perhaps as a combination of it not being part of the Read More...
"Ugly" reef fish need our help
Pretty privilege is not just a bias humans hold within our own species. According to a machine-learning study from the University of Montpellier, reef fish that people perceive as more beautiful are a higher priority for conservation support. In the study, 13,000 members of the public were asked Read More...
This “superworm” eats and degrades plastics
Researchers from the University of Queensland have discovered that thanks to a bacterial enzyme in their gut the Zophobas morio “superworm” can eat through polystyrene plastic. This is the main compound of Styrofoam. Over a three-week period, the research team fed these “superworms” Read More...
Volcanic musical dynamics could help predict eruptions
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano dramatically erupted in 2018, causing earthquakes, ash plumes, and lava flows that demolished over 700 homes on the island. This was one of the worst eruptions the U.S. had seen since Mount St. Helens and unfortunately there was no credible model to turn to to help Read More...
Researchers study animal evolution to advance women’s health
Researchers find that studying the evolution of certain female animals can offer invaluable insight into women’s health and possible treatments. As if we needed another reason to preserve the environment, the habitats and adaptations of giraffes, sharks, and bears could offer clues on how to Read More...
Researchers teach otters to problem-solve in groups
Researchers from the University of Exeter examined the behavior of otters to see if they could learn to hunt and forage on their own once they were released into the wild. They did this using puzzle boxes filled with food. Problem-solving for food Looking at Asian short-clawed otters, Read More...
EU votes to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars starting 2035
The European Union’s goal is to slash 55 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reduce carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles by 100 percent by 2035. As part of this ambition, the European Parliament has voted to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars starting in 2035. This vote Read More...