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.
Plastic or real? Which Christmas tree is the most environmentally friendly option
Is it more sustainable to buy a natural tree every year from a local store, or pick up an artificial one that requires very little maintenance and can be used over and over? The answer lies in the specific tree you opt for. Producing and shipping fake trees across the world causes emissions, Read More...
Healthy buildings make you smarter—and sleep better, research shows
We are familiar with the sick building syndrome. So it shouldn’t surprise us that it works the other way around as well: People working in green buildings think better in the office and sleep better when they get home. Improved light, ventilation and heat control can boost workers’ productivity Read More...
The developing world can make a lot of money with toilets
Many people in developing countries don’t have access to toilets connected to sewer systems. That’s a problem from a sanitation perspective. It’s also an enormous opportunity. Human “waste” provides an economic opportunity as well. Pee and poo can be turned into energy and new Read More...
The future of agriculture is drip irrigation
Irrigation is terrible for the planet, requiring great quantities of water while increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Drip irrigation, a farming practice that provides a plant with whatever it needs at just the right time, provides an excellent solution. Through plastic ‘drip lines’ that lie Read More...
China is implementing ban on ivory trade, closing factories
In a move that conservationists are calling the “single greatest measure” in the fight to save elephants from poaching, China is finally getting set to close its ivory carving factories. China has the world’s largest market for ivory. Now the government is closing down commercial sales for Read More...
Why California is set to be America's champion of climate action, despite Trump
While Donald Trump has plans to dismantle many of America’s climate change policies, California is set to go the complete opposite direction. Democrats in the Golden State, which has the world's sixth largest economy, recently won a supermajority in the State Senate, meaning it has more than Read More...
Did you know plants can learn from experience?
New research has found that plants, much like a growing child, have the ability to learn from experience. Plants may lack brains and neural tissues, but what they do possess, is a sophisticated calcium-based signaling network in their cells similar to animals’ memory processes. It allows plants Read More...
These 11 cities are showing the world what it means to fight climate change
While governments are struggling with carbon emissions strategies and international treaties, the fight against climate change is led by cities. Here are 11 cities around the world that are showcasing what can be done against global Read More...
Banks can stop deforestation and some are already doing so
Forests do wonders for the Earth, absorbing and storing harmful greenhouse gas that would otherwise end up in the atmosphere. Yet, deforestation is rampant in many places. Four leading financial institutions are now planning to divest from industries that cut down forests. That should be a call to Read More...
This waste basket knows when you are cheating on recycling
Technology can help stimulate the right behavior. This waste basket lets you monitor the state of your thrash from your phone and compete with others on a recycling leaderboard. The makers of the Qube, which is seeking €240,000 on Kickstarter, explain that the device has several compartments, a Read More...