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.
Blockchain technology can be used to support sustainable fishing
Illegal fishing endangers many fish species. But fishing is notoriously hard to track and control. However, the blockchain technology first used to power the currency Bitcoin, has now been tested to track fish from trawler to the supermarket in a breakthrough that could help stop human rights Read More...
Conservation efforts help many humpback whale populations make a comeback
Humpback whales have made an epic return after being hunted to the brink of extinction in several areas.Most of world’s humpback populations have finally been removed from the endangered species list, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Tuesday. NOAA Fisheries said Read More...
New York water conservation project to 'enthrone' oysters with recycling
In one of the more unusual water conservation initiatives in recent memory, New York City and its Department of Environmental Protection plan to install one gigantic oyster bed along with four smaller satellite beds made partly of crushed toilets. Yes, those thrones. Oysters are well known for Read More...
Nespresso launches mail-in disposal service in hope of curbing coffee pod waste
The incredibly popular Nespresso coffee pods make brewing your favorite caffeinated beverage a breeze, but the problem with these pods are that they are too small for most recycling services to process, which means they often end up in landfills. That’s why Nespresso has launched programs in the Read More...
Companies are recycling baby diapers into insulation, compost and more
The U.K throws away approximately 3 bn disposable diapers each year. And what’s more horrible than the stench is that it can take hundreds of years for each diaper to degrade, which is why companies are developing ways of converting used diapers into pet litter, insulation and compost. One Read More...
Can video games clean up the environment and save the planet?
Can videogames trigger real-world change? Pokémon Go has inspired people to rescue abandoned animals, thwart would-be robbers and pick up thrash. If virtual reality gaming can lead to such unintended payoffs, imagine the result if social change was built into the game. That’s what a new Read More...
The comeback of the giant panda; no longer endangered, global experts declare
For years, giant pandas were the symbol of the sad state of the natural environment of the planet. But now, experts say that they have been brought back from the brink of extinction largely due to Chinese conservation efforts. The success is due to Chinese efforts to recreate and repopulate bamboo Read More...
Barangaroo: Sydney's largest urban renewal project aims to recycle more water than it uses
Sun, sea and sand might be among Australia’s finest selling points but this combination comes at a cost, given the country is also the driest inhabited continent in the world. With a drop in average annual rainfall in recent years, ominous climate change projections and an ever-increasing Read More...
Dubai to build a rainforest inside a hotel
Just when we thought the world's largest indoor theme park was hard to top, Dubai proves us wrong yet again. Its latest jaw-dropping megaproject is a tropical rainforest in a skyscraper hotel -- another world-first for the emirate. The 7,000-square-meter rainforest will be part of the upcoming Read More...
U.K set to ban microbeads from cosmetics
Highly touted by beauty companies as the best way to exfoliate, microbeads are actually a bane to the environment. Microbeads are very small pieces of plastic put in products such as facial scrubs and makeup, and when they are washed down the drain, they end up in the oceans only to be eaten by Read More...