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.
Idaho mountains declared federal wilderness after decades-long bid
The Boulder-White Clouds Mountains in Central Idaho are a scenic landscape of soaring mountain peaks, lush forests and pristine lakes and rivers. 275,000 acres of this public land is now a federally protected wilderness area, which means it will remain open to recreation and closed to Read More...
Lions are back in Rwanda for the first time after the country's genocide
After a trophy hunter killed Cecil, Zimbabwe's most popular lion, earlier this summer, good news about lions in Africa seems scarce these days. But we've got an upbeat story. While the population of wild lions on the continent is in drastic decline—from an estimated 200,000 a century ago to some Read More...
Innovation is blooming at water-wise urban farms
As California moves through its fourth summer of drought, cutting back on water use means shorter showers, fuller dishwashers and drier lawns for most people living in urban areas. But for small farms nestled between city streets, saving water means recycling it — and finding new ways to keep Read More...
Something's Fishy In Brooklyn: Verticulture Wants To Raise Tilapia On A Rooftop Near You
Imagine you’re buying fish for dinner. You choose a tilapia that’s so fresh it was swimming around that same day – on a rooftop in your own neighborhood. And the herbs and veggies you purchase to cook with it came from that same rooftop farm, also within hours of harvest. Read More...
We can learn from the fish how to protect our skin against the sun
There's still so much we can learn from nature. And that's exactly what a lot of smart people in the research field of biomimicry are doing. Now, researchers have found a way to make a natural sunscreen, by looking at fish slime. They were able to isolate molecules found in algae and the mucus Read More...
SolarCity, Tesla roll out batteries that store sun’s energy for nighttime
SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive thinks today’s rooftop solar energy systems will be out of date within five years. Not because the systems won’t still be generating electricity. They will. And not because Rive thinks solar power will fall out of favor. He doesn’t. Instead, Rive predicts that the Read More...
Scotland to ban GM crop growing
Scotland is to ban the growing of genetically modified crops, the country's rural affairs secretary has announced. Richard Lochhead said the Scottish government was not prepared to "gamble" with the future of Scotland's £14bn food and drink sector. He is to request that Scotland be excluded Read More...
Nigeria's Wecyclers, the Lagos-based recycling start-up, wins $55,000 from Steve Case Foundation
Wecyclers, a start-up that helps low-income communities exchange their recyclable waste for cash and other rewards, has won $55,000 from a foundation run by AOL co-founder Steve Case. The young company won the award at the #PitchForLagos event during Lagos Start-Up week event where it was was up Read More...
California Air Resources Board Head: All New Cars Should Be Zero-Emission In 2030
Among U.S. states, California is by far the most enthusiastic when it comes to electric cars. And that's largely due to regulations overseen by the state's Air Resources Board. But Mary Nichols--the chair of this agency since 2007--isn't satisfied with having just a few electric cars on California Read More...
Tesla bucks industry in seeking tougher emissions rules
A Tesla executive said the company’s goal is to create a mass market for electric vehicles, “where 100% of the transportation in the U.S. and the world is electric.” Above, a sedan is charged in Germany. A Tesla executive said the company’s goal is to create a mass market for electric Read More...