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.
Coal use in China falls
This is a statistic we really want to see going down. Being outside in some of China’s polluted cities can be worse for your health than smoking cigarettes. The main contributor to China’s notorious pollution is the incessant burning of coal. Coal is also a major contributor to the fast-rising Read More...
Saving butterflies with social media
Conservationists are beginning to realize the benefits of using tech to help restore nature, and some projects could use your help. The app Monarch mines data using social media and algorithms to track the migratory patterns of monarch butterflies—anyone interested in saving butterflies can help. Read More...
Alternative source for natural rubber is environmentally sustainable
Most of the rubbers we use now, like in rubber bands or car tires are made synthetically. But large vehicles, like airplanes and trucks, require tires made from a natural source, and until now that has been one type of tree that doesn’t scale or farm well. A new process to make natural rubber Read More...
Clean energy sector gets capital injection
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a $68 million investment in 540 green energy projects across the country. This report comes on the heels of President Obama’s proposed new approach to combat climate change, and was announced right before the start of the UN Climate Summit in New Read More...
Society benefits from carbon offsetting
Offsetting CO2 emissions can have social benefits. Researchers discovered that for every metric ton of carbon a business offsets, the community saves an average of $664 on things like environmental conservation, infrastructure production, and benefits for those below the poverty line. This study Read More...
Ozone on track to make full recovery
Remember the hole in the ozone layer? Well, it has officially stopped growing. Was it getting bigger? Yes, although not by much anymore. A UN study released this week reported that the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica is no longer getting bigger, and should start shrinking within the next 10 Read More...
Hyatt hotels will go green by 2020
On the heels of reports that food manufacturers are cleaning up supply chains to help combat global warming, Hyatt Hotels has recently announced plans to make hotels more efficient by 2020. Starting next year all new full-service hotels and renovations of Hyatt hotels will have to comply with Read More...
Six stepts to end global water scarcity
According to the United Nations, water scarcity is among the main problems to be faced by many societies this century. Although there is plenty of water on this planet, an increasing number of regions are chronically short of clean water—and that’s a frightening thought. But like always, smart Read More...
Earth has higher terrestrial plant capacity than previously believed
Our planet can grow more plant life than previous calculations have predicted—but with a little help from humans. Researchers re-analyzed data that calculated the theoretical biomass limit, but this time took into account human intervention. As it turns out few plants in the natural world Read More...
Air is safest to breathe in more than 20 years
Contrary to what many people may think, the air quality in cities across the US has been getting better for many years. Since 1990 mercury released from human sources is down 60 percent, benzene—a toxic greenhouse gas—is down 66 percent, and lead pollution which impacts brain development has Read More...