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.
80 endangered spotted tree frogs return to the Australian wild
While it might not seem like much because of its size, the spotted tree frog is a critical species for the biodiversity of its Australian habitats. Of the almost 300 of these endangered frogs released into the wild, only about 10 survived the wildfires of 2019 and 2020. This was disheartening, to Read More...
Neon-orange wildflower rediscovered in Ecuador after presumed extinct
Over 97 percent of forests in the western half of Ecuador have been turned into farmland over the last decades. This extensive deforestation led to the extinction of multiple species of flora, leading conservationists to think that those plants are gone for good. A recent expedition, however, has Read More...
Welcome spring with a stroll through these public gardens
Shake off the winter blues by visiting these gorgeous gardens. Just remember to check the garden for updates on new protocols such as schedules, open areas, mask requirements, and reservations. New York Botanical Garden Check out this garden for an impressive display of snowdrops, and early Read More...
Want to slow climate change? Consider making your home all electric
Despite the alarming reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, experts still think that if we pull together and act quickly to use energy more efficiently, slow deforestation, and make a rapid shift to renewables, we can still cut global greenhouse gas emissions in half by Read More...
Carbon-cutting, high-speed train could run from So-Cal to Vegas
Understandably, there’s a particularly high commuter rate going from Southern California to Las Vegas. While people come from all over the world to party in Las Vegas, those coming from So-Cal have regular flights and even create notable traffic jams on their way, creating an unnecessary amount Read More...
Attention eco-minded parents! These baby shoes are 100% dissolvable
As many parents will tell you, when you have a baby, it can be difficult to be sustainable every step of the way, especially since babies outgrow their clothing so quickly. Well, eco-friendly children’s shoe brand Woolybubs has come up with an ingenious solution to shrink the environmental Read More...
ReTreePC: Reinvigorating the community and the canopy in Panama City
At The Optimist Daily, as you’ve probably guessed, we love solutions for urban green spaces. We’ve written quite a bit about these, with their ability to offset carbon emissions, help grow food, and help animals and humans cohabitate. We can’t get enough of it! Another aspect of urban green Read More...
Want more nesting birds in your garden during spring? Follow these 5 tips
The warmth of spring and summer, also brings along with it the company of local and migrating birds. To simultaneously maximize your chances of viewing these beautiful creatures while supporting them and your garden’s ecosystem during this period, here's five gardening tips to follow. Ensure Read More...
Food forests and regenerative agriculture
Feeding an urban population in ever-growing cities around the world is a big challenge. The growth of these concrete jungles can lead to food deserts: areas of urban land that have insufficient access to grocery stores. Supermarkets in some urban areas can’t meet the needs of a growing Read More...
New York City makes plans to become “spongier”
Cities evolve. They expand to accommodate growing populations. They alter their infrastructure for new technologies, such as automobiles and trolleys. Today, we even see cities like London, Paris, and Berlin moving traffic away from their city centers, and some are making changes to become sponge Read More...