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.
Fish talk: study confirms that most fish use sound to communicate
While sound may not be the first thing to come to mind when we think of fish, it is actually a key element of communication for the vast majority of fish species. That is according to scientists at Cornell University, who have recently discovered that about two-thirds of all fish species in the Read More...
Better air quality during initial lockdowns saved hundreds of lives
New research suggests that more than 800 lives may have been saved across Europe due to improved air quality during the initial Covid lockdowns. Transportation restrictions meant that there were far fewer cars and transport trucks on the roads, which made the most impact on air quality according Read More...
Fake poop helps tiny endangered owls find new homes
Following decades of human encroachment into California’s grasslands, the once common Western Burrowing Owl is now considered endangered. In an effort to protect the tiny birds from new building developments in US regions like Silicon Valley, local conservationists have been trying for years to Read More...
Over 500 acres of California's redwood forests returned to Native tribes
On the West Coast of the US, there are 523 acres of forest that used to be home to many more ancient redwoods than what we are left with today. Scattered stumps throughout the region are sad reminders of the majestic trees that once grew there—but luckily, there are still 200 acres that are dense Read More...
Meet Jonathan, the world's oldest tortoise
At The Optimist Daily we love telling you about incredible happenings from around the world, both human and animal focussed. At the start of 2022, we reported on one of these remarkable events, when the world’s oldest person turned 119. This time, the story is similar but in another organism, Read More...
How a Karachi resident turned a neglected park into an urban oasis
Hot weather is nothing new to people living in Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city, where heatwaves can sometimes bring life-threatening temperatures of 44˚C upon its population of 15 million. But while the shade is in high demand in this concrete jungle, greenery is rather scarce. In light of Read More...
Restaurant messaging can help consumers choose plant-based meals
Most people will agree (regardless of their personal diets) that on the whole, the livestock and meat production industry is certainly not climate-friendly. The food industry alone accounts for more than a third of the world’s total annual planet-heating emissions, and a big chunk of that comes Read More...
Tel-Aviv could soon follow Amsterdam in adopting Doughnut Economics
In April 2020, we wrote about Amsterdam’s decision to implement a new economic model that seeks to meet the core needs of all humanity within the means of the planet. Now, a forum dedicated to advancing the adoption of this concept across the world was launched in Israel last week. The concept Read More...
Scientists use wood waste and water to create sustainable disinfectant
While the use of disinfectants has already been a regular thing for many people when cleaning their homes, the pandemic has called for unprecedented sanitization of our close surroundings. While good at their job, some disinfectants, such as chlorine-based ones, are actually environmentally Read More...
Brighton passes buzz-worthy law requiring bee bricks
The city of Brighton and Hove in England have introduced a new planning law worth buzzing about—the law requires new buildings to include special bricks that have little nests for solitary bees. The Brighton & Hove Council’s policy specifies that all new buildings over five meters tall Read More...