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.
How this initiative is helping us worm our way into a greener future
A Nottingham-based initiative called the Urban Worm Community Interest Company (UWC) is helping spur on an urban worm farming movement in the UK that will help the nation deal with waste while simultaneously providing high-grade fertilizer. So far, the enterprise has been granted 50,000 GBP from Read More...
Engineers develop hydrogen-powered eCargo bikes
In recent years, green hydrogen has been identified as an increasingly attractive clean energy source that could help accelerate our transition away from fossil fuels. And while we’ve seen hydrogen-powered trains, planes, and even boats, it seems like bikes have been left behind — that is, Read More...
The green living trends experts expect will dominate 2022
Green living and sustainability are at the forefront of many of our minds. This mentality is reflected in the droves of people who over the course of the many lockdowns have: pledged to be green-minded about their transportation options, choose more plant-based milk and food, and change their Read More...
Scientists use fungus to develop a sustainable alternative to egg whites
Because it contains a lot of protein, egg white powder is among the most common ingredients used in the food industry. Rearing the chickens necessary for sourcing those egg whites, however, has a significant environmental footprint. As demand for egg white powder is only expected to grow in the Read More...
This former quarry is now a vital habitat for endangered UK birds
About a third of the bird species inhabiting the British Isles are considered endangered. Among them is the secretive bittern, which was until 2015 on the UK’s Red list of most-threatened species. Today however, the thickset heron is among dozens of other endangered bird species whose population Read More...
This startup fights deforestation with tree-planting drones
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, our planet loses 70,000 square kilometers of forested area every year. Since trees play a key role in combating the effects of climate change, it’s always reassuring to come across innovative projects that aim to restore green areas around Read More...
Rare fossils found at ancient Australian site
In Australia a number of rare and fragile fossils have been recently excavated by paleontologists. This region in New South Wales was famously called the “dead heart of Australia” over 100 years ago, due to the numerous fossil sites of ancient species found all over the area. The results of Read More...
7 storage strategies for your leftover soup
When the winter cold is chilling you to the bone, there’s nothing more comforting than a tasty and nourishing soup. Yes, it’s soup season, and fortunately, most soup recipes yield quite large serving sizes, which means that you can have your soup now and store it away for an easy snack that Read More...
The Litterlotto app gamifies litter picking to trade trash for cash
Gamification is proving to be an effective strategy for mobilizing communities to build healthier, safer, and greener habits. We’ve shared stories about how gamification has been implemented to reduce traffic emissions, and how it’s being used to plant millions of real trees. Now, there’s Read More...
Floating communities can help us rise to the challenge of climate change
It’s no secret—climate change is already upon us, and we have no choice but to adapt to it if we want to survive. While some regions of the world combat increasingly dangerous wildfires or droughts, other places, like the Netherlands, must learn to live with worsening floods while dealing with Read More...