Today’s Solutions: January 16, 2025

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.

Citrus orange fruit on tree, California USA.

Saving America’s citrus fruits

Citrus Greening Disease Citrus Greening Disease, or Huanglongbing (HLB), is a life threatening plant disease that has already destroyed many of Florida's crops and is on its way to ruining California’s also. Asain citrus psyllids are the tiny culprits causing the disease by transmitting deadly Read More...

large wooden winter bird feeder visited by four red cardinals

All you need to know about winter bird feeders

As the planet warms, we are experiencing shifts in weather patterns that are downright bizarre. Even people who are fortunate enough to not have been directly hit by extreme natural events like catastrophic floods, droughts, or forest fires will still have to adjust in some way. For instance, Read More...

Family happily organizes pantry

Reduce home food waste part I: The pantry

Most of us have probably caught on by now: food waste is not a good thing for our wallets or our world. As reported by the National Resources Defense Council, the average American family of four chucks out $1,500 worth of food annually—but according to the experts, you can help improve this dire Read More...

Mexico’s tequila fish brough

Mexico’s tequila fish brought back from the brink of extinction

Mexico’s tiny tequila splitfin fish was once a common inhabitant in the country’s Teuchitlán river in the western part of the country. But due to the combined effects of water pollution, invasive fish species, and over-extraction of water resources, the small fish became extinct in the wild. Read More...

View from inside of fridge of dad and young daughter reaching inside for food

Reduce home food waste part II: The fridge

Food waste continues to be a huge problem all over the world. Luckily, according to the experts, you can help improve the global food waste situation in your own home with just a little bit of re-organization. Below, you’ll find organizational tips from nutrition experts and foodies that will Read More...

Fresh produce wrapped in plastic inside a plastic bag

French ban on plastic packaging for most fruit and veg comes into force

A few months ago, we wrote about France’s ambitious plan to phase out single-use plastic packaging. On January 1st, that ban went into effect, paving the way for more sustainable and ethical consumption habits among its citizens. As part of the ban, about 30 varieties of fruit and vegetables, Read More...

New York City skyline at dusk

New York City moves away from natural gas in new buildings

As cities scramble to meet their ambitious emissions reduction goals, local governments are increasingly looking to shift from fossil fuels to cleaner forms of energy. New York City, for example, has become the latest major city to ban the use of natural gas in new buildings, reports Reuters. As Read More...

Domesticated elephant eating green branches

These designers in Thailand are turning elephant dung into bricks

Here at The Optimist Daily, we’re always keen on celebrating the advent of circularity into different sectors of the economy. With that said, we would like to share with you a recent innovative circular solution that uses animal waste to help make the construction industry more Read More...

Here are 8 eco-friendly option

Here are 8 eco-friendly options for your New Year’s Resolutions

If you’re still struggling to figure out what to set as your resolution for the New Year, it may be worth considering a resolution that includes the wellbeing of the environment! In the past 50 years, humanity has more than doubled the consumption of natural resources, which will have (and Read More...

young woman talks cheerfully on the phone with a friend

6 ways to maintain mental health during unpredictability

It’s now 2022, and the world is still reeling from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The global crisis has taught us many lessons, one of them being the importance of resilience and maintaining our mental health, especially in exceptional circumstances. Here are six practices that will help you Read More...