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.
This is how bacteria can help us recycle electric car batteries
Though electric vehicles (EVs) emit much fewer greenhouse gas emissions than cars that burn petrol or diesel, the rare metals needed for manufacturing their batteries are increasingly in short supply. Currently, the EU recycles less than five percent of EV batteries, and the most common technique Read More...
How one neighborhood used gamification to reduce traffic emissions
Green transportation methods like walking, biking, and taking public transportation reduces carbon emissions and improve air quality for residents, but encouraging people to choose these options over personal vehicles is a challenge. One neighborhood in London has finally cracked the code on green Read More...
“Regenerative Meat” — The meaning behind a new food label
If you’ve shopped for meat lately, you might have noticed that some packaging is sporting a new label: “regenerative meat.” Just like “grass-fed” or “antibiotic-free,” this sounds good, but what exactly does it mean, and what qualifications must a farm achieve to label its products as Read More...
Well-digging wild horses and donkeys provide an oasis for wildlife
Wild horses and donkeys roaming the American West tend to have an unfavorable reputation among some conservationists, who consider the species as detrimental to ecological balance because they’re not strictly native. This study, however, has found that these equines may be contributing to crucial Read More...
Beekeepers and airports join forces to save pollinators
Back in 2012, Ben Shertzer, wildlife administrator at Pittsburgh International Airport, found himself dealing with a perplexing problem: swarming bees. The bees would land on the winglets of an aircraft, which interrupts refueling and baggage loading, or they would obscure lights on the taxiways, Read More...
Paris set to transform Champs-Élysées into huge garden
The Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets in the world. In its heyday, it was a premier shopping destination and even called “the world’s most beautiful avenue.” Many top companies still fight for retail space along the street and it still offers stunning views of the Arc de Read More...
New carbon capture facility will remove 1m tons of CO2 from the air yearly
We have previously written about emerging carbon capture technologies and their potential to help us tackle climate change. Now, we’re thrilled to share with you a real breakthrough in our efforts to cut the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. Scotland is set to become home to Read More...
Technology reduces Chernobyl's radiation levels by 47%
Swiss company Exlterra (Excellence for Earth) in partnership with Ukrainian entity State Specialized Enterprise Ecocenter (SSE Ecocenter) has successfully reduced radiation in the soil and air in the Chernobyl exclusions zone thanks to a new technology called Nucleus Separation Passive System Read More...
NASA technology offers full picture of regenerative agriculture benefits
As you are probably well aware by now, most current agricultural practices have a hugely detrimental effect on the environment, leading to the degradation of swathes of land across the world which would otherwise serve as a tool against climate change. The good news though, is that farmers around Read More...
3 Ways to help hummingbirds survive the winter months
Hummingbirds are genetically programmed to migrate to warmer climates during the winter months, which means that if you live in a colder climate, your hummingbird feeder may not get many visitors. With that said, if there are any stragglers or early arrivals in your area, keeping a hummingbird Read More...