Sustainable Urban Development
With cities expected to host about 70 percent of the world's population, sustainable urban development is key to making communities worldwide more resilient against the growing threat of climate change. Find out about the latest urban practices from across the world aiming to make our cities more sustainable and inclusive in these good-news stories from The Optimist Daily.
Air pollution down 40%: a look at a pedestrianized Paris
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Paris will seem very different from how it did ten years ago when the Summer Olympics roll around this summer. Since 2014, Mayor Anne Hidalgo has led a substantial makeover in Paris aimed at reducing vehicle dependence and encouraging greener urban living. Read More...
How greenhouse-grown cotton can transform the denim industry
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The fashion industry has long struggled to source cotton in a sustainable way. While Patagonia, Citizens of Humanity, and Christy Dawn have embraced regenerative agriculture, Dutch denim company G-Star Raw is looking into a new alternative: greenhouse-grown Read More...
Shasta Tribe finally reclaims ancestral lands long buried by Klamath River Reservoir
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In a historic effort, the Shasta Indian Nation stands to regain nearly 2,800 acres of ancestral grounds buried by the Copco I dam on the Klamath River. This important return coincides with California Governor Gavin Newsom's apology to the state's tribes, Read More...
Alberta shuts down its last coal plant, ushering in a new energy era
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL STAFF Alberta reached a historic milestone by closing its last specialized coal plant. On Sunday, June 16th at 10:57 p.m., Capital Power's Genesee 2 facility shut down, marking the end of the province's coal era. According to the Alberta Electric System Operator Read More...
Big Oil to pay for climate change damages in Vermont
Vermont became the first state in the United States to enact legislation mandating fossil fuel companies to pay for climate change-related losses. This unprecedented legislation comes after a string of disastrous weather disasters, including severe floods last summer, that wreaked havoc on the Read More...
Creative cement recycling breakthrough promises to slash emissions
University of Cambridge scientists identified a new way for recycling cement from demolished concrete buildings, which might reduce emissions from one of the world's most polluting industries. Cement, the cornerstone of contemporary construction, accounts for a considerable share of worldwide CO2 Read More...
4 tips for everyday eco-friendly living
In the face of climate change, many people question the importance of individual actions in ensuring a sustainable future. While institutional change is necessary, environmentalist and author Heather White emphasizes the importance of individual choices. White states that "Individual action drives Read More...
How switching out timber for hemp can revamp sustainable low-carbon construction
In the search for sustainable building materials, hemp appears as a strong candidate, providing numerous environmental benefits. Similar to timber, hemp is a biogenic material, cultivated from plants. What distinguishes hemp is its amazing growth rate, which can reach up to four meters in four Read More...
Solutions are brewing! Recycled beer yeast surprising solution for water pollution
Breweries are well-known for producing wonderful beer, but what if their waste could also be used to combat water pollution? Recent MIT research reveals an innovative way in which recycled beer yeast can help remove hazardous lead from water, providing a sustainable and cost-effective Read More...
Volcanic ash may be a game changer in sustainable solar energy storage solutions
When calamity hits and volcanic ash blankets the land, it is commonly perceived negatively, for many obvious reasons. However, novel research from the University of Barcelona demonstrates that this seemingly gloomy substance has enormous promise as an energy storage medium, providing a Read More...