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408 results for "biodiversity"
This map app helps pedestrians in Barcelona stay cool on the shadiest routes
A new app launched in Barcelona is helping the city’s residents deal with scorching temperatures this summer by finding the shadiest and coolest routes for pedestrians. The pedestrian routing app, called Cool Walks, was first developed at a data visualization contest. Its purpose is to show Read More...
Bee-friendly wildflower meadows are blooming across Germany’s biggest cities
Germany is home to about 580 wild bee species, most of which have their habitat in urban areas. More than half of these species are endangered or on the brink of extinction. The increased use of insecticides, exposure to noxious exhaust fumes, and above all a loss of diverse habitats, are the main Read More...
Drones help protect biodiversity on Galápagos Islands by ridding them of rats
The biodiversity of Seymour Norte and Mosquera, two Galápagos Islands, has been threatened for generations by a commonly abhorred pest: rats. Two rat species (the black rat and the Norweigan rat) have disrupted the ecosystems on the islands of Seymour Norte and Mosquera since they arrived on Read More...
This Chicago project raises the bar for sustainable urban development
With city populations expected to increase dramatically in the coming decades, it is essential that we take up a model for low-carbon development that promotes a thriving and sustainable future for urban communities. A recent development proposal in downtown Chicago is the embodiment of such a Read More...
Ships that release alkalinizing agents might just save the Great Barrier Reef
We at The Optimist Daily are always interested in new and innovative ideas to help save our oceans. The ever-increasing quantity of carbon dioxide emissions present in the atmosphere is making our oceans warmer and more acidic which in turn degrades coral reefs and threatens marine Read More...
New UN climate program aims to restore the planet’s ecosystems by 2030
According to a recent UN-backed study, the world must triple its investments in nature-based solutions by 2030 in order to successfully tackle the triple threat of climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation. In an effort to support action geared towards achieving that ambitious Read More...
This artificial island will protect Copenhagen from sea level rise
Like hundreds of other coastal cities across the world, Copenhagen is vulnerable to climate change-induced sea-level rise that is significantly increasing the city’s risk of flooding during storms. In a bid to protect its capital, the Danish government is now preparing plans for a huge project: Read More...
Scientists extract carbon dioxide from the ocean by turning it to rock
Human-induced climate change is one of the most prevalent threats we are facing as a species, and to combat this, we must change our way of living and innovate new solutions to temper the damage that has already been done. For instance, carbon emissions in the atmosphere need to be reduced at a Read More...
These beautiful underwater sculptures serve to support marine life
Sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor has recently erected an underwater ecomuseum near Saint-Marguerite Island, off the coast of Cannes in France. The exhibit displays six mask-like sculptures made of PH neutral materials and features textured surfaces to encourage marine life to return to the area. Read More...
Update: Holland's fish doorbell is a worldwide hit!
A couple of months ago, we wrote about a remarkable online “fish doorbell” or visdeurbel that allows spawning fish to swim through the canals of Utrecht in the Netherlands unobstructed by the Weerdsluis lock. The system is comprised of an internet-connected underwater camera located next to Read More...