These dogs are sniffing out solutions for safer wind farms
Wind turbines are a great source of renewable energy in blustery climates, but like every solution, there are potential risks to be weighed as well. Turbines take a toll on local birds, bats, and insects, and although the effects of turbines on large birds like condors and eagles are well known, we Read More...
Study: Renewable energy jobs were more resilient during pandemic
According to a Department of Energy report, jobs in the renewable energy sector were far more resilient to the economic turmoil of the pandemic than those in the oil and gas industries. In 2020, one in ten energy workers lost their job, but the wind energy sector grew by two percent, Jobs in the Read More...
The Optimist View: Down to EarthーStorytelling as a solutions journalism medium
“Long-term survival on this planet for us and for all generations after us is a pretty good idea. Remember, the earth will probably always be here. We just may not be able to live on it for too long.” - Zac Efron BY Amelia Buckley and Arielle Tiango Little was known about the world of Read More...
C40 cities commit to conquering climate change with urban greenspaces
Concrete jungles are being infiltrated with urban green spaces as 31 major cities, including London, Barcelona, and Milan, have signed a declaration to invest in reintroducing nature to their metropolises. Mayors of each city agreed to strive for the C40 cities network goal of transforming 30 to Read More...
Report: Renewable energy transition would save 317,500 US lives
The US has a new set goal of boosting renewable energy production to reach 80 percent of energy needs by the end of the decade. While this is great news for the planet, it turns out it's also great news for human health. A new study conducted by researchers from Harvard University, Georgia Read More...
Volcanoes could become green sources of valuable tech metals
While it’s crucial that we transition to renewable energy to reverse climate change, many of these technologies require rare metals, the mining of which has worrisome environmental impacts. That, however, could soon become a problem of the past, thanks to new Oxford research which investigates a Read More...
Multi technology energy center provides green energy directly to local community
Wind and solar power have long been the most popular suggested methods to reduce fossil fuel emissions. While in many places their efficacy was still being debated, some entrepreneurs in Wales took it upon themselves to make community-wide renewable energy a reality. The Rassau industrial Read More...
Retired wind turbine blades get reincarnated into bridges and railway links
Even renewable energy has waste byproducts that become a major recycling problem for the industry. Many wind turbine blades are reaching the end of their lifespan, and plenty more are taken out of service early to be replaced by blades that can produce more energy. This means that by 2023, Read More...
These ultra-low-cost batteries use CO2 to store renewable energy
While the price for lithium-ion batteries has dropped significantly in recent years, the technology is still a tad too expensive to be the best solution for the long-term storage of renewable energy, most of which is weather-dependent. As such, innovators are looking beyond lithium-based batteries Read More...
Sustainable and beautiful "tulip turbines" pop up just in time for spring
Here at The Optimist Daily, we are big fans of wind energy as a renewable and sustainable source of power—but that’s not to say that it doesn’t come with a few downfalls. Wind energy requires wind turbines to convert kinetic energy into electricity. These turbines generate noise pollution, Read More...