Earth Wise

Jan 26: Flying On Green Energy If you’ve ever used an online carbon footprint calculator, you may have been surprised by how much of your energy usage comes from air travel.

Airplane

Jan 27: Recycling Christmas Trees Were you among the 20 million Americans that put up a real Christmas tree? Most of the Fraser firs and blue spruces so lovingly decorated last Christmas ended up in the same place: the curb.

xmas tree bigger

Jan 28: Massachusetts and Solar Power Massachusetts is not known for its sunny climate and can’t compete with California where huge solar-power farms in the desert can produce hundreds of megawatts of electricity. Nevertheless, the state is enthusiastically embracing solar energy wherever it can.

solar farm

Jan 29: Keeping The Air Clean While Getting Warm Fireplaces and stoves are coveted features in many homes, providing warmth and ambiance. But managed improperly, these heat sources can be inefficient and unhealthy.

fireplace

Jan 30: The European Union Can Ban GMO Crops The widespread use of genetically modified organisms or GMOs in crops is an increasingly controversial practice. Here in the US, there are battles over labeling laws and disclosures about which foods contain GMOs and which ones don’t.

Right to Know March

From green business and new environmental legislation to how nature impacts our environment in ways never before considered, Earth Wise offers a look at our changing environment.

Recent Updates

Jan23

Reducing Phosphorus Pollution In Lake Erie

Toxic algal blooms have been spreading throughout Lake Erie. In August, contamination left 400,000 residents in Ohio and Michigan without water for 72 hours. Now, legislators are taking steps to prevent future catastrophes by regulating farming practices.

Posted by EarthWise in Agriculture, Air and Water, Economy and Policy, Health, Sustainable Living, Wildlife and Habitat

Keep Reading →

Jan22

Enhanced Geothermal Systems

Geothermal electricity is a clean, around-the-clock source of power, but has been limited to those few sites where the earth’s heat has created sources of hot water under the ground. Enhanced Geothermal Systems or EGS generate geothermal electricity without the need for natural hot springs or similar hydrothermal resources.

Posted by EarthWise in Economy and Policy, Energy, Sustainable Living, Technology

Keep Reading →

Jan21

Curbing Curbside E-Waste

These days, technology seems to grow old overnight. In the rush to get the latest gadget, computers, cell phones, and TVs are routinely cast aside. But as of January 1, residents of New York State can no longer put their discarded technology out for curbside pickup. This includes printers, DVD players, video game consoles, electronic keyboards, and older tube TVs.

Posted by EarthWise in Economy and Policy, Health, Sustainable Living, Technology

Keep Reading →

Jan20

The Hunters Are Now The Hunted

The world has lost more than half of its wildlife over the past 40 years. And a very visible part of that loss is a result of poaching. As we’ve previously reported, poachers killed 23,000 African elephants in 2013 for their ivory. In that same year, poachers slaughtered more than 1,000 rhinos in South Africa alone, including more than 600 in the famous Kruger National Park. It should not be surprising that three of INTERPOL’s nine most wanted environmental crime fugitives are accused of ivory-related crimes.

Posted by EarthWise in Economy and Policy, Sustainable Living, Wildlife and Habitat

Keep Reading →

Jan19

Microgrids And Energy Resilience

Power outages as a result of extreme weather, excess demand and accidents of various types are on the rise. For many customers, losing electricity is simply not an option. Hospitals, biotechnology research centers that have to maintain cold samples, fire and emergency service centers, and military bases are all examples of facilities that need uninterrupted power. But the conventional power grid simply cannot deliver always-on power.

Posted by EarthWise in Economy and Policy, Energy, Sustainable Living, Technology

Keep Reading →

Next →

Earth Wise is a presentation of WAMC Northeast Public Radio and The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies