The solar market is booming
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/EW-02-10-14-Booming-US-Solar-Market.mp3|titles=EW 02-10-14 Booming US Solar Market]
Renewable energy is growing by leaps and bounds in the US and the growth in solar energy is particularly explosive. In 2013, the US installed more solar capacity than world-leader Germany for the first time in more than a decade. [Read more…] about The solar market is booming
Trees and indoor pollution
Living on a tree-lined street is not just idyllic, but good for your health. New research from England has shown that the presence of street trees can mitigate indoor air pollution stemming from vehicle traffic. [Read more…] about Trees and indoor pollution
Heating with food waste
A new program in New York City is making use of food waste to produce bio-gas for residential and commercial heating. More than 100 restaurants are participating in the program, which is a voluntary effort to reduce the amount of food waste headed to landfills. [Read more…] about Heating with food waste
LED light bulbs
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/EW-02-05-14-LED-Lightbulbs.mp3|titles=EW 02-05-14 LED Lightbulbs]
Incandescent light bulbs are becoming rarer all the time. In some places around the world, they have been phased out completely. They are being replaced by newer lighting technologies, which use far less energy. [Read more…] about LED light bulbs
Horseshoe crabs & red knots
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/EW-02-04-14-Horseshoe-Crabs.mp3|titles=EW 02-04-14 Horseshoe Crabs]
For 475 million years, horseshoe crabs have inhabited the Earth. Currently, their largest numbers are on the Eastern Seaboard, particularly in the Delaware Bay off the coasts of Delaware and New Jersey, where horseshoe crabs lay their eggs each spring. [Read more…] about Horseshoe crabs & red knots
Early warning for climate disasters
Climate scientists talk about “tipping points” for the calamitous consequences of global climate change. These are triggers for abrupt changes in the climate that could bring about a variety of disasters. [Read more…] about Early warning for climate disasters
Coming from a barnyard near you
Atmospheric scientists recognize the long-distance transport of air pollutants. When we used leaded gasoline, we saw elevated levels of airborne lead in cities, but also in the Greenland ice pack, thousands of miles away. And past shutdowns of coal-fired power plants in the Midwest resulted in lower nitric oxide concentrations in the eastern U.S. [Read more…] about Coming from a barnyard near you
Drones provide a window into the deep ocean
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/EW-01-30-14-Ocean-Drones.mp3|titles=EW 01-30-14 Ocean Drones]
With the advance of science and technology, few corners of the Earth remain unexplored. But much of what goes on beneath the surface of our oceans remains a mystery. [Read more…] about Drones provide a window into the deep ocean
Exotic greenhouse gases
Most of the public believes that our climate is changing, and that we are at least partially responsible. Our activities release huge quantities of greenhouse gases, which trap heat radiation trying to leave Earth’s atmosphere. Our emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are causing the planet to warm. [Read more…] about Exotic greenhouse gases
Don't weep for this willow
Biomass – plant matter that can be burned or converted into liquid fuel – is an important source of renewable energy that augments more common sources such as wood and heating oil. Ideal biomass crops can be grown quickly and cheaply on marginal agricultural lands. [Read more…] about Don't weep for this willow
When your sofa makes you sick
The New Year has brought a new law in California that could lessen the use of flame retardants in furniture. [Read more…] about When your sofa makes you sick
Getting toxic chemicals out of consumer products
When grocery shopping, many of us check the labels of the foods we’re buying to evaluate ingredients and nutritional information. But what about the many products we buy that contain chemicals we’re unfamiliar with – or that don’t come with labels at all? [Read more…] about Getting toxic chemicals out of consumer products
Localities declaring energy independence
In the last election, voters in Boulder, Colorado passed a measure giving the city permission to break ties with the local corporate utility and create a municipal electric utility that would aggressively pursue the fight against climate change. The progressive community was not satisfied with the green initiatives of Xcel Energy, the existing utility. [Read more…] about Localities declaring energy independence
The environmental impacts of hair salons
Hair salons have a certain fragrance. You always know when you’re in one. No surprise, since nearly 5000 chemicals are listed as products for hair care, including 3300 synthetic compounds. Beyond the shampoo and conditioner, there are hair dyes, oils, propellants, and various sprays to keep hair in place. [Read more…] about The environmental impacts of hair salons
Cogeneration
When Superstorm Sandy shut down the lights over much of New York City in 2012, a number of facilities retained full heat and power. These places weathered the storm because they had cogeneration systems, better known as CHP or Combined Heat and Power Systems. [Read more…] about Cogeneration
Let’s quit carping about it
In the 1960s, grass carp were brought to the U.S. from Asia to control weeds in southern fish-farming operations. Unfortunately, like so many other exotics, these fish escaped into the wild, and have been moving northward. As of last month, they were found to be reproducing in Lake Erie. [Read more…] about Let’s quit carping about it
Climate injustice
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/EW-01-17-14-Climate-Injustice.mp3|titles=EW 01-17-14 Climate Injustice]
As nations around the world grapple with the challenges of climate change, traumatic events such as the devastating typhoon in the Philippines can focus our attention on the complex issue of climate injustice. [Read more…] about Climate injustice
Clearing the stage
You might think that it would be easy to keep track of deforestation around the world. Does the landscape have trees, or not? Turns out, it’s not easy. Much deforestation is associated with small clearings that do not show up on aerial photographs. And, many times governments do not want to admit to the rates of deforestation that they tolerate. [Read more…] about Clearing the stage
Riding the winds
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/EW-01-15-14-Windmills-II.mp3|titles=EW 01-15-14 Windmills II]