[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/EW-02-26-14-Batteries-from-Rhubarb-and-Sugar.mp3|titles=EW 02-26-14 Batteries from Rhubarb and Sugar]
Energy
Let’s capture the carbon
Carbon dioxide emissions – largely due to fossil fuel combustion – are at the crux of the global warming problem. Because some carbon dioxide emissions are fairly localized, they are potentially easy to control. [Read more…] about Let’s capture the carbon
Geothermal energy on the rise
Geothermal energy is experiencing a period of global expansion, with more new power plants ready to go on line over the next three to four years than in any previous decade. U.S. companies are doing much of that work. [Read more…] about Geothermal energy on the rise
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
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
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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
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
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
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
Riding the winds
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The impact of windmills and wind turbines on birds is controversial, to say the least. It’s not surprising that the American Wind Energy Association claims that there is no significant mortality of birds associated with windmills. It’s alarming that Save the Eagle International reports that 116 Golden Eagles were killed each year at the wind-turbine farms in Altamont Pass, California. But each of these groups has a clear agenda. Who are we to believe? [Read more…] about Riding the winds
Regulating fracking
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Hydraulic fracturing – better known as fracking – has driven a boom in natural gas production in the United States over the past decade. Fracking is also at the center of a raging controversy over its potential effects on public health and the environment. Despite these concerns, the federal government has left the issue of fracking regulation to individual states. [Read more…] about Regulating fracking
Tax: It’s a dirty word
Most economists agree that the best way to reduce the use of fossil fuels and lower the emission of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere would be to put a tax on carbon emissions. That would open a competitive market for alternative sources of energy, raise sorely needed government revenues, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. A carbon tax would even preserve the freedom to buy a big, low-mileage car, if you want one. [Read more…] about Tax: It’s a dirty word
Let's reflect on our success stories
Sometimes people find me depressing to be around. I endlessly point out the impacts of rising human population and resource use, extinction of Earth’s biodiversity, air and water pollution, and climate change. When I really get going, I point out that these human impacts on our planet may threaten the continued persistence of our own species. [Read more…] about Let's reflect on our success stories
Cattle, prairie chickens, and compromise
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The protection of a bird called the lesser prairie chicken has inspired intense debate in Texas – between the government, environmentalists, oil and gas companies, and private landowners. [Read more…] about Cattle, prairie chickens, and compromise
Increasingly sustainable buildings
There is a growing trend in green buildings – construction that is eco-friendly, energy efficient, and sustainable. The most widely recognized designation is LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. Its three levels are certified, silver, and gold, and these have been awarded to over 13,000 buildings in the United States. [Read more…] about Increasingly sustainable buildings
New records for greenhouse gases
According to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization, the three most significant greenhouse gases in the atmosphere all hit record levels in 2012. Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide levels all reached new highs last year. [Read more…] about New records for greenhouse gases
A new relationship with energy
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The demand for clean energy is accelerating and its use is increasing steadily. Last year, 49% of all new power plant investment in the U.S. was for renewables, in part because the costs of solar energy and wind energy have been dropping dramatically over the past five years. [Read more…] about A new relationship with energy
Energy efficient cities
Energy efficiency is the most affordable way to lower our carbon footprint and reduce our consumption of non-renewable energy resources. While the federal government continues to struggle with developing any kind of energy efficiency policy, at the local level, there is plenty going on. [Read more…] about Energy efficient cities
Farming crops and sunlight
In many places around the world, using farmland for solar generation has become a profitable enterprise. Farmers have found that they can often make more money producing electricity instead of food crops. In Japan, where farmland is relatively scarce, this practice was actually prohibited by law. [Read more…] about Farming crops and sunlight
Storing energy in volcanic rock
