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You are here: Home / Archives for Sustainable Living

Sustainable Living

Microplastics And Salt

December 10, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/EW-12-10-15-Microplastics-And-Salt1.mp3

Today, thousands of personal care products – such as facial scrubs, body washes, and toothpastes – are known to contain minuscule balls of plastic called microbeads.  When we shower or brush our teeth, these microbeads are washed down the drain and travel undetected through wastewater treatment plants.  When they reach their final destination — our lakes, rivers and oceans — they mix with other sources of microplastics, including industrial waste and degraded plastic litter.    

[Read more…] about Microplastics And Salt

Carbon Capture Update

December 9, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EW-12-09-15-Carbon-Capture-Update.mp3

The global community is increasingly making commitments to reduce the amount of carbon emissions in the atmosphere.  More and more carbon-free renewable energy sources are being used all the time.  But despite the tremendous growth in solar and wind power, fossil fuels still provide about 80% of the world’s energy.  Coal still provides about 40% of worldwide electricity.  Realistically, these numbers can only go down at a relatively gradual pace.

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Beavers: Nature’s Nitrogen Busters

December 8, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/EW-12-08-15-Beavers-and-Nitrogen.mp3

Beavers are one of nature’s most industrious engineers. Using branches and mud, the intrepid animals create dams that slow moving water. In New York’s Hudson Valley, their constructions are a common sight on streams and in wetlands.

[Read more…] about Beavers: Nature’s Nitrogen Busters

Climate Opinions

December 4, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EW-12-04-15-Climate-Opinions.mp3

An international poll of over 45,000 people in 40 countries looked at opinions about climate change and the need to curb greenhouse gas emissions.  The results are quite interesting.

[Read more…] about Climate Opinions

Cod And Global Warming

December 3, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EW-12-03-15-Cod-and-Global-Warming.mp3

Atlantic cod has been the basis of a major fishing industry in the Gulf of Maine for centuries and is a key species in the local ecosystem.  Overfishing decimated the population of cod and in 2010, fisheries managers imposed a series of restrictions on harvesting the fish in order to try to help the species to rebound.

[Read more…] about Cod And Global Warming

Snowpack Loss

December 2, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/EW-12-02-15-Snowpack-Loss.mp3

A recent study showed that this year the snowpack in California, which is suffering an ongoing drought as well as long-term warming, reached its lowest point in 500 years.   Snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada mountains fills reservoirs that provide a third of all of the drinking water for the state of California, as well as water used to fight fires and generate electricity.

[Read more…] about Snowpack Loss

Climate Change And Extreme Weather

December 1, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/EW-12-01-15-Climate-Change-and-Extreme-Weather.mp3

Global climate change is predicted to manifest itself in many ways over the next 100 years as average temperatures increase around the world.   But we do not directly experience climate; we experience weather.

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Responding To Climate Change

November 30, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EW-11-30-15-Climate-Change-Country-by-Country.mp3

This week, representatives of 195 nations and the 28 member states of the European Union are meeting in Paris to try to put together the first global agreement to curb carbon dioxide emissions.  Among those nations, some are already doing much better than others.

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A Tax On Carbon

November 27, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EW-11-27-15-Carbon-Tax.mp3

A while back we talked about the carbon tax in British Columbia and how it resulted in a dramatic reduction in carbon fuel use without any harm to the local economy.  Many economists believe that carbon taxes are one of the best ways to promote lower greenhouse gas emissions.

[Read more…] about A Tax On Carbon

Microgrids For The Powerless

November 26, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EW-11-26-15-Microgrids-for-the-Powerless.mp3

There are 1.3 billion people worldwide who don’t have access to electricity.  These days, some of them have acquired hundred-dollar solar panels that produce about five watts of power.  That allows them to power a couple of LED lamps in the evening and to charge a mobile phone.  But that’s about all they can do with so little power.

[Read more…] about Microgrids For The Powerless

Ocean Energy Report Card

November 25, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EW-11-25-15-Ocean-Energy-Report-Card.mp3

Most of the world’s activity in renewable energy is focused on solar and wind power.  The use of both is expanding rapidly.

[Read more…] about Ocean Energy Report Card

Plugging Methane Leaks

November 23, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EW-11-23-15-Trees-and-Methane.mp3

Natural gas, also known as methane, is one of several “greenhouse gases” that trap heat radiation trying to leave the Earth. Molecule-for-molecule, methane warms our planet’s atmosphere about 25X more than carbon dioxide.

[Read more…] about Plugging Methane Leaks

Thanksgiving Turkeys

November 19, 2015 By EarthWise

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/EW-11-19-15-Thanksgiving-Turkeys.mp3

Mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.  Thanksgiving is just one week away.  Many of us will spend the next several days shopping around for ingredients, including one of this country’s oldest traditions: the turkey.

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The Missing Sink

November 18, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EW-11-18-15-Missing-Sink.mp3

One of the puzzles of atmospheric chemistry is why carbon dioxide concentrations in our atmosphere aren’t rising even faster. Our activities emit some 37 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide each year. About 45% stays in the atmosphere, 25% is taken up by the oceans. The rest is a bit of a mystery.

[Read more…] about The Missing Sink

Solar Powered Water Purification

November 17, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EW-11-17-15-Solar-Powered-Water-Purification.mp3

Solar energy has made a difference in the lives of refugees from natural disasters and political unrest as well as people in remote corners of the world who don’t have access to modern technology.  There are various solar-powered lamps, chargers, and cookers that have been provided to countless thousands of people around the world.

[Read more…] about Solar Powered Water Purification

Cheap Oil From Algae

November 13, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EW-11-13-15-Cheap-Oil-from-Algae.mp3

We have had all too many scary stories about algae and the threats it is posing to health and safety.  This time, for once, we have some good news about algae.

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Local Food In A Global World

November 12, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EW-11-12-15-Food-Miles.mp3

In the Northeast, many are enjoying the last of autumn’s bounty. When we grow fruits and vegetables, we can choose to forgo pesticides, GMOs, or industrial fertilizer. When we shop at farmer’s markets, we support family farms and help maintain open space that we all enjoy.

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Noise Pollution And Wildlife

November 11, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EW-11-11-15-Noise-Pollution-and-Wildlife.mp3

Traffic noise is something nobody likes.  We shy away from homes too close to highways and major roads.  We soundproof our houses.  We build noise abatement walls.

[Read more…] about Noise Pollution And Wildlife

Solar Power At Night

November 10, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/EW-11-10-15-Solar-Power-at-Night.mp3

One of the largest solar power plants in the world is the Andasol plant situated on a barren, high-altitude site in the Andalucia region of Spain.  The plant provides electricity for up to 500,000 people in the region.

[Read more…] about Solar Power At Night

California Mountain Lions

November 9, 2015 By WAMC WEB

https://earthwiseradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/EW-11-09-15-California-Mountain-Lions.mp3

The mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains of California aren’t faring well these days.  Three more have been found dead recently, highlighting just how difficult it is for the big cats to survive in an urban park.  Although the Santa Monica Mountains recreational area is rugged, it’s hemmed in by several busy freeways and lots of homes.  Officials now believe there are just 10 to 15 mountain lions left roaming the park.  

[Read more…] about California Mountain Lions

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