Sustainable Living
Starbucks cups
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/EW-05-12-14-Starbucks-Cups.mp3|titles=EW 05-12-14 Starbucks Cups]
It seems impossible to walk a city block without encountering a Starbucks. Just as ubiquitous as Starbucks are its disposable coffee cups, billions of which are thrown away every year. Starbucks recently announced it will not meet the recycling goals it set for itself in 2008 – not now, and possibly not ever. [Read more…] about Starbucks cups
Where we stand with climate change
Despite overwhelming evidence of climate change, more than half of Americans still believe there is a debate over whether it is happening and whether it is caused by humans. [Read more…] about Where we stand with climate change
How green is your commute?
According to New York City’s Earth Day website, the average American drives twenty-nine miles a day, spends fifty-five minutes behind the wheel, and uses nearly one-fifth of the household income on transportation. Can we change our commuting habits to save time, money, and the environment at the same time? [Read more…] about How green is your commute?
A biomass fuel cell
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/EW-05-05-14-Biomass-Fuel-Cell-.mp3|titles=EW 05-05-14 Biomass Fuel Cell]
Fuel cells convert chemical energy from fuel into electricity using a chemical reaction with an oxidizing agent. The most common fuel cells run on hydrogen, but hydrocarbons like methanol are also used. Biomass has not been used in fuel cells because, until now, there has been no effective catalyst to break down complex organic materials. [Read more…] about A biomass fuel cell
Stack your solar panels
Solar panel use is growing exponentially, driven in part by the advent of several companies that install panels in private residences and businesses. We are putting solar panels on our cottage in Maine and hope to generate all of our electricity from them. [Read more…] about Stack your solar panels
Echinacea
Echinacea supplements are a staple in many American medicine cabinets, especially during cold and flu season. The plant is thought to boost the immune system and help ward off illness. [Read more…] about Echinacea
Greener fracking
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, generates great controversy wherever it is being practiced and is vigorously opposed wherever it isn’t. Nonetheless, it is the basis for a booming industry that is not likely to disappear any time soon. It is encouraging that there are a number of efforts underway to make fracking cleaner, greener, and safer. [Read more…] about Greener fracking
Power from the moon
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Almost all our energy ultimately derives from the Sun. There is of course solar power, but even hydroelectric, wind, and wave power are actually driven by the Sun’s energy. Fossil fuels originate from prehistoric plant matter created by photosynthesis. The only major non-solar sources are nuclear power and geothermal energy, which itself results from nuclear reactions in the Earth’s interior. [Read more…] about Power from the moon
Climate change and Coca-Cola
Most corporations are primarily concerned with their bottom line. Even companies with good values must protect their interests and their profits. So at first, many corporations were less concerned with climate change than with keeping their costs down. [Read more…] about Climate change and Coca-Cola
How we fill the breadbasket
Everything we eat can be traced back to the Sun. Sunlight powers plant photosynthesis, which yields the grains that we eat in bread, cereal, and rice. Plants feed the animals that provide us with beef, pork, and poultry. And the fishes of the sea feed on tiny phytoplankton that photosynthesize in the upper layers of the ocean’s waters. [Read more…] about How we fill the breadbasket
Utility-scale solar power
Utility-scale solar power projects now provide nearly 5,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States. Another 27,000 megawatts is under development. This is enough to power more than 5 million homes. [Read more…] about Utility-scale solar power
One word: Plastics
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Plastics, Mr. Robinson advises the young Ben Braddock, played by Dustin Hoffman, in the Graduate more than 40 years ago. And, he was right: the production of plastics increased from 1.7 to 280 million tons per year during the past 60 years. Plastics are found in nearly all products we buy, either as central components or in the packaging that contains them. [Read more…] about One word: Plastics
Scarce water
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Water poverty – the lack of access to clean, fresh water – is a much-discussed problem in the developing world. However, problems with water scarcity are in no way limited to third-world countries. [Read more…] about Scarce water
Volcano power
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For decades, geothermal wells have been used to power turbines to generate electricity. These wells utilize heat from the earth’s core by tapping into underground sources of hot water. Recently, scientists have made progress drilling directly into volcanoes and using molten rock – or magma – as a much more potent energy source. [Read more…] about Volcano power
Progress in ocean energy
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For over a decade, the annual Ocean Energy International conference has followed the steady but creeping progress of technologies to extract energy from the world’s oceans. This year’s meeting in Providence, Rhode Island featured multiple announcements of major new projects. The pace of commercialization of ocean energy is definitely quickening. [Read more…] about Progress in ocean energy
Plastic from shrimp
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/EW-04-17-14-Plastic-from-Shrimp.mp3|titles=EW 04-17-14 Plastic from Shrimp]
Petroleum is not just used in fuels— it is an integral part of a broad range of products that we use every day. Common plastics are a prime example. So, in order to get away from our dependence on oil, we need alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. [Read more…] about Plastic from shrimp
Progress in artificial photosynthesis
Artificial photosynthesis, the technology of converting sunlight into liquid fuels, would be the greenest of green technology if it can be done economically and on a large scale. Plants store energy derived from the sun in the form of chemical bonds created by photosynthesis. We would like to do the same thing in the laboratory. [Read more…] about Progress in artificial photosynthesis
Oil-palm in Africa
Palm oil is in demand. It’s found in nearly half of the processed foods in our supermarkets, from ice cream and cookies to canned soup and baby formula. But plans to cultivate the oil palm tree in its native Africa are raising concern about deforestation and the protection of primates. [Read more…] about Oil-palm in Africa
California's water
