Technology

Storing Heat From The Sun

December 29, 2015 By WAMC WEB

We are all familiar with the solar panels that cover an ever-growing number of rooftops as well as large arrays in so-called solar farms. These photovoltaic systems turn sunlight directly into electricity. But they are not the only way to make electricity using the sun.

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Businesses Going Solar

December 28, 2015 By WAMC WEB

The fourth annual Solar Means Business Report is out. It identifies major commercial solar projects and ranks America’s top solar users. Just since the first report came out, the amount of solar power installed by America’s top companies has tripled.

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Cutting Down Costs Instead of Trees

December 25, 2015 By WAMC WEB

Epson, one of the world’s most recognizable printer companies, recently announced a green innovation that could fundamentally change the office.

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Climate Change And The Global Food System

December 24, 2015 By WAMC WEB

One of the most troubling aspects of global climate change is its potential impact on the production, distribution and quality of food. A report issued at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference focused on identifying climate change impacts on global food security. Food security is the ability of people to obtain and use sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food. Even without the impact of climate change, food security is a challenge because of increasing population, poverty, and changing eating habits.

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Antibiotic Apocalypse

December 18, 2015 By WAMC WEB

Virtually everyone listening to this radio segment has relied on antibiotics to treat a bacterial infection. Since the 1940’s, we’ve used antibiotics to combat everything from strep throat to sinus infections. They also play an important role in surgery and cancer therapies.

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Born On Frozen Lakes

December 16, 2015 By WAMC WEB

The National Hockey League seems like an unlikely environmental ally. But a sport born on frozen lakes stands to lose a lot in a warming world. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is committed to keeping “the air clean and the ponds frozen for future generations.”

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Solar Power As A Crop

December 15, 2015 By WAMC WEB

The historic, relentless drought in California has caused a number of the state’s farmers to start planting photovoltaic panels instead of crops. Because of the drought, Federal water deliveries to farmers in the Central Valley and elsewhere have been dwindling. As a result of the water shortage, more than 500,000 acres will lie fallow this year.

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Storing Energy As Ice

December 11, 2015 By WAMC WEB

One of the challenges of operating the electricity grid is that there are times when everybody wants more electricity than usual – like during a hot afternoon in August – and the system struggles to keep up with the increased demand.

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Carbon Capture Update

December 9, 2015 By WAMC WEB

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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Climate Change And Extreme Weather

December 1, 2015 By WAMC WEB

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

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

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.

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Microgrids For The Powerless

November 26, 2015 By WAMC WEB

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.

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Ocean Energy Report Card

November 25, 2015 By WAMC WEB

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

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Plugging Methane Leaks

November 23, 2015 By WAMC WEB

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.

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Solar Powered Water Purification

November 17, 2015 By WAMC WEB

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.

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Cheap Oil From Algae

November 13, 2015 By WAMC WEB

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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Noise Pollution And Wildlife

November 11, 2015 By WAMC WEB

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.

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Solar Power At Night

November 10, 2015 By WAMC WEB

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.

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Cities Abandoning Fossil Fuels

November 2, 2015 By EarthWise

Around the world, cities are trying to combat climate change by shifting their energy needs away from coal, oil and natural gas. Some, like Reykjavik and Zurich, use no fossil fuels to produce power at all; others are still planning cutbacks.

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