Green power leaders
More and more businesses and households in the US are embracing renewable energy. In fact, some of the biggest companies in the nation have adopted green power in a major way. [Read more…] about Green power leaders
What makes the water rise in trees?
Did you ever wonder how water gets to the top of trees? Defying physics, water rises even to the top of 300-foot redwoods by the draw of the atmosphere. Almost like sucking on a straw, the atmosphere pulls water upward from the soil, through the plants, where it is lost from leaves in the process known as transpiration. [Read more…] about What makes the water rise in trees?
Celebrate an anniversary for the environment
The seeds of America’s modern environmental movement were sown 50 years ago on Storm King Mountain, along the Hudson River. [Read more…] about Celebrate an anniversary for the environment
Offshore Wind Moves Ahead
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/EW-06-25-13-Offshore-Wind-Moves-Ahead.mp3|titles=EW 06-25-13 Offshore Wind Moves Ahead]
Despite a decade of controversy and dispute, offshore wind technology is moving ahead in the United States. [Read more…] about Offshore Wind Moves Ahead
Living big by living small
Cohousing is a type of living arrangement that is strongly focused on community. Families live in their own privately owned homes. But typically, a common house and shared outside spaces ensure that neighbors get to know each other, through community meals and outdoor activities like gardening and recreation. [Read more…] about Living big by living small
Marine invaders in the global marketplace
Next time you go shopping, keep an eye out for the origins of the things you purchase. From kiwis grown in Chile to shirts made in Bangladesh – we are living in the age of the global marketplace. [Read more…] about Marine invaders in the global marketplace
A weight loss program for the planet
A gallon of gas weighs 6.1 pounds. When that gas is burned, in your car, your leaf blower, or your lawnmower, it creates 18.2 pounds of carbon dioxide, or almost three times the weight of that original gallon of gas. [Read more…] about A weight loss program for the planet
Plug-in Hybrids
These days, there’s a lot of interest in electric cars. There are many reasons to want to drive cars using electricity instead of gas, but doing so is still not easy. [Read more…] about Plug-in Hybrids
Wild bees are unsung heroes
For more than a decade, pollinator populations have been declining. Causes are varied, from loss of habitat and pesticide exposure to the spread of parasitic mites. We have a lot of insight into the plight of managed honeybees. But wild bees and other insect pollinators are also struggling, and a new publication highlights why this should be of concern. [Read more…] about Wild bees are unsung heroes
Renewables in the South Pacific
Small Pacific island nations and territories generally have small populations and rather tiny energy demands. Despite this fact, the International Renewable Energy Agency estimates that these places are expected to account for 17% of the world’s new renewable energy installed over the next 5 years. [Read more…] about Renewables in the South Pacific
New ideas from old barns
Driving around the Hudson Valley, I see a lot of old barns that were built into hillsides. This isn’t the result of poor planning but of really smart planning. [Read more…] about New ideas from old barns
A little black box with a voracious appetite
When you’re ready to buy a new computer, cell phone, TV, or tablet, you have many choices. You probably do a lot of research and choose a model with the features that you need the most. [Read more…] about A little black box with a voracious appetite
Nitrous oxide: It’s more than laughing gas
Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, has largely been replaced by other anesthetics in the dentist’s office. This odorless and colorless gas makes up only a scant 320 parts per billion in Earth’s atmosphere. But it will play a big role in our planet’s future. [Read more…] about Nitrous oxide: It’s more than laughing gas
Doing the math on renewable energy
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about the transition to 100% renewable energy sources. There has also been quite a bit of backlash from people saying that sources such as wind and solar power can’t possibly provide all the energy required. [Read more…] about Doing the math on renewable energy
Predicting the forest of the future
We hear a lot about how climate change will affect forests. Some projections show wholesale loss of species in the western U.S., due to fire and pests. Sugar maple is thought likely to disappear from the eastern U.S., as conditions favorable to its survival move northward into Canada. [Read more…] about Predicting the forest of the future
Let’s get aggressive about passive
A philosophy of green building that is gaining traction in the U.S. is the Passive House standard. [Read more…] about Let’s get aggressive about passive
Methane: It’s a natural gas
Natural gas is a fossil fuel derived from ancient hydrocarbon deposits. Natural gas is nearly pure methane—a small molecule with a central carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms surrounding it. Methane is also produced by a variety of soil microbes, especially in wetland soils. [Read more…] about Methane: It’s a natural gas
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
Getting energy from the ocean seems like a good idea. Oceans cover nearly ¾ of the planet, so they represent a gigantic energy resource. Most schemes for extracting energy from oceans center around moving water: either waves or tides. But there is another energy source in the sea that is starting to get some serious attention: ocean thermal energy conversion or “OTEC.” [Read more…] about Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
Another reason to be ticked off
