farm

Global Warming And The Nitrogen Problem

September 13, 2017 By EarthWise

Excess nitrogen in the environment is a big problem. The most visible aspect of the problem is the spread of toxic algae blooms in oceans, lakes and other bodies of water. But there are other effects as well such as unwanted alterations to ecosystems.

A Better Way To Farm Algae

March 7, 2017 By EarthWise

Microalgae biofuels may provide a viable alternative to fossil fuels. Algae efficiently use CO2 and can produce biomass very quickly. Some species can double their mass in as little as 6 hours. Such single-celled organisms are amenable to high-throughput techniques to evolve new strains, unlike terrestrial biomass sources like corn which can take years to modify.

Restoring The Taste Of Tomatoes

March 1, 2017 By EarthWise

Over the years, tomatoes have been selectively bred for qualities such as size and firmness for shipping purposes and appearance, but selection for flavor has generally been overlooked. Many of us find that the tomatoes we buy in the grocery store just don’t taste like they used to. In fact, often they don’t taste like much of anything. Comparing them to the delicious local-grown varieties we can find during the summer provides evidence for this conclusion.

A Big Wind Farm for New York

February 27, 2017 By EarthWise

The Board of Trustees of the Long Island Power Authority has voted to approve the nation’s largest offshore wind farm, which is also the first offshore wind farm in New York. The South Fork Wind Farm, located 30 miles southeast of Montauk, New York, will be a 90 megawatt facility that will provide enough electricity to power 50,000 Long Island homes and help meet increasing electricity demand on the South Fork of Long Island.

Wind Farms And Ordinary Farms

January 18, 2017 By EarthWise

Farmers in many places have found additional sources of income by allowing wind turbines to be built on their land. One example is the Amazon Wind Farm, which is a massive project of over 100 turbines near Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The 494-foot tall turbine towers scattered over 34 square miles are rising up above farms that grow corn, wheat and soybeans. It is the first utility-scale wind farm in the Southeast.

Wiping Out Wildlife

December 1, 2016 By Nationally Produced Shows

According to a new report from the World Wildlife Fund, the world’s animal populations have suffered widespread population declines in the last half century. And thousands of species are now scrambling to survive.

[Read more…] about Wiping Out Wildlife

Scraping The Bottom

December 21, 2015 By Nationally Produced Shows

One doesn’t have to travel far in Downeast Maine to see what over-fishing can do to coastal villages and the people who work there. First the cod disappeared, then the herring, and finally the sardines.

[Read more…] about Scraping The Bottom

farm

Excess nitrogen in the environment is a big problem. The most visible aspect of the problem is the spread of toxic algae blooms in oceans, lakes and other bodies of water. But there are other effects as well such as unwanted alterations to ecosystems.

According to a new report from the World Wildlife Fund, the world’s animal populations have suffered widespread population declines in the last half century. And thousands of species are now scrambling to survive.

One doesn’t have to travel far in Downeast Maine to see what over-fishing can do to coastal villages and the people who work there. First the cod disappeared, then the herring, and finally the sardines.

WAMC Northeast Public Radio