A couple of weeks ago, we did a show on how many greenhouse gas emissions are created by the fashion industry and that got us wondering which industries create the most emissions, but we quickly hit a problem- the numbers just don't add up. Stephen Porder, our co-founder and the Assistant Provost of Sustainability at Brown University, joins the show to explain what's going on. The post Why don’t emissions numbers add up? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Aug 25, 2020•1 min
Whether you’re shopping for a t-shirt, bedsheets, or q-tips, you might have noticed that cotton products are more expensive if they’re organic. We wondered, is it worth it to pay the extra price? The post Possibly: Should you buy organic cotton? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
Aug 18, 2020•58 sec
Why are so many people talking about banning straws right now, and how much of a difference does skipping the straw actually make? The post Possibly: What difference do straws make? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
Jul 28, 2020•4 min
The truth is, we don't need trees to breathe! You could get rid of all of the trees on the planet and we'd still have enough oxygen. That's because a lot of the oxygen we breathe comes from tiny microorganisms in the ocean — many of which evolved billions of years before we even had land plants! The post Possibly: How many trees do we need to breathe? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Jul 20, 2020•57 sec
Drink from a can! It takes fewer emissions to make an aluminum can and fewer emissions to deliver beer that comes in cans. Cans are also more likely to be recycled, it takes less energy to recycle them, and they're safer to pick up if they've been thrown on the ground. The post Is it better to drink from a can or a bottle? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Jul 06, 2020•1 min
Here in the US, most of us put our eggs in the refrigerator. But in many other countries, eggs can stay on the counter. So, could we save energy here in America and just stop refrigerating our eggs? The post Do we need to refrigerate our eggs? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
Jun 29, 2020•1 min
It depends. When you’re driving slowly around town, it’s better to keep your windows down. But on the highway, it’s better to turn on the AC. The post Should you use your car’s AC or roll down the windows? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
Jun 22, 2020•51 sec
From an emissions standpoint, is grilling with gas or charcoal better? If you're choosing between charcoal and gas, choose gas. Grilling with charcoal for an hour produces three times the emissions of grilling with gas. But, what you put on the grill is actually more important. The post Greener grilling: Gas or charcoal? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Jun 15, 2020•40 sec
It turns out, there’s a way to capture methane before it leaks into the atmosphere. In the case of a landfill, you can cover the surface and then install vent pipes to capture the gas. And for manure and food waste, you can use something called an “Anaerobic Digester.” Anaerobic Digesters sound complicated, but they’re […] The post Can we turn methane leaks into a climate solution? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Jun 01, 2020•1 min
Today we’re going to focus on some positive news — a bright spot. Scientists have noticed something remarkable about blue whales— after years of near extinction, it looks like they’re coming back. The post The return of the Antarctic Blue Whale appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
May 26, 2020•1 min
How is COVID-19 affecting our air quality? The post How has coronavirus impacted air quality? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
May 19, 2020•1 min
Driftnets are fishing nets that have largely fallen out of fashion because they can accidentally catch other marine life. But it's still legal to use driftnets in California to catch swordfish. Luckily, there are other types of gear fishers can use and many are taking advantage of this new technology. The post Possibly – Can we get rid of driftnets? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
May 12, 2020•1 min
Today we’re answering a question that has been on a lot of people’s minds during the COVID-19 quarantine: while we’re limiting trips to the store, how can we maximize our groceries and minimize our food waste? The post How can we reduce food waste in the quarantine? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
May 05, 2020•57 sec
What's causing sea level rise and how will it affect Rhode Island? The post Possibly – Sea Level Rise appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
Apr 27, 2020•1 min
If you haven’t used a bidet before, it looks pretty much like a toilet bowl with a tap on one side that gives you a rinse after you go. Bidets or some version of them are already used a lot in Europe, Latin America and some parts of Asia. The post Should I use toilet paper or a bidet? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
Apr 13, 2020•1 min
Methane is a gas that’s created when something organic decomposes in a location that doesn’t have oxygen. The largest human-caused source of methane is actually cow burbs, but the second biggest human-caused source in the US is oil and gas production. The post Possibly: What is methane and how does it relate to climate change? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Apr 06, 2020•54 sec
Question: How much energy do dryers use? And is it worth the effort to air-dry your clothes instead? The post Is Air Drying Your Clothes Worth It? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
Mar 30, 2020•52 sec
Like many people these days, we are working from home. And our Possibly reporters? They’re scattered all over the world. You might not know this, but Brown University students research, write and record all of our episodes. And they've all gone back home. The post What’s The Plan For Possibly? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
Mar 23, 2020•1 min
Technically yes. There are some car hobbyists who have done this, but there's no streamlined approach to converting your car. The process would be expensive, complicated and even dangerous. We recommend buying a plug-in hybrid or electric can when you need a new one and in the meantime, work on lowering your gas mileage by keeping your tires inflated and driving the speed limit. The post Is It Possible To Convert Your Gas Car Into An Electric Car? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Mar 09, 2020•1 min
In the US, one out of five households don’t use a dishwasher because they think it uses more water and energy than washing by hand. So, we wanted to test this out: is hand washing really more efficient than using a dishwasher? The post What’s The Most Efficient Way To Wash Your Dishes? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
Mar 03, 2020•27 sec
What creates more greenhouse gas emissions- flying to your destination or taking a road trip? The post What Creates More Greenhouse Emissions – Flying Or Driving? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
Feb 24, 2020•1 min
Is it worth your time and money to offset your carbon? The post Are Carbon Offsets Worth It? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
Feb 17, 2020•40 sec
A live panel discussion about offshore wind and commercial fishing presented by 'Possibly' and The Public's Radio. The post Divided Waters – Can Offshore Wind Energy And The Fishing Industry Coexist In The Age Of Climate Change? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
Feb 14, 2020•16 min
First make sure your home is well insulated. Then, swap out your furnace or boiler for a device known as a heat pump. Heat pumps run on electricity and transfer heat from the outside and bring it inside your home. Making the switch to a heat pump from an oil furnace can reduce your heating emissions by about 50%. The post What’s The Most Energy-Efficient Way To Heat Your Home? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Feb 10, 2020•49 sec
Today we have a question from listener Alec Beckett. He asks: Should I be in favor of nuclear power? He says he knows about the risks, but he’s also heard that nuclear power is a clean source of energy. The post Should Nuclear Power Play A Role In Addressing Climate Change? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
Feb 03, 2020•1 min
Since the wind isn't always blowing, Rhode Island uses natural gas power plants as a backup, which means that the electricity from wind farms isn't 100% renewable. The best solution would be to store the electricity generated by wind turbines in batteries, but so far these batteries haven't been big enough or cheap enough to use. The post How Many Wind Turbines Would It Take To Power Rhode Island? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Jan 28, 2020•57 sec
About a quarter of the carbon dioxide emissions that we send into the atmosphere are absorbed in the ocean, and this is increasing the acidity of the ocean. Some species might be able to adapt to this increase in acidity, while others might not be so lucky. The post How Will Ocean Acidification Affect Fish Populations And The Fishing Industry? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Jan 20, 2020•56 sec
The ocean absorbs and stores about 90% of the heat trapped in the atmosphere, so ocean temperatures are increasing. Higher temperatures may favor some species in certain areas but could harm other species. The post How Is Climate Change Affecting Fish In New England? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
Jan 13, 2020•54 sec
What’s the point of putting wind farms in the ocean? And will we see more of them in Rhode Island? The post What’s The Point Of Putting Wind Farms In The Ocean? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
Jan 06, 2020•59 sec
Does speeding waste gas? If so, how much does it waste? The post Does Speeding Waste Gas? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
Dec 30, 2019•44 sec
