Possibly Podcast

Today we have a question from Natalie Herbermann. She’s heard that when you put your clothes in the washing machine, they can leave behind harmful particles... And she’s wondering if there’s anything she can do about that. The post Do my clothes release harmful particles when I wash them? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Taking into account the energy that goes into making a whole new car, is it more energy efficient to keep the gas car you already have, or to get a new hybrid car? (This episode originally aired in September, 2019). The post Is It Worth It To Buy A Hybrid Car? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Today, we have a question from listener David Kellogg. He’s a big fan of solar power, but he wants to know, is it better to put solar panels on your roof, or to put your money towards large scale solar installations? The post What’s the best way to get solar power? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Today, we’re answering a question from Ada, a student from Bristol, Rhode Island. She wants to know the best thing kids can do at home to help stop climate change. The post What’s one thing kids can do to fight climate change? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Twenty-twenty was quite a year, and we're guessing that most people are hoping 2021 will be better. So, our Possibly team got together to think about some New Year’s Resolutions that fit with the themes of our show. Here’s what everyone had to say… The post Our 2021 resolutions appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Is an oil furnace or wood stove better to heat a home during the winter? The post Oil-Burning Furnace Or Wood-Burning Stove? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Is it better to heat one room with a space heater or use a furnace to heat your entire house? The post Space Heater For One Room Or Furnace For The House? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Hydroelectric power is the most widely-used renewable energy source in the world. It creates about one-sixth of the world’s electricity. But how exactly does it work, and how does it fit into our energy future? The post How does hydropower work? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Today, we have a thought experiment on our minds. What would happen if we stopped creating greenhouse gas emissions right now? Would climate change be over? The post What would happen if we stopped creating greenhouse gas emissions right now? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Wind turbines have been popping up across the world as a more sustainable way to create electricity. But these turbines can’t last forever, and not all of their parts can be recycled. In this episode, we look into what happens to wind turbines when they wear out. The post What happens to wind turbines when they wear out? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Over the last few months, many of us have turned to digital devices to stay connected. We wondered: how much energy are we using with all of this time online? The post What’s the energy cost of using the internet? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Today we have a question about paper recycling. What happens after you throw paper into the blue bin? How much of that paper actually gets reused? And is it worth the energy it takes to process it? The post What really happens when you recycle paper? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Earlier this year, we did an episode comparing emissions for flying versus driving the same distance. But what if you're driving an RV? Megan runs the number with Stephen after she finishes her own cross-country trip. The post Is driving an RV across the country worse than flying? Part 2 appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Earlier this year, we did an episode comparing emissions for flying versus driving the same distance. But what if you're driving an RV? The post Is driving an RV across the country worse than flying? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

If you flip through magazines or social media today, you might come across advertisements for environmentally-friendly feminine hygiene products. We wondered if they were worth the investment. The post Is it worth it to buy environmentally-friendly feminine hygiene products? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Tree nuts like almonds, walnuts, and pistachios have taken off as a nutrient-dense snack. But all that snacking comes at a price — tree nuts are notorious for requiring a lot of water to grow. In this episode, we’ll unpack whether all that water usage makes a difference. The post Nuts for sustainability appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

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&#82...

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 .

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 .

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...

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 .

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 .

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 .

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 .

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...