Possibly Podcast

Today, we’re talking about oil spills. You might remember big spills like Exxon Valdez in 1989 and Deepwater Horizon in 2010, but even today, oil spills still happen. That makes us wonder: what have we learned from them over time? The post How will we deal with oil spills in the future? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

We talk a lot about climate change and what we can do to slow down or prevent the worst outcomes at a global scale. But the impacts of climate change can be completely different from state to state or even neighborhood to neighborhood. Why? Naomi Deokule and Ashley Junger from our Possibly team looked into one explanation: racism. The post Why are some neighborhoods more vulnerable to climate chan...

We did it. My family finally bought an electric car. What’s it like? Should you get one too? Here to help me explain is my husband, Ryan T Conaty. The post What’s it like to own an electric car? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

When people talk about climate change, it’s often described as something that might happen in the future. But, we’ve been breaking records for the hottest day on earth all summer. Here to explain what all of this means is our founder and the provost for sustainability at Brown University, Stephen Porder. The post Why are we breaking records for the hottest day on record? appeared first on TPR: The...

In this episode, we’re going to be looking at what it really means for something to be “better” for the environment. To find out, we’re going to talk about an instance where it’s not so clear. The post What makes something ‘better’ for the environment? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

The other day our reporter Iman Khanbhai was heading to the mall to buy some jeans and I wondered- what would create more emissions- taking an electric scooter or getting an Uber? So, she and reporter Malia Honda decided to look into it. The post Should I take an e-scooter or an Uber? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Ever wanted to be a pirate and sail the high seas? Well, you can, but it's about to get a little harder. Here to tell us more are Anna Amha and Riley Stevenson from our Possibly Team. The post What’s the big deal about the high seas? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

he other day while I was shaving in the shower, I wondered- what’s the environmental impact of keeping my legs hair free? To find out, we had Malia Honda and Iman Khanbhai from our Possibly Team look into this question. The post What’s the environmental impact of shaving? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Earlier this year, one of our Possibly reporters, Will Malloy, visited a maple syrup farm. And he was surprised to learn that those farmers weren’t harvesting as much maple syrup as they have in the past. He was curious if climate change had anything to do with it, so he joined up with reporter Grace Samaha to find out. The post Why is it getting harder to harvest local maple syrup? appeared first...

In the last few weeks, we’ve talked about towns that are creating plans to prepare for rising waters. Today, we’re taking a look at an example of what can happen when that planning is too slow. What should cities do when people want to leave because of climate-related disasters? The post How are other cities responding to rising waters? Part 2 appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Today, we’re talking about how cities and towns are preparing for rising waters. Right here in Rhode Island, the town of Warren is developing a plan to relocate residents who live in an area that’s prone to flooding. But Warren isn’t the only place that is threatened by rising sea levels. In order to get some perspective, we looked at other communities that are grappling with the same issue. The p...

If you’re a coffee drinker like me, you might feel a little guilty about all those paper cups you end up tossing out when you visit a café. But now that the pandemic is winding down, coffee shops like Starbucks are starting to let customers use their own cups again. So is it time for all of us to make the switch over to reusable coffee cups? The post Should I bring a reusable mug to the coffee sho...

There are a lot of ways to make your morning coffee. You could use a french press, a drip machine, a machine with coffee pods…the list goes on and on. But which way creates the fewest greenhouse gas emissions? The post What’s the most energy efficient way to make my coffee? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

We’ve used the Earth’s heat as an industrial energy source for over a century, but geothermal power only plays a minor role in our energy grid. Why? And is that about to change? The post How can we get more energy from heat in the ground? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Today we’re taking on a question from listener Megan Heinz. She often picks up her son at his school in the car pickup line. And she's wondering if it’s better for her to turn the car on and off again as the line moves forward, or if she should let the car idle. The post Should I idle my car or stop and restart? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Rhode Island is the first state in the country to build an offshore wind farm, and there are plans for many more. But recently, opponents of wind energy have claimed offshore wind is harming whales and other marine mammals. The post There’s no evidence offshore wind kills whales appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Today, we have a question from a member of our Possibly team- Meg Talikoff. She's from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, but she goes to school here in Providence. That means she usually has to take a flight to go back home. She was feeling guilty about that, and I wanted to figure out a way to offset the emissions she creates by taking that trip. The post What’s a lifestyle change that could can...

You’ve probably heard of fungi, whether it’s mold in your bathroom or mushrooms on your favorite hiking trail, but recently, I’ve been hearing that fungi also play an underappreciated role in our climate. What’s that about? The post How do fungi help combat climate change? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

We know methane is a really potent greenhouse gas, and in other episodes, we’ve talked about what the federal government is doing to crack down on industrial methane leaks. Today we’re bringing it closer to home. The post What do we do about methane leaks in our neighborhoods? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Today, we have a question from one of our reporters, Kolya Shields. They're an artist, and they want to know: can art help fight climate change? The post Can art help fight climate change? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Recently, Rhode Island certified its first “Passive House.” What does that mean? And will we all live in one someday? The post What’s a passive house? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

It’s ski season–but in recent years rising temperatures have made it harder for resorts in New England to rely on natural snow. Instead, they have to make it. But what’s the environmental impact of all that artificial snow? The post What’s the environmental impact of artificial snow? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Normally when we talk about emissions, we’re talking about carbon dioxide. But recently there’s been more focus on another greenhouse gas, methane. The post What is the US doing to reduce methane emissions? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

We usually talk about how individuals can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, but what about governments and corporations? Today we’re taking a look at a new European Union plan that aims to help fight global warming. The post How can governments reduce their greenhouse gas emissions? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Public interest in cryptocurrencies has been on a bit of a rollercoaster over the past few years. But there’s one thing that hasn’t really changed- the massive amount of energy it takes to create them. But why? And does it have to be that way? The post Cryptocurrency uses a lot of energy. Does it have to? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .