Possibly Podcast

After a powerful heatwave swept across the northeast last week, Possibly turned to its archive, looking for lessons about how to better prepare for extreme heat. We travel to Ahmedabad, India to learn more. The post How can we prepare for heat waves? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

With the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this year, fireworks will soon light up American skies. Do these tiny explosions have an impact on our environment or our health? The post How do fireworks affect the environment? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Rodenticides, used by farmers to keep rodent populations down and protect their crops, can cause all sorts of harm to wildlife, especially birds. But this week on Possibly we're talking to some farmers who are turning to a more natural pest control solution. The post Can owls help farms use fewer chemicals? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

In Los Angeles, a new crop of curbside libraries are helping communities recover after last year’s wildfires. But instead of books, these libraries are full of seeds. The post What are seed libraries? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

This week on Possibly, we’re taking a closer look at how plastics have given the fossil fuel industry a new business platform — with hardly anyone noticing they’re even in the market. The post How are the plastic and fossil fuel industries connected? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Plastic products cost us, even after we’re done with them — That’s because municipal recycling is paid with taxpayer money. But could the companies that made these products be responsible for paying for them? The post What is extended producer responsibility? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Extreme heat can have serious health consequences, but until recently, public health researchers only had imprecise tools to study it. Brown University Professor Allan Just is working to change that. The post How do researchers know that heat waves affect our health? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Our planet is getting hotter, but at the same time, snow storms seem to be getting bigger. In the wake of Rhode Island’s record setting blizzard, we’re looking back at a 2022 episode of Possibly that explains what’s going on. The post How has climate change affected our snow storms? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

It seems like microplastics are everywhere these days — but their impacts on human health remain unclear. Today we take a closer look at why that is and how scientists are trying to get a clearer picture. The post How do we know if microplastics affect our health? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Microplastics are all around us, even if we can’t see them. This week, the Possibly team investigates where they come from and why sometimes, they’re even made on purpose. The post Where do microplastics come from? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

More than 9 million students had school disrupted by climate change last year. Researchers at Brown University have launched the SustainableED initiative to study what rising temperatures will mean for our education system. The post How should schools respond to climate change? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Every winter, thousands of New England boats are sealed in single-use shrink wrap. Almost all of that plastic will end up in a landfill by the end of the year. Could reusable boat covers be a more sustainable solution? The post Is there a more sustainable way to cover boats? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

This week on Possibly we’re talking to reporter Juliana Merullo about what it’s like living in Uruguay, a country with an electric grid run almost completely on renewable energy. The post What is it like to live in a country with a fully renewable electric grid? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

This week on Possibly we’re talking to Ramón Mendez Galain, a physicist who helped the small South American country transition its electric grid to renewable energy almost overnight. The post How did Uruguay transition to a fully renewable electric grid? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Climate change makes a lot of us feel anxious, overwhelmed, or helpless. This week on Possibly we travel north, to a place where people can unpack all of these feelings. The post What is a Climate Cafe? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

With cold weather and snow coating our roofs, you might wonder if solar panels are still effective this time of year. So this week on Possibly we’re answering your snowy solar panel questions. The post When do solar panels work? When don’t they? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

As we head into a new year, the Possibly team decided to think about all of our episodes, and how they might inspire our resolutions for 2026. Here’s what some of us had to say. The post Our resolutions for 2026 appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Literally blocking out the sun may sound extreme, but scientists are debating whether using dust particles to reflect sunlight away from the Earth could be a temporary solution if climate change gets out of control. The post Could we use a space umbrella to cool down the planet? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Last week in California, UC Irvine opened the nation’s first all-electric hospital, part of an attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the medical sector. This week on Possibly we talked to someone who helped build it. The post How do you build an all-electric hospital? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Only about a third of the glass used in the U.S. gets recycled. That’s much lower than Europe, where some countries have recycling rates above 90%. So what gives? And what can we do about it? The post Why is the US glass recycling rate so low? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

If you’re planning to deck your house with lights this holiday season, you have a choice to make: stick with incandescent lightbulbs, or go for LEDs. This week on Possibly we break down what each option means for the planet, and your electric bill. The post What kind of holiday lights should I buy? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Turkeys are more than just a Thanksgiving meal, they're a part of forest ecosystems across the country. In this episode of Possibly, we take a look at how they made a major comeback in New England after being driven to local extinction. The post Wild turkeys were locally extinct for decades. How did they come back? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Spotted lanternflies, Japanese barberry, Oriental bittersweet – When plants and animals like these invade our environment, they can disrupt other organisms that are native to the region. But can we stop these species? And should we? The post What should we do about invasive species, and should we do anything at all? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Red seaweed has been washing up on Rhode Island beaches for years, but what is it? This week on Possibly we explain what’s causing this red seaweed to appear, how it’s different from harmful “red tides” and how it might help the planet. The post Should we be concerned about red seaweed washing up on Rhode Island’s beaches? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Believe it or not, there can be pretty significant carbon emissions from your pet’s food. This week on Possibly, we explain why, and show some easy ways to reduce your pet’s carbon “pawprint.” The post What’s the environmental impact of feeding our pets? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .