Possibly Podcast

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...

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 .

How is COVID-19 affecting our air quality? The post How has coronavirus impacted air quality? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

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 R...

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 .

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 .

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 .

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 .

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 .

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 .

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 Pos...

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 .

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 .

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 .

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 .