Possibly Podcast

A new program at the Boston Medical Center says it prescribes solar panels to patients. But we wondered, what does that really mean? The post Can a doctor give you a prescription for solar panels? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

The two sides just reached a settlement that will have a major impact on the state's carbon emissions. The post What happened when young people sued Hawai’i’s Department of Transportation? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

A new technology promises to suck water vapor out of the air and turn it into water that we can drink. How do they work and are these worthy investments? The post Should we use hydropanels to pull clean water out of thin air? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Brown University's gym recently installed machines that turn kinetic energy into electricity. Could these machines put a dent in our energy needs? The post Could we use gym equipment to make electricity? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

A new book by Possibly’s founder Stephen Porder titled Elemental: How Five Elements Changed Earth’s Past and Will Shape Our Future, explores the rare times in Earth’s past when organisms changed the world. Understanding how they did it might help us build a more sustainable future. The post What can organisms that changed the world teach us about climate change? appeared first on TPR: The Public&#...

Paved surfaces like roads, sidewalks, and driveways send stormwater into our sewers, but engineering solutions that filter water through the ground can help keep our sewers and waterways clean. The post Are sewers the best way to deal with stormwater? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

During heavy rain, Providence's sewers used to get overwhelmed and dump untreated sewage into the Bay. But thanks to a project to increase the capacity of sewers, untreated sewage rarely makes it into our waterways anymore. The post How did the Narragansett Bay get so much cleaner? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

At Possibly we think a lot about how to make complicated climate science and policy easy to understand. And we’re not the only ones! Some comedians are playing an important role in re-thinking how we talk about climate change. The post Is climate change funny? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Despite what the packaging says, flushable wipes should never be flushed down the toilet! They can cause blockages in the sewer system and create all kinds of problems. Just toss ‘em in the trash instead! The post Despite the name, flushable wipes are not flushable appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

For decades now, people have been installing solar panels, wind turbines and more to transition our energy to renewable sources – but we wondered, how’s it going? We turned to California's electric grid for answers. The post Are we close to 100% renewable energy? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

For decades wilderness areas have provided access and protection to millions of acres of land. Today, climate change is shifting how we think about the importance and management of these places. The post What are wilderness areas and why do they matter? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Last summer Possibly reporter Charlie Adams spent ten weeks on a conservation crew in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, a slice of northwest Montana spanning over one million acres. This got him wondering, what is “wilderness”? The post What is Wilderness? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

One Possibly listener wondered why she saw so many dead fish in the water last spring. Turns out it’s called a fish kill – which can happen when there isn’t enough oxygen in the water for fish to survive. The post Why did I see a bunch of dead fish in the Providence River? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

The transportation sector is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gasses in the U.S., and cars make up most of those emissions. So how can public transportation help reduce our emissions? The post How can buses become a climate solution? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Providence has set the goal of being carbon neutral by 2050. And recently, the city government passed a new ordinance to help it meet that goal. The post How will Providence make its buildings carbon neutral? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Talking about climate change is never easy. Today, we get some tips from five experts on how to do it gracefully. The post How can I explain climate change to my friends and family? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

We’ve celebrated Earth Day in the United States for more than 50 years. Today, we’re taking a look at what made the first Earth Day in 1970 such a big deal, and whether the modern version needs a reboot. The post Is it time to rethink Earth Day? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Last week we learned that individuals’ home water consumption doesn’t really make a dent in the water supply, and the benefit of personal water conservation is saving energy. So, who does affect the water supply? And why should they conserve water? The post Whose behavior really affects the water supply? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Saving water might not seem all that important in a humid climate like Rhode Island. But actually, there are plenty of reasons why water conservation is always a good idea for people and the planet. The post Why should I use less water in a wet state like Rhode Island? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Today, we’re taking a look at how we dispose of our food. Next time you’re scraping a plate, should that food go into compost, your sink disposal, or the trash? The post What’s the best way to get rid of my food scraps?  appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Today’s question comes from a listener here in Rhode Island. They’ve been following local efforts to start a deposit recycling program for bottles and cans like some other states have, and they’re wondering, do these incentive programs really work? The post Do bottle bills work? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Natural gas is basically methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. States are looking for ways to use less of this energy source, and Massachusetts has a new plan to do just that. The post What does the future of natural gas look like in Massachusetts? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

At Possibly, we’re always thinking about ways to generate renewable energy, so when a listener wrote in asking if electric eels could be the next clean energy solution, we got curious! The post Can we harness electricity from Electric Eels? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

With spring cleaning right around the corner, we’re looking into ways you can keep your damaged fabrics out of the landfill. The post How do I Recycle Damaged Clothes or Fabric? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Last summer Possibly reporter Charlie Adams spent ten weeks on a conservation crew in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, a slice of northwest Montana spanning over one million acres. This got him wondering, what is “wilderness”? The post What is Wilderness? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .