Possibly Podcast

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 .

The time has come! Our family needs a new car, and I’m ready to go electric. But, which one should I buy? Here to help me out is our founder and Brown University’s Provost for sustainability, Stephen Porder. The post What’s the best electric car for my family? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Warren, Rhode Island is one of the smallest towns in the smallest state — but when it comes to dealing with climate change, it has big plans. Located on the East Bay, the town is already seeing the effects of rising sea levels, and it’s starting to adapt. The post What do you do when rising waters threaten a neighborhood? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

A lot of birds will circle well-lit buildings until they’re too exhausted to fly anymore. Then they’ll fall to the ground, where they usually die without food or water. The post Should we be turning our lights out for birds? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Last year, Kolya from our Possibly team and I worked with the Providence Stormwater Innovation center. Their job was to track flooding across the city, which made them wonder: why are we seeing more of these floods? And what is Providence doing to prevent them? The post Why are we seeing more floods in cities? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

When the Inflation Reduction Act passed last summer, there was a lot of talk about the money that was going toward environmental justice communities. But since then, we haven’t heard much about where that money has gone. So we had Juliana Merullo and Charlie Adams look into it for us! The post What will the Inflation Reduction Act do about Environmental Justice? appeared first on TPR: The Public&#...

For the past few weeks, we’ve been talking about the Inflation Reduction Act, a law that puts hundreds of billions of dollars in federal money towards addressing climate change. Today, We're going to look at how states can take advantage of this new law. The post How will states use money from the Inflation Reduction Act to address climate change? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Last year, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act. Despite the name, it actually includes a lot of plans to address climate change. Last week, we went over the big-picture plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But what will these policies mean for you? And when can you start taking advantage of them? The post How will the Inflation Reduction Act affect me? appeared first on TPR: The Publi...

Sometimes it seems like Congress passes a big bill, it’s in the news for a few weeks, and then we forget about it. Last year, when President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, there was a lot of talk about how the bill would help the US address climate change. But how? And what happens now? The post How does a law to reduce inflation affect climate change? appeared first on TPR: The Public&...

For the first episode of a new year, our Possibly team decided to think about all of our episodes and how they might inspire our resolutions for 2023. Here's what some of us had to say. The post Our 2023 resolutions appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

We all have those clothes that just sit in the back of our closets for years and never get used. Maybe it’s that t-shirt from college or that sentimental, but totally ugly scarf that grandma gave us for Christmas. This week, we look into what to do with the clothing you don’t want anymore. The post What should I do with clothing I don’t want anymore? appeared first on TPR: The Public's...

Today, we have a question from a listener named Susan. She wants to know about gift wrapping: “Is it better for the environment to wrap Christmas gifts in fabric you can use over again rather than paper?” The post Should I wrap my presents in fabric or paper? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Today, we’re traveling to Block Island, the vacation spot off the southern coast of Rhode Island. Block Island is also famous for its offshore wind farm- the first of its kind in the entire nation. What did it take to make this project possible? And is it a success? The post How did Rhode Island get the first offshore wind farm in the country? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

We get a lot of questions about recycling, asking what to do with aluminum cans, glass, paper, or even plastic. All this has me wondering: when did we start recycling? How did it get so popular? The post When did we start recycling? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .

Today, we're talking turkey. With the holidays coming up, you can choose a bird that is free-range, organic, or conventional. But what’s the difference between them? And which type of turkey is best for the planet? The post What kind of turkey should I buy? appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .