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Is It Worth It To Wash And Re-use Ziploc Bags?
Based on our research, the energy and water use for both is about equal. So, go ahead and wash those bags, but try to keep the water temperature low. And if you have a particularly dirty bag, filled...
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Let us know your question for Possibly. Megan: Welcome to Possibly, where we take on huge problems like the future of our planet. And break them down into small questions with unexpected answers. I’m...
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What Should You Do If You Can’t Compost Your Food Scraps?
Megan Hall: Welcome to Possibly, where we take on huge problems like the future of our planet. And break them down into small questions with unexpected answers. I’m Megan Hall. Today we have a...
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Can We Plant Enough Trees To Fix Global Warming?
In general, the carbon dioxide cycle works this way- plants pull CO2 out of the air, people or animals eat those plants, and then breathe CO2 back out. Before the industrial revolution, the amount of...
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How Can You Reduce The Environmental “Pawprint” Of Your Cat?
First, some good news – the metal cans and litter that come with having a cat aren’t that big a deal when you compare them to the rest of the recycling and trash coming out of your house. The bigger...
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To Cut Carbon Emissions From Food, Focus On Beef
By far, the worst food product in terms of carbon emissions is beef. The average American eats a pound of beef per week, which is equivalent to the emissions of driving from Providence to Newport....
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Why Did The Fires In The Amazon Happen This Summer, And Are They Normal?
Fire in the Amazon is not part of a natural cycle and was not common before people started to clear the forest. The solution is better environmental enforcement in Brazil to prevent deforestation and...
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Dairy, Almond, Oat Or Soy: Which Milk Has The Lowest Emissions?
It depends on what you mean by “better.” For this episode, we looked at greenhouse gas emissions to measure which type of milk is “best.” Using that perspective, if you’re buying milk in Rhode Island,...
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The Hot Club Marina Trash Skimmer
The skimmer removes trash and oil sheen from the river- it collected about 3,000 pounds in the first six months of its operation. It doesn’t collect all the trash that washes in from the streets, but...
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What’s The Most Energy Efficient Way To Boil Water?
The stove and microwave use about the same amount of energy to boil a cup of water, but an electric tea kettle uses about half as much energy as either. Whatever appliance you use to boil water,...
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Does Speeding Waste Gas?
The answer lies in drag: every time you double the speed you travel in a car, the energy you use quadruples. That’s because you’re fighting against more air resistance. This means your gas mileage is...
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What’s The Point Of Putting Wind Farms In The Ocean?
Wind speeds on the ocean are more consistent and faster and allow for the greatest energy production during when people use electricity the most. Plus, there is more space out in the ocean for taller...
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How Is Climate Change Affecting Fish In New England?
This means that fish populations are not stable so fisheries can’t rely on what they used to catch and have to adapt by changing what and how much they catch. People outside the fishing industry can...
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How Will Ocean Acidification Affect Fish Populations And The Fishing Industry?
In particular, shellfish struggle because this acidification makes it more difficult for them to form their shells. Since shellfish account for almost half of the state’s fishing industry, this could...
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How Many Wind Turbines Would It Take To Power Rhode Island?
If we could figure out all of these issues, it would take about 225 wind turbines to generate the amount of electricity produced by a natural gas power plant, like the one proposed in Burrillville....
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Should Nuclear Power Play A Role In Addressing Climate Change?
Megan: Welcome to Possibly, where we take on huge problems like the future of our planet and use science to find everyday solutions. I’m Megan Hall. Today we have a question from listener Alec...
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What’s The Most Energy-Efficient Way To Heat Your Home?
Megan Hall: Welcome to Possibly, where we take on huge problems like the future of our planet and break them down into small questions with unexpected answers. I’m Megan Hall. If you’re like most...
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Divided Waters – Can Offshore Wind Energy And The Fishing Industry Coexist In...
Rhode Island is in the center of a complicated conversation about the future of our oceans. Our state had the first 5 off-shore wind turbines in the country, and there are hundreds more planned...
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Are Carbon Offsets Worth It?
Carbon offsets are designed to compensate for the carbon dioxide emissions we create. You can offset your carbon by paying for projects that absorb carbon out of the air or avoid future emissions....
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What Creates More Greenhouse Emissions – Flying Or Driving?
In general, if you’re traveling alone, driving creates two times the emissions of flying in a plane. Driving with just two people in the car makes flying and driving roughly equivalent and adding more...
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