Earth Wise

By Randy Simon

From green business and new environmental legislation to how nature impacts our environment in ways never before considered, Earth Wise offers a look at our changing environment.... more

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How many episodes does Earth Wise have?

The podcast currently has 2,517 episodes available.

Earth Wise episodes:

August 13, 2019 Cities And Monarch Butterflies
Monarchs are some of the most well-known butterflies in the U.S. It is well-known that populations of the iconic orange-and-black butterflies have been in a steep decline for the last 20 years. In fact, the Monarch population has declined by 80% over that period.
Milkweed, the only plant that Monarchs can lay their eggs on,
continues to disappear across the United States and with it, the butterflies
can disappear too.
Two new studies published in the journal Frontiers of Ecology and
Evolution show that one of the most important things that can be
done to save the Monarchs is to plant milkweed in cities.
We tend to think of cities as being the enemy of nature. But metropolitan areas actually matter for
wildlife conservation and that is especially true for pollinators like
butterflies that can actually survive with very small patches of habitat.
The new study estimates the amount of habitat in cities that is
available to Monarchs and other pollinators and how much more can potentially
be added. It looked at cities from the
Monarch’s point of view by identifying the best places and most effective ways
to engage land owners to transform low-quality green space – such as lawns –
into high-quality homes for butterflies and other wildlife.
Just because urban dwellers can plant milkweed doesn’t always mean
that they will. There has to be a public
perception that milkweed and other native flowers are acceptable and beautiful
elements in home landscaping. It will
require some shifting of societal norms of what is desirable in neighborhood
gardens in order for cities to be able to do their part in protecting
butterflies and other species struggling in the modern world.
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Web Links
Cities are Key to Saving Monarch Butterflies
Photo, posted August 31, 2012, courtesy of Chris via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
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2min
August 12, 2019 A Solar-Powered Airport
The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport in Tennessee has become the first airport in the United States to run entirely on solar power. The small airport operates over 60,000 flights a year and has recently completed work on a 12-acre, 2.64-megawatt solar farm that generates enough clean electricity to account for the airport’s total energy needs.
The project was funded largely by the Federal Aviation Administration,
cost $10 million, and took nine years to complete. The facility uses onsite batteries to help
power operations at night. The
installation is expected to last 30 to 40 years.
The solar farm is in the southwest corner of the airfield on land that
is unusable for aviation purposes. It is
visible from the two runways at the airport.
Officials from nearly 50 airports around the world have visited or
contacted the Chattanooga airfield in recent years to learn about its solar
operations. Several major airports,
including San Diego and London’s Gatwick, have also installed solar panels that
provide a portion of their power needs.
The world’s busiest airport – Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson – is looking
into constructing renewable energy microgrids to power part of its
operations. Airports generally have
plenty of vacant land that can be used for solar panels that can lower their
power bills.
The largest airport solar installation is actually Cochin
International in Kerala, India, which became 100% solar powered in 2015. It is the 7th largest airport in
India. Its solar array has nearly 30
megawatts of capacity. Airport managers
there were fed up with huge electric bills and invested about $9 million to
install the solar array. It is expected
to have paid for itself in the next couple of years.
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Web Links
Chattanooga Becomes First U.S. Airport to Run Entirely On Solar
Photo courtesy of Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
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2min
August 09, 2019 Off-The-Charts Heat
There have been some blistering heatwaves this summer – in Europe, in the Middle East, and here in the United States. A new report by the Union of Concerned Scientists projects that within the next 20 years, millions of people in the United States could be exposed to dangerous “off-the-charts” heat index conditions of 127 degrees Fahrenheit or more. Within 60 years, over one-third of the population could be exposed to such conditions.
Extreme heat kills hundreds of people every year across the U.S. Our bodies’ natural cooling process is
affected by humidity and the combined heat index measures the impact of high
temperature and high humidity. When the
combined heat index reaches 90 degrees, it is considered to be a “dangerous
day”, when many groups of people are at serious risk.
Because of the warming climate, the number of dangerous days has been
increasing in many parts of the country.
Unless there is success in limiting the effects of climate change, by
2050, even relatively temperate cities like Detroit, Minneapolis, New York, and
Chicago will have 50 or more dangerous days a year. Places like Dallas, Houston, Phoenix and
Miami will experience dangerous days for half of the year.
The National Weather Service’s heat index goes up to 127 degrees Fahrenheit. But in as soon as 20 years, the Southeast,
Southern Great Plains, and Midwest will begin to experience days that are so
hot that they are “off the charts.”
These extreme conditions could still be avoided with steep, rapid
carbon emission reductions. But however
successful we are going forward, the US will still be significantly warmer than
today with 85 urban areas exposed to 30 or more days with a heat index above
105 degrees, compared with just three urban areas historically.
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Web Links
‘Off-the-charts’ heat to affect millions in U.S. in coming decades
Photo, posted August 8, 2008, courtesy of Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
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2min
August 08, 2019 Keeping Lights On For Turtles
Gillnets are one of the most common types of fishing gear and are used extensively in most places where people fish for food. They operate by suspending a wall of netting in the water column.
Unfortunately, they are not selective in the species they catch. Sea turtles are one of the most common
bycatch species that become entangled in these nets. When turtles are caught in gillnets, they can
drown and die. Marine mammals, seabirds,
and sharks are also frequently caught in gillnets.
Recently, researchers have been experimenting with illuminating the
nets with LED lights to see if increasing net visibility reduces sea turtle
bycatch.
Studies in Mexico show green sea turtle bycatch is reduced between
40-60% with no changes in target catch.
Studies in Peru show green sea turtle bycatch is reduced between 65-80%
with no changes in target catch. Studies
in Indonesia show green olive ridley, and hawksbill sea turtle bycatch is
reduced by 60% with increases in target catch and catch value.
Recent research shows that net illumination also reduces bycatch of
other protected species such as seabirds, sharks and rays, as well as dolphins
and porpoises.
The use of illuminated gillnets could prove beneficial to both sea
turtles and fisherman by reducing the bycatch that can damage fishing
gear.
Studies are now underway off the coast of North Carolina, where state gillnet fisheries are carefully managed to reduce turtle bycatch. Initial studies show that net illumination does not change target catch rates and may even decrease the bycatch of unwanted fish species. When it comes to protecting sea turtles, it looks like a good idea to keep the lights on.
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Web Links
Illuminated Nets Could Provide A Brighter Future For Sea Turtles
Photo, posted June 2, 2016, courtesy of NOAA via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
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2min
August 07, 2019 Climate Change And Energy Demand
Human beings are utterly dependent upon energy both for our well-being and for societal development. Our energy use is highly dependent upon climate since so much energy is expended either keeping us warm in winter or cool in summer. As the climate changes, it is important to understand how energy demand is likely to be affected.
A new study published in Nature Communications by researchers
in Austria, Italy and the United States explored this topic. The study is a global analysis using
temperature projections from 21 climate models, and population and economy
projections for five socioeconomic scenarios.
The purpose was to determine how energy demand would shift relative to
today’s climate under modest and high-warming scenarios by the year 2050.
The findings indicate that, compared to scenarios in which energy demand is driven only by population and income growth, climate change will increase the global demand for energy by 11-27% by the year 2050 under a modest warming scenario. With vigorous climate warming, energy demand would increase by 25-58%. (Large areas of the tropics, as well as southern Europe, China, and the US are likely to experience the highest increases).
These findings are important because if energy use rises and leads to
additional emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, it will be increasingly
difficult to mitigate future climate warming.
Quantifying this risk provides even more incentive for reducing
greenhouse gas emissions before these effects upon demand are realized and it
becomes even more difficult to prevent further impacts.
Policymakers need to be aware that even moderate levels of climate
change will lead to increases in energy demand that will make it increasingly
difficult to minimize the harmful effects on their societies.
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Web Links
More energy needed to cope with climate change
Photo, posted December 15, 2008, courtesy of Matt Hintsa via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
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2min
August 06, 2019 Another Bad Year For Bees
The latest annual nationwide survey of beekeepers in the US revealed that honeybees are still dying off at an alarming rate. According to the survey, beekeepers across the country lost 40.7% of their honey bee colonies from April 2018 to April 2019.
This annual loss represents a slight increase over the average annual
loss of 38.7%. Of greater concern is
that winter losses of 37.7% were the highest reported since these annual
surveys began 13 years ago and are almost 9% higher than the survey average.
These results are very troubling considering that the elevated losses
are continuing even after a decade of intense work trying to understand and
reduce colony loss. Evidently, there has
not been much progress.
The number one concern among beekeepers is varroa mites, which are lethal parasites that can readily spread from colony to colony. These mites have been decimating bee colonies for years. Products developed to remove mites seem to be getting less and less effective.
But mites are not the only problem for bees. Land use changes have resulted in reduced
availability of pollen sources for bees.
Add to that pesticide exposures, environmental factors, and even
problems with beekeeping practices. In
addition, extreme weather conditions such as wildfires and floods are only
adding to the problems facing bees.
The tools that used to work for beekeepers seem to be failing and they
are already stretched to their limits trying to keep their bees alive. Honey
bees pollinate $15 billion worth of food crops in the United States each year.
The problems facing bees are a problem for all of us.
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Web Links
U.S. Beekeepers Suffered Higher than Average Colony Loss Last Year, with Winter Losses the Highest Recorded, According to UMD-Led Annual Survey
Photo, posted June 3, 2009, courtesy of Jennifer C via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
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2min
August 05, 2019 A Green Way To Turn Blue
Indigo dye is what is used to color denim cloth and blue jeans. Historically, the dye came from a tropical plant most often found on the Indian subcontinent. Eventually, it became economically favorable to synthesize the dye instead and almost all of the 50,000 tons of the dye used annually is synthetic.
The processes used to make synthetic indigo are efficient and inexpensive, but they often require toxic chemicals and create a lot of dangerous waste. Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Joint BioEnergy Institute have now developed an eco-friendly production platform for a blue pigment called indigoidine. It has a similarly vividly saturated blue hue as synthetic indigo.
The researchers were investigating the ability of various fungal strains to express large enzymes known as NRPSs. They chose an NRPS that converts two amino acid molecules into indigoidine – a blue pigment – in order to make it easy to tell if the strain engineering had worked. Having the culture turn blue was an effective indicator.
Their primary interest was not the pigment but when they saw just how
blue the culture was for one particular fungus, they realized that the fungal
strain did not just produce indigoidine; it produced large amounts of it.
Thus they have found a way to efficiently produce a blue pigment that
uses inexpensive, sustainable carbon sources instead of harsh chemicals. There is already a great deal of interest
from the textile industry, where many companies are eager for more sustainably
sourced pigments because customers are increasingly aware of the impacts of
conventional dyes.
Thanks to a talented fungus called Rhodosporidium toruloides, there may now be a green way to turn blue.
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Web Links
Blue Pigment from Engineered Fungi Could Help Turn the Textile Industry Green
Photo, posted March 7, 2006, courtesy of Willi Heidelbach via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
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August 02, 2019 Fishers Helping To Clean The Oceans
Marine litter – particularly plastics – is a global, persistent, and increasing threat to the oceans. Much of it comes from discarded materials on shore that makes their way to the sea but waste from the fishing industry is a also a major contributor to the problem.
Commercial fishers are acutely aware of the potential for marine
litter to damage and even destroy their livelihoods and are starting to try to
be part of the solution instead of just part of the problem.
An initiative called Fishing for Litter, which has been operating
around the British coastline since 2006, is an example.
With hubs in Scotland and South West of England, FFL aims to reduce
the amount of marine litter in the sea by physically removing it while also
highlighting the importance of good waste management in the fishing fleet. Fishers have to assume responsibility for
their own waste and dispose of it in a responsible manner. They also have a unique ability to access
remote and hard to reach marine litter caused by others.
A survey of 120 commercial fishers revealed that they often found marine litter in their hauls and that keeping the sea and coasts clean was important to them.
The responsibility for reducing marine litter does not belong to any
single industry or organization. It
requires a collective global change of behavior. The problem directly affects fishers, so they
are especially motivated to do something about it. They can make an important contribution to
an issue that ultimately affects us all.
Groups like Fishing for Litter are providing a model for behavior that
we can only hope that others around the world can emulate.
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Web Links
Fishers keen to help address the problem of marine litter
Photo, posted July 9, 2009, courtesy of Rennett Stowe via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
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2min
August 01, 2019 A Record European Heatwave
Sahara Desert winds blasted Europe in June, especially during a five-day heatwave that set many records. Between that and weather elsewhere, June was not only one of the hottest ever for that continent, but also for the world as a whole.
In Europe, the average temperature was about 5 degrees Fahrenheit
above the June average of a century ago.
The global temperature was nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit higher.
The European heatwave broke temperature records in France,
Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and Spain.
A temperature above 114 degrees was recorded near the French city of
Nîmes.
The intense heat lead to wildfires in Spain and Germany, and widespread
disruption across Europe. Undoubtedly,
the heatwave has caused many premature deaths, but it will take some time to
compile those statistics. The European
heatwave of 2003 caused more than 70,000 premature deaths.

According to calculations by climate scientists, the record-breaking heatwave
in June was made at least 5 and as much as 100 times more likely by climate
change. Global heating caused by the
carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels and other human activities means
that heatwaves are becoming more probable and severe. So-called attribution studies estimate how
much more likely and severe such events are.
The researchers used temperature records stretching back to 1901 to
assess the probability of a heatwave last month and in the past. They also examined climate change models to
assess the impact of global heating.
More than 230 attribution studies to date around the world have found
that 95% of heatwaves were made more likely or worse by climate change.
It was the hottest June on record in Europe by a country mile and
there are likely to be more months like it in the future.
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Web Links
Climate Change Made Last Month’s European Heatwave At Least Five Times More Likely
Photo, posted February 13, 2018, courtesy of Guilhem Vellut via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
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July 31, 2019 Climate Change And The Bottom Line
Large companies around the world are facing up to the fact that climate change could substantially affect their bottom lines within the next five years. Shareholders and regulators have been applying pressure to companies to disclose the specific financial impacts they could face as the planet warms and companies are increasingly making those disclosures.
A non-profit charity called CDP (formerly known as the Carbon
Disclosure Project) runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies,
cities, states, and regions to manage their environmental impacts. In 2018, more than 7,000 companies submitted
reports to CDP and, for the first time, CDP explicitly asked firms to try to
calculate how a warming planet might affect them financially.
Analysis of the reports from 215 of the world’s 500 largest corporations revealed that these companies alone potentially faced roughly $1 trillion in costs related to climate change in the decades ahead unless they took proactive steps to prepare.
Climate-related risks range from extreme weather that could disrupt supply chains to stricter climate regulations that could hurt the value of coal, oil, and gas investments. Technology companies like Google’s parent company, Alphabet, Inc., face increased costs to cool energy-hungry data centers as temperatures rise.
In all, the world’s largest companies estimated that at least $250
billion of assets may need to be written off or retired early as the planet
heats up. Previous studies, based on
computer climate modeling, have estimated that the risks of global warming, if
left unmanaged, could cost the world’s financial sector between $1.7 trillion
to $24.2 trillion in net present value terms.
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Web Links
Companies See Climate Change Hitting Their Bottom Lines in the Next 5 Years
Photo, posted February 29, 2016, courtesy of Ben Nuttall via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
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FAQs about Earth Wise:

How many episodes does Earth Wise have?

The podcast currently has 2,517 episodes available.