With cold weather and snow coating our roofs, you might wonder if solar panels are still effective this time of year. So this week on Possibly we’re answering your snowy solar panel questions.

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 question from a listener. Margret Bulmer wonders whether solar panels still work in the winter when they’re covered with snow.

We had Maddy Adams and Luci Jones from our Possibly Team look into this question. Welcome, Maddy and Luci!

Maddy Adams: Hi, Megan!

Luci Jones: Hey!

Megan Hall: How does snow affect solar panels?

Maddy Adams: It’s a good question, and we needed some help to answer it.

Luci Jones: So we spoke with Andrew Gabor. He works for Brightspot Automation, a company that makes equipment to test how well solar panels are working.

Maddy Adams: He told us solar panels are pretty low maintenance.

Andrew Gabor: It’s really elegant, there’s no moving parts, it’s just this black box, you stick out in the field and, and convert sunlight to electricity and can do that for 30 years with no problems.

Megan Hall: That sounds easy enough!

Luci Jones: And he says, solar panels actually work pretty well in the winter…

Andrew Gabor: In wintertime the panels get cold. So some people think, oh, that could be a problem. And it turns out, it’s not.

Maddy Adams: Andrew says solar panels are actually more efficient in the winter.

Megan Hall: Really? Why?

Maddy Adams: Well first of all, solar panels create energy from the light of the sun, not the heat of the sun.

Luci Jones: Meaning you don’t need to live in a hot place for your solar panels to work well.

Megan Hall: Got it.

Maddy Adams: But there’s another reason too. Bear with us here, it’s gonna get a little technical…

Megan Hall: Ok.

Luci Jones: Solar panels work to produce electricity, which is the flow of tiny charged particles called electrons.

Maddy Adams: Electrons resting in a solar panel get excited when they’re hit with sunlight

Luci Jones: and the difference between their resting energy and their excited energy is what produces power.

Maddy Adams: when it’s hotter outside, the electrons already have a higher resting energy.

Luci Jones: so when they’re hit with sunlight, there’s less of an energy difference between their resting and excited states.

Megan Hall: So, a warm electron that gets hit with sun creates less energy than a cold one that gets hit with sun?

Maddy Adams: Basically. Or, close enough for us non-physicists.

Luci Jones: That means, solar panels don’t just work well in the cold, they thrive in the cold!

Maddy Adams: It’s pretty cool (pun intended).

Megan Hall: But what about Margaret’s question- do solar panels still work when they’re covered with snow?

Maddy Adams: Andrew says, not really.

Andrew Gabor: Their efficiency will be very low when they’re covered with snow. They can work a little bit if there’s a thin dusting of snow, some sunlight can get through it.

Luci Jones: But if there’s no light hitting the panel, it can’t generate electricity.

Maddy Adams: Still, this isn’t usually a big problem. Solar panels are often installed on an angle to get the most direct sunlight.

Luci Jones: So, if a panel has snow on it, with a little help from gravity, the snow slides off.

Megan Hall: When do solar panels work their absolute best?

Luci Jones: Andrew says it’s a combination of factors:

Andrew Gabor: When the sun is shining the brightest, when the panels are pointed most directly at the sun, and when the temperature is coolest.

Maddy Adams: Overall, the amount of sunlight is the most important, so summer months are still when solar panels produce the most electricity.

Luci Jones: But don’t shy away from getting solar panels just because you live in a snowy, cold place!

Maddy Adams: And over a year, if you have enough solar panels in the right location, you can  produce more electricity than your house needs.

Megan Hall: Great! Thanks, Maddy and Luci!

That’s it for today. You can find more information, or ask a question about the way your choices affect our planet, at askpossibly.org. You can also subscribe to Possibly wherever you get your podcasts or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Bluesky at  “askpossibly”

Possibly is a co-production of Brown University’s Institute for Environment and Society, Brown’s Climate Solutions Initiative, and Ocean State Media.

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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. 

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. Luci Jones and Albert Wu from our Possibly Team are here to tell us more about it. 

Luci Jones: Hi, Megan! 

Albert Wu: Hey there!

Megan Hall: So what is this plan?

Luci Jones: OK, are you ready for some acronyms? It’s called the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism—or the CBAM for short. Basically, it’s a carbon tariff on imports that come into the European Union

Megan: Which means? 

Albert Wu: If someone wants to sell a product in the European Union, they have to pay a tax on the carbon emissions that were created in the process of making it. 

Luci Jones: It’s easiest to explain with an example.

Albert Wu: Let’s say you run a company in the EU that makes something that causes a lot of greenhouse gas emissions, like the production of steel. 

Luci Jones: The EU charges for carbon emissions, so your steel is expensive compared to steel made in countries that don’t charge for those emissions. 

Albert Wu: In that way, the EU’s regulations on carbon puts its own steel companies at an economic disadvantage. 

Luci Jones: That’s where CBAM comes in. It’s meant to level the playing field.

Megan: How?

Albert Wu: Well, let’s go back to the steel example. With CBAM, all steel imported from outside of the EU will ALSO pay an additional tax.

Luci Jones: That price of the tax is determined by how much carbon was emitted while making the product.

Albert Wu: So the price of the imported steel will now be on par with the price of the steel made by EU companies that are already paying for their carbon emissions.

Luci Jones: If the country they’re importing from already has a carbon taxation system in place, that tariff price goes down, making the item easier to import into the EU. 

Albert Wu: 

This encourages outside countries to create their own programs for controlling carbon emissions.

Megan: And has this worked? Has it lowered emissions?

Albert Wu: Well, this is the first legislation of its kind—and it hasn’t gone into effect yet. CBAM starts in October and it’s being phased in slowly. So, we won’t necessarily see the full results for a while.

Luci Jones: And The law already has some critics. Some people worry that CBAM will hurt consumers by making everything more expensive. 

Albert Wu: Other critics say that making the price of carbon-intensive products higher in the EU may make it tougher for smaller and less wealthy countries to sell their products to people in the European Union.

Luci Jones: And although the EU is big, it’s only one piece of the global puzzle. We’ll have to wait to see if other countries like the US and China choose to do something similar.

Albert Wu: All that said, most experts agree that a high enough price on carbon is an essential tool for reducing global emissions. 

Luci Jones: It will be way more expensive to deal with the destruction that comes with climate change than it will be to limit emissions.

Megan Hall: Got it! Thanks, Luci and Albert

That’s it for today. For more information, or to ask a question about the way your choices affect our planet, go to the public’s radio dot org slash possibly. Or subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook at ask possibly.

Possibly is a co-production of Brown University’s Institute for Environment and Society, Brown’s Climate Solutions Initiative, and the Public’s Radio.

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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.

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? 

We had Albert Wu and Luci Jones from our Possibly team look into this question. 

Albert Wu: Hi, Megan! 

Luci Jones: Hello!

Megan Hall: So, remind me. What are cryptocurrencies?

Luci Jones: They’re digital currencies that aren’t controlled by governments or financial institutions. They rely on something called the blockchain, which is a public record of all the transactions that people make. 

Albert Wu: Blockchain makes these currencies secure and difficult to hack. 

Megan: So how do you get cryptocurrency? 

Albert Wu: It depends, but for popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, you have to “mine” them. 

Megan: How do you do that?

Luci Jones: Basically, you have to solve complicated math puzzles. The first person to solve the problem gets the coin, so to be successful you have to solve these questions as fast as possible.

Albert Wu: And to do that, you need powerful computers that use up a lot of energy.

Megan: Like, how much?

Albert Wu: In the United States alone, cryptocurrency consumes a little over 1% of total U.S. electricity. That’s about the amount used by all home computers or residential lighting.

Luci Jones: And globally, crypto mining emits as much CO2 as the country of Greece.

Megan Hall: Is there a fix? 

Luci Jones: Yes! In fact, one cryptocurrency actually made a big change to reduce their carbon emissions.

Albert Wu: To learn more, we spoke to:

Daniela Barbosa: Daniela Barbosa. And I am the executive director of the Hyperledger Foundation. Which is an open-source consortium which has been working with enterprises, public sector, and the global market for blockchain based solutions.

Luci Jones: Daniela’s foundation works closely with Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency after Bitcoin. It’s currently worth over 200 billion dollars.

Megan: That’s a lot of money! What was this change that they made?

Luci Jones: Basically, Ethereum converted its entire system to proof-of-stake.

Megan Hall: And what does that mean?

Albert Wu: Instead of thousands of people competing to solve energy-intensive puzzles, with proof-of-stake, everyone sets aside a number of coins. Then, people are randomly selected from that pool to process transactions.

Luci Jones: The ones who put in a bigger stake have a higher chance of getting selected, and getting cryptocurrency as a reward.

Megan: How is this process more energy efficient? 

Luci Jones: Well, Daniela says-

Daniela Barbosa: With proof of stake, your energy is on putting the stake down, but you don’t have to compete with everybody else. Once you put your stake in, it is now there. You’re not doing computational energy to get to the next block.

Luci Jones: With the old way of getting cryptocurrency, it’s like you’re driving a race car in the Daytona 500. Everyone in the race uses a bunch of fuel, but only one person wins the prize money. 

Albert Wu: But for a proof of stake system, it’s like everyone puts their name in a hat and one winner is pre-selected. That means only the winning driver needs to fill up their tank and cruise to the finish line to take their medal.

Luci Jones: Both systems are a lot more complicated than that, but that’s the basic idea. 

Megan Hall: That makes sense. So did this change make a big difference in Ethereum’s carbon emissions?

Luci Jones: You bet! After switching to this new approach, emissions from Ethereum dropped by 99.99%. 

Albert Wu: It went from creating over 12 million tons of carbon dioxide per year to only one thousand.

Luci Jones: You’re going from country-sized emissions to that of a small, rural town. 

Megan Hall: Cool! 

Albert Wu: We’ll have to wait and see if other cryptocurrencies follow in Ethereum’s footsteps. But for now, it shows that small changes in technology can greatly benefit the environment.

Megan Hall: Great! Thanks, Albert and Luci!

That’s it for today. For more information, or to ask a question about the way your choices affect our planet, go to the public’s radio dot org slash possibly. Or subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. 

Possibly is a co-production of Brown University’s Institute for Environment and Society, Brown’s Climate Solutions Initiative, and The Public’s Radio.

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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. As we head into 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.

Emily Tom:

Hi, my name is Emily Tom, and I’m a reporter for possibly after listening to our episode about faux leather that’s actually made out of mushrooms. I want to be more conscious about the choices I make as a consumer by buying more secondhand clothing, avoiding fast fashion, and of course looking out for new and sustainable ways that we can make new clothing.

Charlie Adams

Hey there, my name is Charlie Adams and I’m a reporter with possibly this year, I’m resolved to kindly tell him that parents know when they asked him to rake the lawn. If you’re interested in saving yourself time, check out our previous episode on raking.

Juliana Merullo

Hi, this is Juliana Merullo. I was sort of freaked out about our episode on vampire energy. So this year, I’m going to try to do a home energy audit and figure out which my appliances are taking up so much power.

Janek Schaller

I’m Janek Schaller. I was inspired by our episode on the Block Island wind farm. So I resolved to make time in the new year to travel to the island to see how the project has changed life for the people that live there.

Kolya Shields

Hi, I’m Kolya Shields, and I was inspired by our episode on bees and the threats they face from climate change. And so my resolution is to plant more pollinator friendly plants in my garden that lasts longer periods of the year.

Megan Hall

I’m Megan Hall and I’m the host of Possibly. Almost five years ago, for one of our first episodes, I had some experts look at my house to make it more energy efficient. So I think it’s time to try that again, especially with all the new rebates coming from the federal government.

Luci Jones

Hi, I’m Luci Jones, and I’m a senior reporter at possibly this year, I was inspired by our episode on kamikatsu, the town in Japan that’s committed to zero waste. So my New Year’s resolution is to try to be more conscious about how I recycle and use what I already have in more intentional ways rather than throwing things out or buying something new.

Albert Wu

Hi, this is Albert Wu. I was inspired by our episode on what makes a recyclable contaminated. My New Year’s resolution is to rinse or wipe single use plastics as best as I can before putting them into the recycling.

Ashley Junger

Hi, I’m Ashley Junger and I’m possiblys managing producer I converted to using laundry detergent sheets after working on our episode, should I ditch liquid detergent. This year, I want to continue looking for little switches that I can make to reduce the emissions or waste that I generate.

Harrison Katz

Hi, I’m Harrison Katz and I’m a senior reporter at possibly, I’ve really been inspired by our episode on how internet use affects carbon emissions. So this year, my resolution is to try and keep my camera off and zoom meetings and make sure I’m streaming my shows in standard definition instead of high definition.

Marin Warshay

Hello, my name is Marin and for my New Year’s resolution, I would love to start composting. We have a place to drop off compost really close to us. So it seems feasible. And I would love to do that in the new year.

Megan Hall 

Thanks for listening and happy new year!

That’s it for today. For more information or to ask a question about the way your choices affect our planet. Go to the public’s radio.org/possibly or subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.  

Possibly is a co-production of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown’s Climate Solutions Initiative, and the Public’s Radio.

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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. 

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, Luci Jones and Marin Warshay from our Possibly Team looked into what to do with the clothing you don’t want anymore. 

Luci Jones: Hi, Megan! 

Marin Warshay: Hey there!

Megan Hall: So I have this old sweater that’s been sitting in the back of my closet for as long as I can remember. What should I do with it?

Luci Jones: That’s a great question, and there are a lot of different potential answers depending on the context!

Marin Warshay: To get an expert opinion, we talked to the folks at Helpsy, the largest clothing collector in the Northeast.

Luci Jones: They have over 2,200 bins all over New England where people can drop-off their old clothes. Jessica Rennard, the Head of E-Commerce, describes the company like this:

Jessica Rennard:

Our mission is to keep clothing out of the trash. We are here to divert clothing from landfill, and we do that by bringing all of our collections into various warehouses on the east coast, sorting it into ways that we can further extend the life cycle of those garments

Megan Hall: What does she mean by life cycle?  

Marin Warshay: Basically just the “life” of the clothing—from when it’s made to when it’s thrown away. 

Megan Hall: How much clothing do people really throw away? 

Luci Jones: A lot- on average Americans get rid of around 100 pounds of clothing per person per year and one study in the UK found that women only wear their clothes an average of 7 times before throwing them away. 

Megan Hall: Are you kidding me? – Seven times?

Marin Warshay: Yep, and it’s causing a lot of problems. First, some clothing can take nearly two centuries to break down in the landfill. 

Luci Jones: During that time, clothes leach harmful chemicals, microplastics, and dyes into the groundwater and soil and release methane, a greenhouse gas.

Marin Warshay: Plus, making all those clothes emits a lot of carbon dioxide and also releases all sorts of nasty chemicals.

Megan Hall: But, I mean, we all need to wear clothes. 

Luci Jones: True, but Lauren Fay, the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Helpsy, says most people have more clothes than they really need.

Lauren Fay:

The things that are considered basics that we wear every day, that some people have 

literally a hundred of, you know, I definitely know people who have that many jeans. They’re incredibly taxing on the environment. 

Marin Warshay: She says, reusing and repurposing our clothes can cut down on some of those harms.

Luci Jones: When people donate their clothes, about 95% of the items are actually reusable or recyclable. 

Marin Warshay: Keeping those materials “alive” cuts down on the impacts of throwing them away or making new clothes.  

Megan Hall: Okay, so let’s get back to my sweater. If throwing it in the landfill is a bad idea, what are my other options?

Luci Jones: Lauren and Jessica say it could go a couple different ways.

Marin Warshay: If the sweater is still in pretty good shape, you can donate it to a thrift shop or sell it to a consignment store. 

Luci Jones: If you’re crafty, you can also turn it into something else, like a purse, or leg warmers. Maybe a dog sweater?  

Megan Hall: That’s too much work for me!

Marin Warshay: Ok, If you want to keep it simple, you can also leave it at a clothing collection spot, like Helpsy’s dropboxes, and they’ll take care of it for you.

Megan Hall: But this sweater is pretty tattered. I’m not sure anyone would want to rewear it.

Luci Jones: You should still donate it! It can be downcycled into something else, like cleaning rags or housing insulation.

Marin Warshay: But even if you don’t use a service like Helpsy, there are things you can do to cut down on clothing waste. 

Luci Jones: Swap clothes with friends or buy second-hand.

Marin Warshay: And, if you can, buy higher quality items that will last longer.

Luci Jones: Also, purchase with purpose. Only buy what you really need and what you know you’ll actually use.

Megan Hall: Got it! Thanks, Luci and Marin 

That’s it for today. For more information, or to ask a question about the way your choices affect our planet, go to the public’s radio dot org slash possibly. Or subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook at “Ask Possibly.”

Possibly is a co-production of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown’s Climate Solutions Initiative, and the Public’s Radio.

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This episode originally aired in November, 2020.

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’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? 

We had Luci Jones and Fatima Husain from our Possibly Team look into this question. Welcome, Luci and Fatima! 

Luci Jones: Hi, Megan! 

Fatima Husain: Hello! 

Megan Hall: So, Luci, what do all these labels mean? 

Luci Jones: To be honest, the differences can be pretty subtle, so we spoke with Dr. Eric Gingrich, a veterinarian at Diamond V, an animal feed company. He actually grew up on a turkey farm in northern Indiana.

Eric Gingrich: Yeah, we would have maybe I think we had like 7000 on a pasture. Very friendly. They’ll come and peck at ya.

Megan Hall: So, how does Eric define all of these different types of turkeys?

Fatima Husain: Let’s start with conventional birds. Eric says those turkeys are kept inside climate controlled facilities in pens with access to food and water. And all of them are tested for pesticides before they’re slaughtered.

Eric Gingerich:If they use antibiotics, they have to be prescribed by a veterinarian, and it’s only for disease conditions.

Megan Hall: Okay, what about organic turkeys? 

Luci Jones: Organic turkeys eat feed that’s grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. They have some access to the outdoors and aren’t processed with preservatives.  

Eric Gingerich: The genetics is the same for organic birds and conventional birds, the only difference is the feed

Fatima Husain: Another label to know is “free-range.” This just means the turkey can roam outdoors, but can still use antibiotics and eat the same feed as conventional turkeys. 

Megan Hall: So, which kind of turkey should I buy?

Luci Jones: Well, if you’re going on price, conventional turkeys are cheapest.

Megan Hall: But, organic ones are better for the planet?

Fatima Husain: Well, organic turkeys ARE raised without antibiotics. And that means they’re less likely to spread antibiotic-resistant bacteria. 

Luci Jones: When farmers give antibiotics to conventional turkeys, only antibiotic-resistant bacteria survive and multiply. 

Fatima Husain: And when those turkeys poop, the antibiotic-resistant microbes can spread through dust or make their way into local waterways.

Megan Hall: Oh no!

Luci Jones: That being said, organic turkeys aren’t perfect either. 

Fatima Husain: Organic farms might not use antibiotics, but a lot of them still use pesticides and fertilizers from natural sources, like sulfur and horse manure. 

Megan Hall: But if they’re natural, doesn’t that mean they’re still safer than the stuff that’s used with conventional turkeys? 

Luci Jones: Well, not necessarily. A lot of natural things can really harm us, like venom or asbestos. 

Fatima Husain: And when you’re buying a turkey, it’s hard to know which pesticides went into its food. 

Luci Jones: Here’s another concern about organic turkeys — they have more nitrogen in their poop. 

Megan Hall: Excuse me?

Fatima Husain: Organic turkeys don’t get the food additives that decrease the amount of nitrogen in their waste.

Luci Jones: And when they poop, that extra nitrogen can make its way into the air and water, which contributes to global warming. 

Megan Hall: And what about free-range birds, where do they fit into all of this?

Fatima Husain: Free-range birds are pretty similar to conventional ones. 

Megan Hall: So, which kind should I buy?

Luci Jones: Well, it’s hard to say. Labels just tell one small part of a much more nuanced story. 

Fatima Husain: A turkey might be “free range,” but also raised with antibiotics on a huge farm. Another one might be “organic” but still use feed made with harmful natural pesticides. 

Luci Jones: So, if the impact of your turkey choice matters to you, do your homework, and dig into the details beyond its description.

Fatima Husain: And in that case, actually knowing your farmer and the way they raise their turkeys, is probably the best choice. 

Megan Hall: Got it! Thanks, Luci and Fatima! 

That’s it for today. For more information, or to ask a question about the way you recycle, use energy, or make any other choice that affects the planet, go to the public’s radio dot org slash possibly. 

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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. 

When a loved one passes away, we often just have two choices- burial or cremation. But there’s a new option in some states that claims to use less energy and resources. 

Here to tell us more are Luci Jones and Marin Warshay from our Possibly Team. 

Luci Jones: Hi, Megan! 

Marin Warshay: Hello! 

Hall: Okay so death—not something we talk about a lot.

Jones: Nope! Definitely not your average dinner table conversation. But, we all die, so it’s unavoidable.  

Hall: Tell me about this new approach to processing a dead body. 

Warshay: It’s called “body composting” and it’s becoming a popular alternative to burial and cremation. To learn more we talked to Brianna Smith, the Chief Operating Officer at a service called Return Home. 

Brianna Smith: Return home is a burial and cremation alternative

Jones: Bree worked in the traditional funeral industry for over a decade and had a lot of experience with cremation. She said it was pretty bleak

Smith: No pun intended. I was burning out like bad. 

Jones: So, instead of burning bodies or burying them, her company turns them into soil 

Hall: Whoa back up. What does it mean to transform human remains into soil??

Warshay: Generally speaking, this is done by putting the body into a metal box with alfalfa, straw, and sawdust.

Smith: Alfalfa has nitrogen, the straw insulates and then the sawdust has absorption. 

Warshay: They also make sure the box has tons of oxygen and a consistent amount of moisture. 

Jones: All together, this creates the perfect environment for microbes and bacteria to quickly break down the remains.

Warshay: With this method, it only takes 30 to 60 days for the body to break down versus the two to three years it would take if you simply buried the body.

Hall: What happens after the body breaks down? Do they just dump it out of the metal box? 

Jones: The composted body becomes nutrient-rich soil, and the family can do whatever they want to with it.  

Hall: Okay… but how is this different from a traditional burial besides the body breaking down faster?

Warshay: Well, the biggest difference is that traditional burial involves coffins or caskets

Jones: At Return Home, the metal boxes used for composting bodies are just cleaned and reused.

Warshay: And body composting avoids all of the toxic chemicals that are typically used in embalming.

Jones: Plus, burials take up space in a graveyard, which has to be maintained as well. 

Warshay: Bree says:

Smith: It’s really the layers that we put between the people in the earth that are a little bit problematic.

Hall: Okay, but what about cremation? It doesn’t require a coffin or any extra space. 

Jones: That’s true, but cremation uses fuel, which then emits greenhouse gases. About the same amount as burning through two tanks of gas.

Hall: Ok, but you only die once! And I’ve definitely filled up my tank more than twice just this month! What’s the big deal? 

Warshay: Over 3 million people a year die in the US alone, so multiply those two trips to the gas station by over three million. 

Jones: The numbers get pretty big pretty fast.. 

Warshay: But body composting uses only about 12% of the energy it takes to cremate!

Hall: So, should I request “body composting” in my will? 

Jones: You can try. But right now, it’s still pretty expensive. Also, it’s only legal in four states. 

Warshay: Bree says Return Home sometimes has to fly bodies from one state to another just to get the body composted legally.

Jones: But as the composting technology improves and the service becomes more accessible, it is definitely a great end of life option to think about for yourself or someone you know!

Hall: Got it! Thanks, Luci and Marin! 

That’s it for today. For more information, or to ask a question about the way your choices affect our planet, go to the public’s radio dot org slash possibly. Or subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. 

You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter @askpossibly.

Possibly is a co-production of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown’s Climate Solutions Initiative, and the Public’s Radio.

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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. 

We hear a lot in the news about wildfires these days – and it seems like there are more and more of them. Are there? And why? 

We had Marin Warshay and Luci Jones from our Possibly Team look into this. Welcome, Marin and Luci!

Marin Warshay: Hi, Megan!

Luci Jones: Hello!

Megan Hall: So why do wildfires happen?

Marin Warshay: Well, wildfires are actually a natural process and help some forests thrive. 

Luci Jones: Over time, forests accumulate debris – leaves, branches, dead trees. In dry regions, this stuff inevitably burns, sparked by lightning. 

Marin Warshay: In some western forests, the natural fire cycle means the average place may even burn every ten years or so. 

Megan Hall: Gotcha, so fire is a natural process in some forests. But is climate change making these fires worse? 

Marin Warshay: To get an inside look, we talked to David Peterson:

David Peterson: I am a professor of forest Biology at the University of Washington and the forestry school.

Luci Jones: David says climate change is altering the nature of forest fires in the west. 

David Peterson: The primary effect that climate change will have and is having is to lengthen the time during the year when fires can potentially burn. We might be looking at the spring, early summer, and then the late summer into the fall.

Marin Warshay: This is because climate change causes higher temperatures, more droughts, and higher winds.

Luci Jones: But, according to David, the way we approach fire management is also affecting wildfires.

David Peterson: …primarily the fuel loading that we see in a lot of our forests, particularly in western North America. … we’ve been building up fuels for 50 to 100 years in some of the forests that would normally have burned every 10 to 15 years. 

Megan Hall: Wait, what is fuel loading? 

Marin Warshay: The “fuel” is that forest debris we were talking about before. The stuff you’d use to start a campfire!

Luci Jones: The U.S. Forest Service used to extinguish every fire they could. That policy ended more than 40 years ago, but all that debris is still around in many places, making it easier for fires to start and keep growing.

Megan Hall: That makes sense! But are the wildfires we’re experiencing today really worse than ones in the past?

Luci Jones: Well, we’re better at extinguishing fires, which means there are less of them. 

Marin Warshay: Fewer fires means there’s more time for all of that fuel David was talking about to build up, so when fires do happen, they tend to be more intense.

David Peterson: we’ve been building up fuels for 50 to 100 years in some of the forests that would normally have burned every 10 to 15 years. 

Megan Hall: So what can we do?

Luci Jones: The goal isn’t never having fires. They’re a natural phenomenon.

Marin Warshay: But building outside of fire-prone areas is a step in the right direction.

Luci Jones: Then it comes down to proper fire management like prescribed burns and using wood sustainably.

Marin Warshay: The real solution is addressing climate change and the forces behind these out of control wildfire seasons. The warmer it gets, the worse the fires are going to be.

Megan Hall: Good to know. Thanks, Marin and Luci!

That’s it for today. For more information, or to ask a question about the way your choices affect our planet, go to the public’s radio dot org slash possibly. Or subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. 

You can also follow us on facebook and twitter- at “ask possibly” 

Possibly is a co-production of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown’s Climate Solutions Initiative, and the Public’s Radio.

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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. 

Do you ever go to recycle your takeout container or water bottle, see all those different categories, and get so confused you just end up throwing everything in the regular trash bin? 

Knowing how to get rid of waste is trickier than it may seem. But one small town in Japan may have figured out the key to eliminating waste all together.

Here to tell us more are Luci Jones and Ashley Junger from our Possibly Team. Welcome, Luci and Ashley! 

Luci Jones: Hi, Megan! 

Ashley Junger: Hello! 

Megan Hall: So, tell me about this place in Japan that doesn’t create waste. 

Luci Jones: Ok, it’s a very small town called Kamikatsu, on the island of Shikoku

Momona Otsuka:

Our town is located in a beautiful valley, the Tokushima prefecture, with a population of about 1500, mostly elderly people. 

Luci Jones: That’s Momona Otsuka, the Chief Environmental Officer at the Zero Waste Center in Kamikatsu. 

Although Kamikatsu is the smallest town in Shikoku, it has a big mission, which is to have zero waste by 2030.

Megan Hall: Wait wait wait. Is it really possible for an entire town not to produce any waste?

Luci Jones: Well, “zero waste,” doesn’t mean there is literally no waste. The movement is about reducing waste as much as possible and then finding ways to reuse or repurpose the rest.

Ashley Junger: So when Momona says their goal is to have zero waste by 2030, she means that they want to get to the point where zero waste goes to the landfill 

Megan Hall: Still, doing that by 2030 sounds pretty ambitious… How are they going to get there? 

Luci Jones: They’re already well on their way. These days, the town of Kamikatsu is recycling about 80% of the waste it produces.

Ashley Junger: The rest of Japan only recycles about 20% of its waste on average, so that’s a huge difference.

Megan Hall: Wow! And how are they making that happen?

Luci Jones: Back in 2003, the government made a commitment to achieving zero waste. Since then, the town built an entire Zero Waste Center out of recycled materials. This is where Momona works.

Ashley Junger: Each month the shop recirculates almost 900 pounds of household items.

Momona Otsuka:

Local residents bring in their clothes, plates, books, and anyone can take it for free. 

Luci Jones: In addition to these kuru kuru shops—which literally means “round and round” in Japanese—the residents of Kamikatsu are encouraged to sort their garbage into 45 categories.

Megan Hall: Forty-five! I didn’t even know there were that many different kinds of waste!

Ashley Junger: Yep, it’s pretty incredible, there’s nine ways to sort paper products alone! 

Luci Jones: Signs on each bucket show what will be made of the recycled items, how much money will be saved through their reuse, and where they will be made in Japan. 

Ashley Junger: This, along with encouragement from the government to compost at home and use ride-share systems, has helped create a sense of social responsibility. 

Megan Hall: That’s cool to see that this kind of progress is possible, even if it’s just one small town at a time! But do you think this is something we could do here in the United States?

Luci Jones: Well, how likely is it that Americans would willingly sort their trash into 45 different categories? 

Megan Hall: I guess you’re right. 

Luci Jones: But Momona says, all these questions about the future are the whole reason why the Zero Waste Center exists! The Center itself is shaped like a question mark.

Momona Otsuka: The town wanted to question, why do we throw things away? 

Ashley Junger: So, even without an official zero waste declaration in your town, you can still pause and ask yourself whether something can have value in a new way.

Luci Jones: And, you can take the extra time to make sure your waste is clean, dry, and sorted correctly rather than throwing everything right in the trash can

Megan Hall: Got it! Thanks, Luci and Ashley! 

That’s it for today. For more information, or to ask a question about the way your choices affect our planet, go to the public’s radio dot org slash possibly. Or subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. 

Possibly is a co-production of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown’s Climate Solutions Initiative, and the Public’s Radio.

The post Meet the town in Japan that’s committed to zero waste appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio.

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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 question from one of our own reporters—Luci Jones.

Luci Jones: I’m studying abroad in Copenhagen this semester and I’ve been blown away by the number of bikes on the road. I’m curious why so many people bike and how this impacts carbon emissions.

We had Luci and Harrison Katz from our Possibly Team look into it. Welcome, Luci and Harrison! 

Luci Jones: Hi, Megan! 

Harrison Katz: Hello! 

Megan Hall: So, Luci, you’ve been studying abroad in Copenhagen this whole semester right?

Luci Jones: Yep!

Megan Hall: And what’s stood out to you about the city since living there?

Luci Jones: There’s definitely a lot of differences between Copenhagen and the States, but one of the biggest is how people get around. Almost everybody here either seems to use public transportation or bikes. 

Megan Hall: No cars?

Luci Jones: Well there are some, but the bikes outnumber the cars here five to one. Less than 30% of people even own a car. and almost half of commutes in Copenhagen are done by bike.

Harrison Katz: For context, in the US, less than one percent of Americans commute by bicycle.

Megan Hall: Why do so many people in Copenhagen choose to bike?

Luci Jones: That’s what I was wondering too. To learn more, we talked to Bettina Werner, the co-founder of an urban design firm in Copenhagen. She teaches classes through my study abroad program and is a regular biker herself.  

Bettina Werner: my impression is that cycling in many places in the US is something you do for recreational purposes, or exercise, and not necessarily as your daily commute.

Megan Hall: And what does the city of Copenhagen do to make biking an attractive transportation option?

Harrison Katz: Well, Denmark imposes a high tax on cars and gas is nearly $10 a gallon. That makes buying a car a lot more expensive than biking.  

Luci Jones: But bikes are also a great option because the city has created special infrastructure that makes commuting this way easier.

Harrison Katz: For example, they have what’s called a “green wave,” which means that all of the traffic lights are coordinated so that the average bike rider would never have to stop at a red light on their way into the city.

Megan Hall: Cool. What else does the city do to encourage bike riding?

Luci Jones: According to Bettina- 

Bettina Werner: The bike lanes are wide enough to cycle with someone. And we also have a really big push in terms of innovation for electric bikes.

Harrison Katz: They also have cargo bikes, which is especially important because it means people will have somewhere to put their stuff if they decide to pick up something on the way home. 

Megan Hall: And how does all this biking impact the Danes’ carbon emissions?

Harrison Katz: If the whole EU cycled as much as the Danes, it could cut its transport greenhouse gas emissions by up to 25%! 

Megan Hall: Wow, is this something we could do here in Rhode Island?

Luci Jones: Well, this wasn’t something that happened in the blink of an eye. Copenhagen had to put a lot of money into developing their bike infrastructure over the past few decades. But Bettina says there’s definitely hope if we focus on a local level.

Bettina Werner: if you can show that these 6000 people in this community, they bike every single day and do all their errands by bike, then more people will follow.

Harrison Katz: We’re based in Providence, which is making a big push on bike lanes. With a few more links between, and some eBikes to help with hills, we could reach a tipping point. 

Luci Jones: With more people biking, maybe Providence can be the Copenhagen of the Northeast!

Megan Hall: Got it! Thanks, Luci and Harrison! 

That’s it for today. For more information, or to ask a question about the way your choices affect our planet, go to the public’s radio dot org slash possibly. Or subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Possibly is a co-production of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown’s Climate Solutions Initiative, and the Public’s Radio.

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