Possibly

In cities like Providence that have a long industrial history, heavy metals often end up in the waterways. We talk to @danibarra.bsky.social to learn how this happens, and what it means for the city’s residents. Watch today's episode on our Youtube channel, or listen wherever you get your podcasts

Iron-air batteries store energy using rust. We’re taking a look at how these batteries work, and why storing electricity for days could help us use more renewable energy. Watch today's episode on our youtube channel (@ask-possibly), listen wherever you get your podcasts or at the link below.

We know that on a national scale, food waste is bad for the environment and our wallets. Today we talk to Catherine Campbell @flfoodsystems.bsky.social to learn about some practical ways to reduce it in our own homes. Watch today's episode on our Youtube, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Attention Possibly podcast subscribers! Our podcast feed is changing, so you have to re-subscribe to receive our episodes each Tuesday. Search "Possibly Ocean State Media" wherever you listen to podcasts, or use the links below. Apple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/adv5dzuk Spotify: Click the preview below

Disposable surgical gowns are a big source of waste in hospitals. Today we’re taking a look at how healthcare facilities can change that while still meeting sanitation standards. Check out today's video episode at the link below, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

In tomorrow's episode, we look into sustainable - and sanitary - alternatives to disposable hospital gowns. Are they any better? Listen or watch this week's episode to find out!

A lot of us flush our old medication without much thought, but the side effects of that habit can show up in our water. Good news: we can all help fix it for free. Listen to this week's episode wherever you get your podcasts, or watch it on our Youtube channel. www.youtube.com/@ask-possibly

This week on Possibly... we're on video! Starting tomorrow, we'll be publishing video versions of each episode in addition to our regular podcast. You can find full episodes on Instagram and Facebook at @askpossibly, or on our Youtube channel at the link below. www.youtube.com/@ask-possibly

Advocates of plug-in solar panels say they’re an easy and cheap way to transition to renewable energy and reduce electricity costs. On this week's episode, we talk to @paulosanalysis.com to see if they live up to the hype. Listen now at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts.

On this week's episode, researcher Emmanuel Oyewole at @urigso.bsky.social explains to Possibly that offshore wind turbines appear to be providing new ecosystems for Jonah crabs. Find out more wherever you get your podcasts or at the link below. www.oceanstatemedia.org/possibly/202...

Experts say the devastating floods in Nepal at the end of August were caused in part by melting glaciers. On this episode from 2023, the Possibly team talks to @matthias-huss.bsky.social about why these glaciers are melting, and what we can do about it. Listen at the link below.

When renewable energy projects have environmental trade-offs, how do you decide which is ‘better’ for the environment? On this week's episode of Possibly, we dig into the science to help answer this question. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or at the link below.

Lone star ticks are spreading all over the Northeast. What should you know to stay safe? Listen to this week's episode of Possibly, where we talk to @thetickguy.bsky.social to learn more about the rise in alpha-gal syndrome. www.oceanstatemedia.org/possibly/202...

Paved surfaces like roads, sidewalks, and driveways send stormwater into our sewers. This week on Possibly we explore engineering solutions that can help keep sewers and waterways clean. Listen to this week's episode, originally aired in 2024, wherever you get your podcasts, or at the link below:

Possibly’s host, Megan Hall and her family made the switch to an electric car. In this episode, originally aired in 2023, we explain what owning an EV is actually like. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or at the link below: www.oceanstatemedia.org/possibly/202...

A librarian told Possibly that she has to bring a hat and gloves to work in the summer because it's so cold inside. Those frigid temperatures seemed inefficient, so she turned to us for answers. But this week we explain the surprising, and energy efficient, reason for frigid summer libraries.

The Rhode Island General Assembly considered a law this year to charge fossil fuel emitters for the costs of climate change. The bill did not become law this year, but the Possibly team spoke with a co-sponsor of the bill, @jenniferboylanri.bsky.social about the legislation, and what comes next.

Regenerative cattle grazing gained momentum as a way to make beef production more climate-friendly. But this week on Possibly we explain that when you look at the actual results on the ground, things are a little more complicated than they seem. www.oceanstatemedia.org/news-and-cul...

This week on Possibly we weigh the different methods of recycling glass: single-stream, multi-stream and bottle bills. Could switching to a different recycling system make more sense for your community? Listen to part 2 of our series on glass recycling to find out:

After a powerful heatwave swept across the northeast last week, Possibly turned to its archive, looking for lessons about how to better prepare for extreme heat. This week we're traveling to Ahmedabad, India in an episode from 2021 to see how health officials rethought extreme heat preparedness.

With the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this year, fireworks will soon light up American skies. This week on Possibly we're asking if these tiny explosions impact the environment or our health? www.oceanstatemedia.org/news-and-cul...

Rodenticides, used by farmers to keep rodent populations down and protect their crops, can cause all sorts of harm to wildlife, especially birds. This week on Possibly we're talking to some farmers who are turning to a more natural pest control solution: Owls!

This week on Possibly, in the second installment of our series on the dairy industry, we’re turning our attention to an age-old method used to efficiently store cheese: the earth. Listen to this week's episode to hear how local farmers are looking to the soil to keep their cheese cool.

We talk a lot about the carbon pollution that comes along with eating beef, but this week on Possibly we’re asking: what about dairy? How do they compare? Reporter Samantha Zhang explains in our latest episode: www.oceanstatemedia.org/news-and-cul...

When you go to the pharmacy you probably walk away with your medication in one hand, and a lengthy receipt in the other. What should you do with that receipt? This week we explain why the paper that receipts are printed on can add a lot of complications for recycling, and for your health.

Truffles are famous for their intense flavor, and their expensive price. This week on Possibly we explain why a warming planet, and increasing droughts, might be driving those prices even higher. Listen at the link below, or wherever you get your podcasts

Want sustainability science sent directly to your inbox? Possibly has recently expanded to Substack! Subscribe to read or listen to our latest episodes when they release, every Tuesday morning. Sign up here: askpossibly.substack.com

“Reducing your footprint” has become one of the most familiar ways to talk about climate change, but why did that framing catch on? And what does it leave out? This week on Possibly, we talk to @kimcobb.bsky.social, the director of @brown-ibes.bsky.social, to explain.

With colorful windsocks and a gazebo, Providence artist Eli Nixon developed an art installation to bring attention to the air quality around the Port of Providence. This week on Possibly we take a closer look. Listen to our latest episode now: www.oceanstatemedia.org/news-and-cul...

This week on Possibly we’re taking a look at the ships that carry our goods around the world. What would it look like to take fossil fuels out of the equation? Can you run a cargo ship on batteries? Listen to our latest episode wherever you get your podcasts thepublicsradio.org/possibly-pod...

A research team at Brown called Breathe Providence is asking people to track what they smell, in an effort to better understand air pollution in Rhode Island. This week on Possibly we're asking how tracking unpleasant smells can improve our air quality. www.oceanstatemedia.org/news-and-cul...

This week on Possibly: Activists are migrating a tree north from Florida. Is that a good idea? With assisted migration, humans help move plant species into areas more suitable for their growth. But are there potential downsides to this human-led movement?

Possibly co-founder Stephen Porder has been on a home energy efficiency journey. On this week's episode of Possibly, we check in to see how his latest addition, new windows, are impacting the energy efficiency and comfort of the home.

In Los Angeles, a new crop of curbside libraries are helping communities recover after last year’s wildfires. But instead of books, these libraries are full of seeds. This week on Possibly, reporter Janek Schaller talks to the organizer of these new libraries popping up around LA.

How are the plastic and fossil fuel industries connected? This week on Possibly, we’re taking a closer look at how plastics have given the fossil fuel industry a new business platform — with hardly anyone noticing they’re even in the market.

Plastic products cost us, even after we’re done with them —That’s because municipal recycling is paid with taxpayer money. This week on Possibly we take a look at a new approach where the companies that made these products are responsible for paying for their disposal.

Our planet is getting hotter, but at the same time, snow storms seem to be getting bigger. This week on Possibly, in the wake of Rhode Island’s record setting blizzard, we’re looking back at a 2022 episode of our show that explains what’s going on. thepublicsradio.org/possibly-pod...

It seems like microplastics are everywhere these days — but their impacts on human health remain unclear. This week on Possibly we talked to professor @smbrander.bsky.social to understand why that is and how scientists are trying to get a clearer picture.

Microplastics are all around us, even if we can’t see them. This week on Possibly, we investigate where they come from and why sometimes, they’re even made on purpose. Listen to our latest episode here: www.oceanstatemedia.org/news-and-cul...

More than 9 million students had school disrupted by climate change last year. Researchers at Brown University's @annenberginstitute.bsky.social have launched the SustainableED initiative to study what rising temperatures will mean for our education system. www.oceanstatemedia.org/news-and-cul...

When reporter Juliana Merullo moved to Uruguay last year, she thought it would be "a green paradise" with EVs, rooftop solar and wind turbines everywhere you look. But it wasn't like that at all. This week on Possibly she explains what it's like living in a country powered by renewable energy.

This week on Possibly reporter Juliana Merullo talks to Ramón Mendez Galain, a physicist who helped Uruguay transition its electric grid to renewable energy almost overnight. Listen here: www.oceanstatemedia.org/news-and-cul...

Climate change makes a lot of us feel anxious, overwhelmed, or helpless. This week on Possibly we travel north, to a place designed for people to unpack all of these feelings: a climate cafe. Listen to the episode here: www.oceanstatemedia.org/news-and-cul...

Only about a third of the glass used in the U.S. gets recycled. That’s much lower than Europe, where some countries have recycling rates above 90%. This week on Possibly we're asking: what gives? And what can we do about it? www.oceanstatemedia.org/news-and-cul...

If you’re planning to deck your house with lights this holiday season, you have a choice to make: stick with incandescent light bulbs, or go for LEDs. This week on Possibly we break down what each option means for the planet, and your electric bill. www.oceanstatemedia.org/news-and-cul...