Why It’s Important to Get Outside More Often
Think of all the many ways that you are consciously looking after your health every single day. Perhaps it is with a daily or most everyday trip to the gym for some exercise. Maybe you have been putting conscious effort into your diet and what you eat to fuel your body every day. But what […]
Pacific NW
Portland Farmers Market
The Portland Farmers Market at Portland State University will be open every Saturday, year-round. April through October hours are 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. November through March hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Market at PSU is located in Downtown Portland in the South Park Blocks between SW College & Montgomery Streets. Portland […]
Dozer Day coming to Clark County Fairgrounds
Kids get to hop into heavy, construction equipment and operate the machines guided by in-cab, experienced equipment operators during Dozer Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 14-15 at the Clark County Fairgrounds in Ridgefield, Washington. Big kids over the age of 12 will be able to test additional machines that are safe to […]
Is methane capture from livestock good or bad?
Caption: Newer technology that has farmers and ranchers capturing methane from their livestock waste is better for the planet than not having it. Credit: Mark Stebnicki, Pexels. Dear EarthTalk: Is encouraging dairy farmers and cattle ranchers to capture methane gas from their livestock’s manure good or bad for the planet?-- Phil Onorato, Pittsburgh, PA Methane capture, the process of using the decomposition of livestock byproducts like cow and hog manure to generate electricity, is a promising technology. It helps to resolve existing, and for the time being, necessary evils such as climate-warming methane emissions from cattle and pigs. It works byChemical ban is big win for environment
Caption: This visualization shows the hole in the ozone layer over the South Pole is getting smaller each year thanks to efforts by international negotiators back in the late 1980s. Credit: Stuart Rankin, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: Has anyone calculated the positive health and/or economic impacts of international efforts to protect the stratospheric ozone layer beginning in the late 1980s? -- C. Marin, St. Louis, MO 1987’s Montreal Protocol, a landmark international agreement calling on the nations of the world to ban the production and distribution of man-made chemicals that deplete the stratospheric ozone layer, has been billed as one of the
Blimps make a comeback
Caption: Believe it or not, blimps are making a comeback as a green short hop commuter travel option. Dear EarthTalk: Is blimp travel really making a comeback? Is it eco-friendly? – J. Roe, Islip. NY The blimp, forever besmirched due to the Hindenburg explosion in 1937—when one of the first commercial blimps caught on fire—never really fulfilled its potential as a commuting vehicle. Fast forward to the 21st century, and companies like Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) are taking steps to reintroduce airships safely. HAV’s Airlander 10, for example, uses inert helium for buoyancy instead of flammable hydrogen (which the industry began doing
Solar farms spark controversy
Caption: Solar farms may be the next battleground for environmentalists. Credit: Pexels. Dear EarthTalk: Has there been any backlash against the installation of rooftop solar panels or the development of big solar farms across the U.S.?-- B. Jackson, Longmeadow, MA Incentives like the Solar Investment Tax Credit and increased affordability in the cost of solar panel installation over the past decade have given renewable solar energy the option of becoming a more mainstream power source. Solar energy’s growing edge has amplified its share of total U.S. electrical generation from just 0.1 percent in 2010 to 2.3 percent in 2020. The expansion ofElectric vehicle future is here
Caption: If you are looking for a lower price tag and a decent amount of range in a new EV, Chevrolet's Bolt is among the better bets. Credit: Stephen Rees, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: I am looking to finally ditch the old minivan and upgrade to an EV. What are the best choices out there nowadays in terms of up-front cost and fuel efficiency?-- J. Wilson, Summertown, TN Now is a great time to make the jump into an electric vehicle (EV)—those futuristic new cars that run solely on electricity instead of gasoline. Of course, EVs are still more expensive than their
Will renewed hunting hurt wolf populations?
Caption: Yellowstone's gray wolves, reintroduced to the region in the 1990s, are now at risk from hunting outside of park borders. Credit: Patrice Schoefolt, Pexels.com. Dear EarthTalk: Is the recent lifting of quota restrictions on wolf hunting in Montana north of Yellowstone National Park a threat to the reintroduced wolf population there? -- J. W., Bend, OR When the last gray wolf in Yellowstone National Park was gunned down in 1926, park managers and ranchers on neighboring lands alike rejoiced together that the dark predator of the range would no longer torment them. Wolves were blamed for poaching livestock as well
Is methane capture from livestock good or bad?
Caption: Newer technology that has farmers and ranchers capturing methane from their livestock waste is better for the planet than not having it. Credit: Mark Stebnicki, Pexels. Dear EarthTalk: Is encouraging dairy farmers and cattle ranchers to capture methane gas from their livestock’s manure good or bad for the planet?— Phil Onorato, Pittsburgh, PA Methane […]
Chemical ban is big win for environment
Caption: This visualization shows the hole in the ozone layer over the South Pole is getting smaller each year thanks to efforts by international negotiators back in the late 1980s. Credit: Stuart Rankin, FlickrCC. Dear EarthTalk: Has anyone calculated the positive health and/or economic impacts of international efforts to protect the stratospheric ozone layer beginning […]
Blimps make a comeback
Caption: Believe it or not, blimps are making a comeback as a green short hop commuter travel option. Dear EarthTalk: Is blimp travel really making a comeback? Is it eco-friendly? – J. Roe, Islip. NY The blimp, forever besmirched due to the Hindenburg explosion in 1937—when one of the first commercial blimps caught on fire—never […]
Solar farms spark controversy
Caption: Solar farms may be the next battleground for environmentalists. Credit: Pexels. Dear EarthTalk: Has there been any backlash against the installation of rooftop solar panels or the development of big solar farms across the U.S.?— B. Jackson, Longmeadow, MA Incentives like the Solar Investment Tax Credit and increased affordability in the cost of solar […]
Utility-scale platform to help build clean energy
ESS Tech, Inc. (“ESS,” “ESS Inc.”) (NYSE: GWH), a Wilsonville, Oregon manufacturer of long-duration batteries for utility-scale and commercial energy storage applications, announced recentlythat it has entered into an agreement with Portland General Electric (PGE) in Oregon to test and demonstrate the ESS Energy CenterTM platform. The 3 MWh Energy Center is expected to come […]
