Earth Wise
A look at our changing environment.
- Update frequency
- every day
- Average duration
- 2 minutes
- Episodes
- 67
- Years Active
- 2025
Harmful algal blooms and climate change
An algal bloom is a rapid increase in the density of algae in an aquatic system. Harmful algal blooms occur when bodies of water get overloaded with nitrogen and phosphorus runoff from agriculture a…
00:02:00 |
Fri 05 Sep 2025
Abandoned farmland and the environment
Abandoned farmland has been increasing dramatically in recent decades. Estimates are that a billion acres – an area half the size of Australia – have been relinquished from cultivation globally. Wh…
00:02:00 |
Thu 04 Sep 2025
Recycling solar panels
The use of solar energy has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years. It is the fastest growing source of energy in the U.S. Solar panels have a useful life of about 25 to 30 years and ther…
00:02:00 |
Tue 02 Sep 2025
Facemask pollution
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the global usage of disposable facemasks reached a staggering 129 billion per month. Most of these masks are manufactured from petroleum-based non-renewabl…
00:02:00 |
Thu 28 Aug 2025
Better blue LEDs
LEDs have become the standard source of energy-efficient lighting. They make use of semiconductors to turn electricity into light. Depending upon the materials used to make them, LEDs produce diffe…
00:02:00 |
Wed 27 Aug 2025
An anti-malaria breakthrough
The deadliest animal in the world is the mosquito. Mosquitos infected 263 million people with malaria in 2023, leading to 600,000 deaths, 80% of which were children. Malaria is caused by infection …
00:02:00 |
Tue 26 Aug 2025
A hidden cost of climate change
Climate change is dramatically impacting food production by altering rainfall patterns, increasing temperatures, and triggering more frequent extreme weather events. These changes make crops more vu…
00:02:00 |
Mon 25 Aug 2025
Trouble for psychedelic toads
Back in the 1960s, it was discovered that secretions from toads native to the Sonoran Desert have psychedelic properties. The information did not have much impact for over 40 years but about ten yea…
00:02:00 |
Fri 22 Aug 2025
Disappearing wetlands
More than 170 countries gathered recently to discuss how to save wetlands, which are critical ecosystems. However, the U.S. was a no-show for most of the summit and Russia said it will withdraw from…
00:02:00 |
Thu 21 Aug 2025
AI and energy
MIT recently hosted a symposium on the subject of artificial intelligence being both a problem and a solution for the clean energy transition. AI-powered computing centers are expanding rapidly, crea…
00:02:00 |
Wed 20 Aug 2025
The benefits of agroecology
Agroecology focuses on sustainably managing agricultural systems by applying ecological principles. The goal is to optimize the interactions between plants, animals, humans, and the environment. A f…
00:02:00 |
Tue 19 Aug 2025
The demise of American offshore wind
Europe has 37 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity. China is catching up rapidly. Across the globe, offshore wind is an increasingly important source of clean, renewable power. The United States had…
00:02:00 |
Mon 18 Aug 2025
Soda can hydrogen
Hydrogen is an ideal climate-friendly fuel because it doesn’t release carbon dioxide when it is used. But most hydrogen is produced in ways that result in significant carbon emissions. Thus, the sea…
00:02:00 |
Fri 15 Aug 2025
New Orleans is sinking
As climate change accelerates, rising sea levels are putting coastal communities at greater risk of flooding and storm surge. Driven by melting glaciers and warming oceans, global sea levels are risi…
00:02:00 |
Thu 14 Aug 2025
Reducing emissions from ocean shipping
Ocean shipping is a significant contributor to global carbon emissions, accounting for about 3% of the total. It is a key part of international trade, moving goods like electronics, automobiles, and…
00:02:00 |
Wed 13 Aug 2025
More trouble for bees
Honeybees are a critical resource for American agriculture. The western honeybee, Apis mellifera, pollinates more than 130 types of nuts, fruits, and vegetables, adding up to $15 billion worth of cr…
00:02:00 |
Tue 12 Aug 2025
Wildfires and water quality
Hotter and drier conditions driven by climate change are leading to an increasing number of wildfires in North America and around the world. The damage wildfires cause – to forests, homes, and commun…
00:02:00 |
Mon 11 Aug 2025
Shrinking coal and the gas trap
An important part of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement is reducing the use of coal to produce electricity. Coal is the dirtiest fuel in common use and not burning it is a way to greatly reduce emissi…
00:02:00 |
Fri 08 Aug 2025
Green transit in London
TfL – Transport for London – the operator of the transportation system in Britain’s capital city, has signed a deal with EDF Renewables to purchase electricity from a huge solar array to be erected n…
00:02:00 |
Thu 07 Aug 2025
Rainforests and thunderstorms
Tropical forests are dying at an alarming rate, and not just from deforestation. Even intact forests are losing trees, threatening biodiversity, carbon storage, and the global climate. While drought …
00:02:00 |
Wed 06 Aug 2025
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