Environment

EarthTalk®
E - The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: What is “biomass” and why is it controversial as a potential source of energy?-- Edward White, New Bedford, MA

Biomass is plant matter that is burned as a source of energy. Fallen or cut wood that is burned for heat is one primary form of biomass, but another includes plant or animal matter that is converted into biofuels.

EarthTalk®
E - The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: What is the purpose of National Wildlife Week, which I understand will take place in March 2013? -- Melissa P., Burlington, NJ

EarthTalk®
E - The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: My family has bad allergies and I’d like to improve our indoor air quality. What are some steps I should take?-- Marcia Lane, Scranton, PA
 

EarthTalk®
E - The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: Why is it that airplane exhaust is so much worse for the environment than engine emissions on the ground?-- Winona Sharpe, New York, NY

For nearly a decade, New Hampshire has been seeking hundreds of millions of dollars from oil companies over the chemical additive MTBE, which the state says caused contamination in the state’s groundwater. The legal proceedings originally involved 26 oil companies; as trial began this week, there were just two left, ExxonMobil and Citgo, and now there may be just one.

EarthTalk®
E - The Environmental Magazine

EarthTalk®
E - The Environmental Magazine

A proposed wind farm in the Newfound Lake area has once again raised familiar themes in New Hampshire: A desire for the Granite state to use more clean energy, versus local concerns over property values, as well as impacts on the environment and tourism. We’ll re-examine these arguments in light of this new proposal.

Guests

In a new book, author David Owen exposes the complexities of what it means to truly be “green”.  He says supposedly earth-friendly ideas like hybrid cars or solar panels create efficiencies which allow us to consume more!   Efficiency, Owen says, once considered the Holy Grail of our environmental problems, turns out to be part of the problem! 

Guest:

EarthTalk®
E - The Environmental Magazine

EarthTalk®
E - The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: It might seem obvious, but what would be the primary benefits of public transit as an alternative to the private automobile if our country were to make a major commitment to it?-- James Millerton, Armstrong, PA

The benefits of making a major commitment to building up and efficiently managing a larger and more comprehensive public transit network are many.

EarthTalk®
E - The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: Which are the greenest American cities, and why?        -- D. Hansen, Wichita, KS

EarthTalk®
E - The Environmental Magazine