Environment  

 

 

Foodie Blog

The Ecological Footprint of a Wine Drinker


40 YEARS OF EARTH DAYS
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: EARTH DAYS
By Cathy Huyghe

It’s difficult in early April in Boston not to notice the weather. Or the sun. Or the warmth. Or, by extension, all the attention that’s paid to nature, the environment and sustainability — especially as the 40th anniversary of Earth Day draws near.

Local Voices

BP and Me


By Kelly Bates

Grappling with one's own personal responsibility in the wake of the BP disaster.

Environment

Blowing Smoke?


Christian Science Monitor
By Doug Struck and Phillip Martin

Each year, tens of thousands of indivuals and companies purchase carbon offsets to help neutralize their global-warming pollution. Are they buying empty promises? Doug Struck and Phillip Martin investigate.

What's Growing This Weekend

Compost


LISTEN
By Paul Epsom
Time to talk about composting. No garden is complete without a compost pile so if you don’t have one already it’s time to make one. Follow these tips to get started composting.
Economy

Rough Waters: History of Fishing Regulation


By Phillip Martin

In part one of 89.7 WGBH's series on the ongoing struggles of the fishing industry in Massachusetts, Phillip Martin explores the history of Federal regulation of fishing.

Economy

Rough Waters: Declining Fish Populations


By Phillip Martin

Phillip Martin looks at the alarming decline in local fish populations.

Boston

Rough Waters: Local Fishing Industry


By Phillip Martin

Phillip Martin reports on how new conservation rules are affecting the lives of those in the local fishing industry.

Now

Power Struggle


WATCH

Why the green energy dream may not happen.

Nature

Cuba: The Accidental Eden


WATCH

Cuba's wild splendor has been preserved by half a century of political isolation and economic stagnation. Now, it faces the pressing challenge of protecting its precious natural assets as it transitions into the 21st century.

U.S. NEWS

Panel Blasts Government On Gulf Oil Spill Response



By Ari Shapiro
A preliminary report released Wednesday by the federal commission investigating the BP oil spill blames the Obama administration for misrepresenting "the amount and fate of the oil" in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Secret Life Of Scientists And Engineers

Jean Berko Gleason: Psycholinguist


WATCH
>THE SECRET LIFE OF SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS' WEBSITE
Jean Berko Gleason is a psycholinguist. She studies how we acquire and use language. Her secret life: Speed demon.
CLIMATIDE

Slideshow: The Face Of Energy On Cape Cod


READ CLIMATIDE
By Heather Goldstone
All electricity generation comes with costs. A brief tour of power sources on and around Cape Cod highlights some of the financial, environmental, and public health concerns.
Environment

Conservation Efforts Face Uphill Struggle


FULL ARTICLE
By Richard Harris
A study to be published in the journal Science shows that the effort to preserve species is still strongly in the wrong direction. It shows the trend is especially pronounced for mammals like humans, birds and amphibians—all vertebrates.
CLIMATIDE

Fishing Down The Food Chain? Maybe Not



>> NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT LECTURES
It's a fish-eat-fish ocean out there. Whether humans are catching too many fish at the top of the food chain is the subject of a new study that calls into question over a decade of fisheries assessments.
Energy

State Approves National Grid Purchase Of Cape Wind


READ SEAN CORCORAN'S CAPE WIND BLOG
By Sean Corcoran
The state's Department of Public Utilities Monday approved an agreement that will allow power distributor National Grid to buy half of the electricity generated by the Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound.
ENVIRONMENT

Scientists Track Cottontails To Save Them


By Sean Corcoran
Efforts are underway to save the rare New England Cottontail rabbit by creating new habitat for the species. But first, trackers have to find them.
ENVIRONMENT

State's Top Environmental Official Will Step Down


By Sean Corcoran
Ian Bowles, the state's top environmental official and a key player in Gov. Deval Patrick's first term in office, is stepping down from his position as secretary of energy and environmental affairs.
Environment

Scientists: Climate Change Not Sweet For Sugar Maples


By Andrea Smardon
Scientists at UNH say some of New England's maple leaves are less brilliant in color, and the sap is less sweet. They think these things are related -- and that climate change is the cause.
Nova

Secrets Beneath The Ice


WATCH A PREVIEW
Is Antarctica headed for a catastrophic meltdown? New evidence of ancient climate change may hold clues.


Energy

Cape Wind Vs. Deepwater Wind



MORE CLIMATIDE
By Heather Goldstone and Sean Corcoran
A side-by-side comparison of two proposed offshore wind projects in our backyard: Cape Wind and the Deepwater Wind Energy Center, which would be the largest offshore wind farm inthe U.S.
Environment

If Your Meat Prices Rise, You Can Blame Ethanol


MORE NEWS
By Kathleen Masterson
The U.S. corn crop is enormous. And about a third of it doesn't go to cereal or cows – instead, it helps run your car. But government ethanol subsidies have meat and dairy producers up in arms over the high cost of their main feed grain.
Energy

Officials May Lease More Local Waters For Wind Farms


CLIMATIDE: OFFSHORE WIND TOPS 2010 HEADLINES
By Sean Corcoran
The state and federal governments are testing the waters for interest in erecting more wind turbines off the islands of Martha's vineyard and Nantucket.
Environment

Feds Refuse To Raise Catch Limits For NE Fishermen


READ THE STORY
By Heather Goldstone
Federal officials have denied Gov. Patrick's request for an emergency increase in catch limits in Northeastern waters. Massachusetts legislators are condemning the decision, saying the limits are based in inaccurate measurements of fish population.
Energy

With Two Final Permits, Cape Wind Cleared For Development

By Sean Corcoran
Cape Wind is good to go: After a final pair of permits last week, project developers are cleared to begin installing the 130 turbines that will generate electricity off the shore of Cape Cod.
CLIMATIDE

Setting Catch Limits With Limited Information


LAWMAKERS PLEAD FISHERMAN'S CASE
By Heather Goldstone
At the heart of fisheries management is a delicate balancing act – weighing the needs of fishermen against those of fish. Unfortunately, managers often don’t have the quantity or quality of data one would wish for.
CLIMATIDE

On The Upside, Coastal Erosion Reveals History



MORE CLIMATIDE
By Heather Goldstone
An above-average winter storm season has taken a toll on the Cape’s shoreline. But that can have its advantages.Every so often, the wave action reveals a bit of Cape Cod’s history.
CLIMATIDE

Could A Greener Ocean Stop Climate Change?


MORE CLIMATIDE
By Heather Goldstone
Microscopic plant-like organisms in the ocean take in carbon dioxide. With a little encouragement, they may be one way to combat rising carbon dioxide emissions.
CLIMATIDE

Will We Be Eating Fish In 2050?



MORE CLIMATIDE
By Heather Goldstone
Humans are pummeling the ocean with a powerful one-two punch of fishing and climate change that could, in a matter of decades, make the large fish we love to eat, like cod, tuna and salmon, a thing of the past.
Journey to Planet Earth

Plan B


WATCH
The Journey to Planet Earth series continues with a special program, hosted by Matt Damon, which features Lester Brown, environmental visionary and author of “Plan B”
WGBH SPECIAL REPORT

The Falmouth Experience: Life Under The Blades



READ THE STORY ON CLIMATIDE
By Sean Corcoran
Some residents of Falmouth say a wind turbine installed last year has changed their lives — and not for the better. This week, WGBH’s Sean Corcoran explores all sides of the issue in a special series, The Falmouth Experience: The Trouble with One Town’s Turbine.
WGBH SPECIAL REPORT

The Falmouth Experience: Sick From The Noise



By Sean Corcoran
Some residents of Falmouth say they’re feeling sick from the sounds coming from a large, town-owned wind turbine. While turbines are not silent, those claims are often controversial.
Energy

The Falmouth Experience: Flickering Light


PART 2: SICK FROM THE NOISE
By Sean Corcoran
Residents in the town of Falmouth say that a nearly 400-foot wind turbine has severely impacted their quality of life. They talk about noise issues, but sound isn’t the only thing generating discontent. There also are complaints about a phenomenon called ‘shadow flicker’.
WGBH SPECIAL REPORT

The Falmouth Experience: The Green Debate


LAWMAKERS RENEW PUSH FOR SIMPLER TURBINE PERMITTING
By Sean Corcoran
The effort to install land-based wind turbines on Cape Cod has slowed, largely because of opposition to a 400-foot tall turbine that was installed last spring in Falmouth.
CLIMATIDE

The Falmouth Experience


READ CLIMATIDE
By Sean Corcoran
Complaints about a turbine in Falmouth are raising the possibility that one bad experience could jeopardize Patrick’s state-wide push for wind energy.
WGBH SPECIAL REPORT

The Falmouth Experience: Complete Series


By Sean Corcoran
Some residents of Falmouth, Mass. say they're suffering headaches, insomnia and depression because of a 400-foot tall town-owned wind turbine that began operating there last year. Most scientists say wind turbines don't cause health problems, but the experience of residents has strengthened anti-wind sentiment in the region.
89.7 WGBH

Ferry Company Reverses Course On Cape Wind


By Sean Corcoran
A prominent Cape Cod ferry company has reversed course and says it no longer opposes the plan to install 130 wind turbines in Nantucket Sound, and instead will look to conduct "eco tours" of the Cape Wind turbine site.
CLIMATIDE

Fighting A Losing Battle With The Sea



THE EMILY ROONEY SHOW: RISING SEA LEVELS THREATEN MASS. COAST
By Heather Goldstone
The conservative consensus among experts calls for 2-3 feet of sea level rise by 2100,and as much as foot by 2050. That could affect life on Cape Cod.
Nova

Mt. St. Helens: Back From the Dead


WATCH
30 years after the massive eruption...could it happen again?
Climatide

Majority In Mass. Say Global Warming Is Reality


MORE CLIMATIDE

By Heather Goldstone
A new survey of Massachusetts residents' thoughts on climate change has just been released. Most of you agree that it's happening, but there are some intriguing details about where the consensus goes from there.
CLIMATIDE

Feds Approve Cape Wind's Construction Plan



By Heather Goldstone
A federal agency has approved a construction plan for a wind farm off the Massachusetts coast, clearing the way for work to begin on the nation's first offshore wind farm as early as this fall.
WHERE WE LIVE: HARWICH

One Year Old, Catch-Share Sectors 'Effective For Business'


By Bob Seay
It has been one year since fishermen in the Northeast began using a new system, called "sectors," for regulating catch shares. Fishermen are split on whether the system of cooperative fishing rights an improvement over old regulations. WGBH's Bob Seay spoke to one fisherman who supports the new system.
The Secret Life of Scientists And Engineers

Katharine Hayhoe: Climate Scientist


WATCH
Katharine Hayhoe is a Research Associate Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at Texas Tech University. In addition to doing cutting-edge research on climate change, Katharine is also a "climate change evangelist."
Business

Fisherman: Catch-Share Sectors 'Eliminate' Some Business


ONE YEAR OLD, CATCH SECTORS 'EFFECTIVE FOR BUSINESS'
By Bob Seay
Fisherman are wrapping up their first full year of compliance with a new set of federal regulations intended to prevent overfishing, called "sectors." Some fisherman say it's helped their businesses, but WGBH's Bob Seay speaks to a Plymouth fisherman who says he's lost 60 percent of his income because of the rules.
CLIMATIDE

A Look At The 2010 Fishing Season



MORE CLIMATIDE
By Heather Goldstone
Scientists from NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Center in Woods Hole have released an upbeat preliminary report on the 2010 fishing season — the first to be managed by catch-shares management. They say the year saw no overfishing and higher revenues for fishermen.
Animals

Bears of the Last Frontier: The Road North


WATCH
By Nature

Adventurer and bear biologist Chris Morgan will take us on a motorcycle odyssey deep into the wilds of Alaska. Over a punishing 2,000 mile journey, Chris will explore the amazing resiliency and adaptability of bears through five dramatic Alaskan ecosystems: coastal, urban, mountain, tundra and pack ice.

WHERE WE LIVE: ASHLAND

25 Years Later, A Poisoned Town Can't Come Clean


TOXICS IN MASS.: TOWN-BY-TOWN REPORT
By Jared Bowen
A study by the New England Center For Investigative Reporting has found that many Massachusetts sites, including the one in Woburn, still live with a toxic legacy. WGBH's Jared Bowed heads to Ashland, home to a plant whose waste practices ultimately turned deadly. 
Environment

Toxics In Massachusetts: A Town-By-Town Profile

By Toxics Action Center
An investigation by the New England Center for Investigative reporting found more than 30 toxic sites in Massachusetts. Scroll through this town-by-town report, compiled by the Toxics Action Center, to learn more.
Environment

After 30 Years And $1 B, Mass. Superfund Sites Still Toxic


ASHLAND: POISONED TOWN STILL NOT CLEAN
TOWN BY TOWN: TOXINS IN MASS
By Beverly Ford (NECIR)
There are 31 contaminated sites have attained Superfund status due to contamination. According to EPA records, at least one-third of those sites may pose a health risk to people living and working nearby. 
Environment

Plans For Dams In Patagonia Draw Ire From Chileans



MORE NEWS
By Annie Murphy
The government says the country needs more energy to keep developing and to support a power-intensive copper mining industry. But opponents say the dam project will destroy pristine wilderness. They are calling for a shift in attitudes toward energy and the environment.
CLIMATIDE

Is New Bedford's Hurricane Barrier The Future Of Cape Cod?


MORE CLIMATIDE
By Heather Goldstone
New Bedford's man-made hurricane barrier has been recertified. With sea levels (and hurricane predictions) on the rise, it's possibile that other coastal areas in Massachusetts will consider erecting similar safeguards.
Boston

Bill Aims To Seal Natural Gas Leaks


By Sarah Birnbaum
A Massachusetts lawmaker is raising concerns about potential natural gas explosions. She's calling for new laws regulating the thousands of known gas leaks around the state.
Environment

Report: Climate Change Driving Mass Oceanic Extinction


MORE CLIMATIDE

By Heather Goldstone
An international panel of ocean experts known as the International Programme on the State of the Ocean has released a new report that says human activities are driving marine life extinct at an unprecedented and accelerating pace. No sugar coating there.
Local Politics

Sen. Brown, Rep. Tierney Chastise Federal Fishing Authority


By Sarah Birnbaum
A group of Massachusetts’ lawmakers is coming down hard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the agency at the center of a contentious debate over regional fishing rights — and the subject of a damning Commerce Department investigation last year.
CLIMATIDE

Could Global Warming Keep Red Tides Lower?



MORE CLIMATIDE
By Heather Goldstone
Earlier this spring, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution researchers forecast a “moderate” bloom of red tide, the algal toxin that poisons seafood, in New England. Some researchers think that might be because heavy snow and rainfalls actually freshen seawater.
Local Politics

New Bill Would Curb Toxic Chemicals In Everyday Products

By Sarah Birnbaum
Environmental activists in Massachusetts are pushing for quick passage of a bill that would restrict potentially harmful chemicals found in everyday products from window cleaners to shampoo. The so-called Safer Alternatives Bill had an initial hearing Tuesday on Beacon Hill.
Boston

That 'Dirty Water' Isn't So Dirty Anymore


By Phillip Martin
The Charles River is a finalist for a prestigious international honor. The International Riverprize is a $350,000 award for development and implementation of sustainable river management policies.
Boston

Once A Sewer, The Charles Is Cleaner — No, Really


WHITHER 'THAT DIRTY WATER?'
By Phillip Martin
The Charles River is a finalist for the International Riverprize, awarded for visionary river-management policies. But the International Riverprize nomination may not be enough to convince those who use the river that it’s safe to go in.
Local Politics

RFK Jr.: Patrick Holding NSTAR Merger Hostage To Cape Wind

By Sarah Birnbaum
The administration of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is trying to delay a merger between utility giants NSTAR and Northeast Utilities. And Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the governor is doing it to help the Cape Wind project.
Boston

Westport Officials Work To Cleanup Toxins Found In Middle School

By Jordan Weinstein
Officials in Westport, Mass., are working to deal with unsafe levels of toxins discovered in a middle school there this week.
Environment

Nature In Balance: The National Seashore Looks Forward


MORE FROM WCAI
By Sean Corcoran
As it celebrates its 50th anniversary, the Cape Cod National Seashore bears the legacy of the agreements that founded it -- which supporters say will help it navigate its future.
WGBH 89.7 News

A Pioneering African Environmentalist's Legacy Lives On


By Bob Seay
Nobel Peace Prize-winning Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai died last month but the legacy of her mission is still alive. Maathai spoke about her life's work with WGBH back in 1990 for a series called Race to Save the Planet. Former Nova producer Linda Harrar offered this personal remembrance.
INNOVATION

Xconomy Report For Oct. 21, 2011

A Boston-area tech company is creating the software for what could be the nation’s first wireless collision avoidance system for cars.
LOCAL NEWS

Four Days Later, He's Living In The Dark


WGBH NEWS: POWER OUTAGES CONTINUE
By Phillip Martin
Nelson Butten of Lawrence talked about how he was dealing with lengthy power outages. As late as the morning of November 2, his apartment still had no heat.
Environment

Has Solar's Time Finally Come?


By Gary Mott
Economically viable solar energy for private homeowners is heating up in the U.S. as more companies seek to enter what they admit is a niche market.
WHERE WE LIVE

Where You Live: Norwood, Mass.

By Susan Clare
Our nonprofit, Together Yes, launched this year, is dedicated to sustainability and community building in Norwood. Our grassroots efforts are aimed at getting "small and local." We are becoming a presence in Norwood, and wish to see the town viable and sustainable for all residents and businesses. WHERE WE LIVE: COMPLETE SERIES
WHERE WE LIVE

Lawrence: A River Runs Through It


WHERE WE LIVE: COMPLETE SERIES
By Phillip Martin
Many residents see the cleaned-up Merrimack River as a metaphor for the positive changes they've been creating in this old mill town. 
WGBH SPECIAL REPORT

Power Struggle, Part 1: Relicensing Pilgrim Nuclear


By Sean Corcoran
The owners of the Plymouth Nuclear Power Station are asking for it to be relicensed for another 20 years of service. But the landscape surrounding nuclear power has changed since the disaster in Fukushima, Japan. As regulators consider the request, the debate in the community is heating up.
WGBH SPECIAL REPORT

Power Struggle, Part 2: Burning Out On Fuel Rods


POWER STRUGGLE PART 1: RELICENSING
By Sean Corcoran
At Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, about 3,000 spent fuel rods sit in a pool designed to hold one-third that amount. In Fukushima, some rods stored in similar pools melted down.
Energy

Power Struggle: The Fight Over Pilgrim Nuclear


By Sean Corcoran
The owners of the 39-year-old Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth have applied for a 20-year extension. Opponents question its safety, especially after its sister plant experienced explosions and likely meltdowns this year in Fukushima, Japan. In a three-part series, WGBH News reports on the controversy.
Energy

Judges Deny Request To Suspend Nuclear Plant Relicensing


POWER STRUGGLE: COMPLETE SERIES
By Sean Corcoran
Federal regulators will not halt a review of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant's bid to extend its operating license. WGBH News reported on the Pilgrim controversy this November.
Environment

Boston 'Rain Garden' Aims To Clean Polluted River


By Ibby Caputo
In Dorchester's Peabody Square, what looks like an ordinary patch of plants is in fact a sophisticated "rain garden" designed to clean water and keep pollutants out of the Neponset.
History

Town's Historic Tree May Be Saved


MORE GREATER BOSTON
By Toni Waterman
In Westport, Mass., a 200-year-old linden tree threatened by a sidewalk may yet wave another day (or century). A "Greater Boston" web exclusive.
Energy

Utility Gets Go-Ahead To Purchase Cape Wind Power


WGBH/WCAI CAPE WIND BLOG
CAPE WIND MULTIMEDIA
By Sean Corcoran
The Mass. Supreme Judicial Court has no problem with the state-sanctioned power purchase agreement between Cape Wind and the utility National Grid, ruling that the deal is in the public's interest. 
Animals

How To Save A Stranded Dolphin


CAPE NEWS FROM WCAI
By Brian Morris
This week, a number of the stranded Cape Cod dolphins were seen swimming off the coast of Maine. The head of the marine rescue team talked about how she got them back into the ocean safely.
Innovation Hub

Innovation For An Energy-Hungry World

By Kara Miller
What it will take to generate the energy and fuel for a planet that just hit 7 billion and isn’t done growing? The old gas-and-coal-powered grid is changing. Germany now generates 20% renewable energy, but America has lagged — and our next guest says that’s got to change.

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