logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2020
9m 39s

Food Waste + Poop = Electricity

NPR
About this episode
Some dairy farmers in Massachusetts are using food waste and manure to create renewable energy. Each farm produces enough to power about 1,500 homes. Not only does this process create electricity, NPR Science Correspondent Allison Aubrey tells us it also prevents the release of methane, a greenhouse gas. Follow Short Wave's Emily Kwong on Twitter @emilykwong1234. Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Today
The mystery that led this family to get their stomachs removed
When Karyn Paringatai learned about a pattern among her family members, it changed the course of her life: A lot of people died young. As Karyn dug into her family history, she learned many Maori families, like her own, suffered from a rare form of stomach cancer called diffuse g ... Show More
13m 28s
Apr 24
Why a chimp 'civil war' shows how societies collapse
In the mid-1970s, primatologist Jane Goodall witnessed something that changed her opinion of chimpanzees forever: A four-year conflict amongst the chimpanzees she was studying in Tanzania. Chimpanzees that knew each other started killing each other. It was essentially the primate ... Show More
13m 51s
Apr 22
Where did our moon come from?
Earth didn’t always have a moon. In the beginning of the solar system, when the planets were still forming, something happened that would change Earth’s night sky forever: The Moon was created! How did it happen? This episode, co-host Regina G. Barber searches for answers with pl ... Show More
13m 17s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2017
Cutting Cow Farts to Combat Climate Change
Methane emissions from the burps and farts of livestock accounts for around 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. But the trick to reducing this could lie with some of Kenya’s smallholder farmers. By using very simple techniques to transform the way they manage their soil and a ... Show More
19m 9s
Aug 2021
Methane - a climate solution?
The latest IPCC assessment raised alarm about the rate at which manmade emissions are contributing to climate change. Much of the focus for action is on reducing levels of carbon dioxide, however there is a more potent greenhouse gas, methane, produced by natural and industrial p ... Show More
1h 7m
Apr 2022
How can the UK get to zero carbon?
Energy is essential: every living thing needs energy to survive, and today’s industrialised societies consume enormous quantities of it. At the moment, the vast majority of this comes from burning fossil fuels that emit carbon. But the government is committed to reaching net zero ... Show More
27m 46s
Dec 2020
Should We Go Nuclear?
When it comes to nuclear energy, many people have strong opinions. Some say that if you're not on board with nuclear energy, then you aren't serious about addressing the climate crisis. Nuclear, after all, produces a lot of electricity and doesn't emit greenhouse gases while maki ... Show More
46m 42s
Oct 2021
Could we completely switch to renewable energy?
<p>As the world slowly moves away from using fossil fuels for electricity, one tiny Scottish island has proved it’s possible to rely almost entirely on renewables.</p><p>The inner Hebridean isle of Eigg used to get its power from diesel generators. But in 2008 its residents launc ... Show More
34m 40s
Sep 2022
Biomasse - Kontroverse Energiequelle
Biomasse ist gespeicherte Sonnenenergie - und als solche gilt ihr im Rahmen der Energiewende große Aufmerksamkeit. Doch wo Zuckerrohr, Raps und Co. als Energiepflanze angebaut werden, entstehen keine Nahrungsmittel. Wie nachhaltig ist Biomasse also wirklich? Und wo liegen ihre Ch ... Show More
22m 20s
Jan 2023
This episode is trash
In the U.S. alone, food waste is responsible for the equivalent emissions from 42 coal power plants. Globally it accounts for 10% of greenhouse gases, more than heavy industries like cement and steel.  Why? Wasted food means wasted energy. Throwing a piece of food in the trash is ... Show More
35m 3s
Oct 2023
Electric Avenue
A quarter of California’s carbon emissions come from homes and buildings -- from the appliances we use to keep ourselves warm and our families fed. Replacing gas powered appliances with electric ones is one way to make a big impact, but the process is slow and expensive. We head ... Show More
27m 28s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami