Science

The Best of Planet Watch 2017-PW051

Happy New Year from Joe and Rachel! Welcome to a new bunch of shows and an expanding network of radio stations running the program. In the coming year we’ll have more interviews with leading scientists and engineers and big thinkers helping us figure out how to live more wisely on this planet. For this week, • Read More »


Happy Holidays from Planet Watch-PW050

In this podcast we hear from family and far flung friends (in Norway and Virginia) and explore the traditions, rituals and science behind winter time and solstice. Rachel reads from Jean Ritchie’s “Singing Family of the Cumberlands” about old Christmas and the first Christmas trees to come into the mountains in the 1930’s. Plus, talk • Read More »


A Passive House That Uses 80% Less Energy-PW049

Chie Kawahara and Kurt Hurley designed their passive house to save tons of energy. Find out how they turned a 95-year old house into a modern energy saving miracle. And they did it without solar electricity! More at Midorihaus.com. Plus, what’s greener, fake or real Christmas trees? Alexis Navarro explores this vexing question.  Air Date: • Read More »


BlueMind:Your Brain on Water-PW048

Why do our brains behave so differently around water, and how can we harness that relationship to clean up the rivers and oceans of the earth? We talk with best-selling author and marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols about his book BlueMind and the new book he’s writing about ways to save the blue part of • Read More »


Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria-PW046

This week’s program focuses on the opportunity within the tragedy that is Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Will the island move rapidly to embrace solar and micro-grids to make it more resilient? Will it go back to being 50% reliant on fossil fuels in giant centralized plants? Find out with journalist Ana Campoy and energy • Read More »


Off-Grid Solar Home Tour- PW027

A tour of an off-the-grid solar home in California with Bob Stayton, author and engineer, plus passive cooling of your home and homemade solar bread . Air Date: July 16, 2017 on  KSCO radio station AM1080 Power Shift: From Fossil Energy to Dynamic Solar Power is Bob’s new book, available on Amazon. Contact Radio Planet • Read More »


Solar Car Racing Champion – PW026

Solar energy! The sun can provide clean energy and can save you money. Find out from solar expert Jack Martin how he won a solar car race with a vehicle he built,  and why. Community College teacher “Sustainable Jack”, who has taught solar installation to thousands, discusses alternative energy and environmental issues on his show • Read More »


Climate Skeptic Sees the Light-PW021

An interview with former Cato Institute and ALEC climate skeptic, Jerry Taylor, who studied the scientific literature on global warming and changed his views. He is now a strong advocate for finding solutions to anthropogenic climate chaos. Also find out what consequences we can expect from the President’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. Air Date: • Read More »


Fog Into Water: Dr. Dan Fernandez-PW020

If you live in London or San Francisco, a constantly renewing source of water hovers all around you: Fog. Planet Watch interviews  California State University Monterey Bay scientist Dr. Dan Fernandez about his work capturing moisture from fog and how that research may someday allow all of us to have water making machines in our • Read More »


Measuring Attitudes About Climate Change-PW019

Why are so many Americans confused about climate change and what to do about it? Dr. Connie Roser-Renouf of Yale’s Program on Climate Change Communication has been measuring and describing attitudes about how severe a threat climate change poses and what people think should be done. Turns out, geography and recent weather events have at least • Read More »