Environment

Optimal Energy Investments

Wed, 08 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

The world’s thirst for more energy has led us down the path to climate change. Some politicians have said that alternatives to fossil fuels may help us reverse that, but the problem is that alternative forms of energy aren't ready on the scale we need. And recently scientists at UNC Charlotte came to an even more alarming conclusion, that the problem is unsolvable. Two of the people working on that project talk about their troubling conclusion, when Charlotte Talks.

Climate Convergence

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

We have discussed climate change many times on Charlotte Talks but there is a new science emerging in the study of our changing climate. Social scientists are being called upon more and more to study climate's effect on human culture. Entire societies are changing their traditions, the media is covering the issue differently and lawmakers are shaping policy based on our perception to climate change. One local social scientist has discovered fascinating social changes among native Alaskans. He'll share how those changes could affect policy here in our own region. (Note: This show was pre-recorded last week.)

'Do Your Part' With Terri Bennett (Rebroadcast)

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Well-known former TV meteorologist Terri Bennett has traded the camera and studio for the betterment of the environment, with the founding of her company, called Do Your Part. She's the author of a book by the same name, and in it, gives practical tips that she says help "to remove the roadblocks that currently prevent many Americans from taking steps toward adopting more sustainable lifestyles." She'll share her expertise with us, and will give us some tips on how to reduce our eco-footprint. (Originally Aired 9/13/2011)

Old Salem And Mountains To Sea Trail

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Part One: Old Salem. Just as our country was being forged in the halls of the Continental Congress and birthed in the Revolutionary war, a group of hardy Moravian immigrants was building a settlement in the Piedmont of North Carolina. The town of Salem sprang up and still remains just outside of Winston-Salem. Today it is a living museum, a window into some of the earliest founders of our state. Well visit with the President of Old Salem Inc., a company devoted to the settlement and to educating North Carolinians and other visitors on life in colonial North Carolina. Follow us back in time when Charlotte Talks.

Mini Nuclear Reactors

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Nuclear power continues to be a hot topic when it comes to America's energy future but a new invention could change the entire landscape for nuclear power, or so they the supports of the SMR or Small Modular Reactor. These mini power plants could soon be installed all over the country fueling skyscrapers, neighborhoods and manufacturing plants. Supporters say they are safe, scalable and can be built quickly but those who watch the nuclear industry says that much more research needs to be done before small reactors dot our cities and states. A company on the forefront of this new technology is right in our backyard and we'll hear from them and others on this new plan to power America when Charlotte Talks.

Commission Chair Says State - Not Local - Rules Should Govern Fracking

David Boraks — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 14:43:21 +0000

The head of a panel writing rules for natural gas fracking in North Carolina says state standards should prevail over local rules when it comes to regulating the practice. The remarks by Jim Womack came as a study group of the North Carolina Mining and Energy Commission met Friday in Pittsboro.

Womack, the commission chair and a Lee County commissioner, said local governments should have to make a case for why their rules should be more stringent than any state standards, The Fayetteville Observer reports.

Climate Change And Your Health

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 05:00:00 +0000

When we think of climate change, we often think the consequences are far off. But doctors and scientists believe it is harming our health now and it will only get worse. Some of the climate's harmful effects to our health can be obvious - extreme weather events and increased temperatures. But many are less so, think asthma and allergies, even food and water borne diseases, on up to cardiovascular disease, stroke and cancer. How does climate impact our health and what can we do about it? We'll talk with people involved in educating the public about the risks of the changing climate to our health, including from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Carbon Nation

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 05:00:00 +0000

We have discussed global warming and how we can reduce our carbon footprint several times on this show but we generally focused on the debate about whether climate change is real and man-made. Our guest today, film director Peter Byck, decided to forget the debate. He simply traveled the country to meet people who were actively reducing their carbon footprint whether they believed in global warming or not. These people just think it's smarter to use less energy or to create it more efficiently. Byck sees these innovators and entrepreneurs as part of Carbon Nation and he made a film by the same name. He'll join us when Charlotte Talks.

Mars Rover

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 05:00:00 +0000

We have visited Mars several times in the past but perhaps no mission to the Red planet is as ambitious as the one underway right now. After months of interplanetary flight and a flawless landing, Mars Rover Curiosity has already begun to explore the planet’s surface. The aim of the mission; find signs of life on Mars. We’ll meet one of the principal members of the mission’s team, geobiologist Dawn Sumner, as we continue our geology conference series when Charlotte Talks.

Climate Change And Public Policy

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 05:00:00 +0000

One of the issues we’ve heard little about during this election campaign is climate change. But Hurricane Sandy has thrust the topic into the spotlight. It is a complex, challenging problem both scientifically and politically but on election day, we step away from the politics and focus on how scientists are communicating with those who make public policy to help them and citizens understand what is happening and the potential consequences.