H2oradio

A Better Way to Recycle Plastics? Think Pac-Man. That story and more on H2O Radio’s weekly news report about water. Headlines: These bright yellow barriers that lift from the seabed could save a beloved European city from climate change. There is new hope around the plague of plastics piling up in our oceans and waterways. Reservoirs around the world bask in the sun, and they hold huge potential for producing energy. Last week we told you about zombie storms—weather events that appear to have died but come to back to life. This week it’s zombie fires. Blue whales sing at night—until they're on the move—and then they become daytime crooners.

As If 2020 Weren’t Bad Enough—Now We Have Zombie Storms. That story and more on H2O Radio’s weekly news report about water. Headlines: California law is being used for the first time to protect a species because of climate change. Droughts can happen over the ocean and scientists say they can come ashore. What happens in soils on the ground can make thunderstorms stronger. It's now possible to keep cool without an air conditioner. Because 2020, we now have Zombie Storms.

Birds Are Falling Out of the Sky and No One Knows Why. That story and more on H2O Radio’s weekly news report about water. Headlines: The storm surge from Hurricane Sally was the third highest on record—approximately six feet above the ground—flooding Pensacola. Are wildfires linked to the massive die-off of birds in the Southwest? Listening to earthquakes may be a new method to measure how oceans are warming. Fading fast? Colorado's iconic aspen trees will likely decline with climate change. Researchers have discovered that early humans used take out 1.8 million years ago. Wildebeest to go, anyone?

Tourists in Colorado's high country might want to snap a lot pictures while they can. Researchers predict that climate change will reduce the number of aspens that make the fall color in the Rocky Mountains so captivating.

Clouds Are the Missing Piece in Predicting Climate Change. That story and more on H2O Radio’s weekly news report about water. Headlines: About 100 fires are burning in the West, and experts are alarmed at the speed at which they’ve spread. Understanding how much clouds will affect global warming is up in the air. Climate change is throwing the water cycle for a loop. There’s a source of plastic pollution in the oceans that’s not received a lot of attention. Some good news—the avocado apocalypse has been avoided.

With many people staying close to home during the coronavirus pandemic, gardening has become popular, specifically vegetable gardens. COVID-19 has led to high unemployment, causing food banks to be overwhelmed, so people are growing food not only to feed their families but also to help their communities. It’s an old idea reborn to meet the moment.

H2O Radio conversation with Russ Schumacher, CO state climatologist about a macroburst that hit Akron, Colorado, on June 7, 2020.

Mexico Might Ask Trump for Clemency. That story and more on H2O Radio’s weekly news report about water. Headlines: Will forests recover after recent wildfires? A new study says some won't. There’s a dispute brewing on the U.S.-Mexico border that has nothing to do with immigration—and everything to do with water. Mites might be in a mite-y big bit of trouble with big implications for the planet. Elephants have been dying in southern Africa recently, and the cause could be linked to water. Just how massive was the megalodon shark that lived over two million years ago? Scientists think they finally know.

As Schools Reopen, There’s Another Problem, and It’s Not the Coronavirus. That story and more on H2O Radio’s weekly news report about water. Headlines: If our collective future were a movie, last week would be the trailer. Parents, teachers, and staff might now have another problem to contend with—Legionnaires' disease in schools. It’s a crime that’s neither well understood, nor well known. Lice joyride on elephant seals to a depth of 6500 feet—and survive. Songbirds have a surprising strategy to cope with drought.

What’s It Take to Fill a Pothole? True Grit. That story and more on H2O Radio’s weekly news report about water. Headlines: Sea level rise could push water tables along the California coast closer to the surface, putting inland infrastructure at risk. The Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River increased power generation to help California cope with a massive heat wave. The Southeast is in hot water. Scientists are letting nothing go to waste in patching potholes. Would you blush when you flush in a see-through loo?

A Redevelopment in Denver Will Use Poop to Heat and Cool Buildings. That story and more on H2O Radio’s weekly news report about water. Headlines: If you live in western Colorado or eastern Utah—it's not your imagination—it’s getting hotter. The last fully intact ice shelf in the Canadian Arctic has collapsed, losing more than 40 percent of its area in just two days. Seabird guano could be “white gold.” A major new development in Denver will use human sewage to heat and cool buildings. Pro tip: How to survive being eaten by a frog.

What Happens to All the Tear Gas After Protests? That story and more on H2O Radio’s weekly news report about water. Headlines: There are worries about what chemicals in tear gas will do to the environment—particularly the water. That sinking feeling—four California "hotspots" are vulnerable to subsidence and sea level rise. A common mineral used in cellphones or computer batteries may also be in drinking water supplies—and it could have a health benefit. There’s another potential source of ocean pollution—city lights. Affording one’s electric bills in the UK could soon be a breeze.

A 4,000-Year Drought in the Southwest? It Could Happen.That story and more on H2O Radio’s weekly news report about water. Headlines: A cave in Nevada is revealing some dire implications for the American Southwest. A group of heavy hitters from the world of finance are warning of economic disaster without urgent action on climate change. There's a mysterious hole off the Gulf Coast of Florida about 150 feet beneath the water's surface. The amount of plastic trash piling up in our oceans every year is expected to nearly triple by 2040. There might be a powerful treatment for COVID-19...in our oceans.

A Major Source of Ocean Pollution You’ve Never Heard Of. That story and more on H2O Radio’s weekly news report about water. Headlines: Methane emissions are skyrocketing and the two biggest sources are fossil fuels and cows that release gas when they burp. COVID-19 is making weather forecasting less accurate. A new study says the world’s paved roads are releasing potentially toxic pollutants into the environment. How your car's tires and brakes are shedding plastic into oceans thousands of miles away. They can check out any time they like—(but hopefully) they never leave.

Could Beavers Be Making Climate Change Worse? That story and more on H2O Radio’s weekly news report about water. Headlines: Despite decent winter snowfall, runoff in the Colorado and Rio Grande River Basins is not looking very good. The number of dust storms in the Southwest has doubled in recent decades—a situation that could strain ICU units already dealing with COVID-19. Beavers might make the Arctic melt even faster. NOAA may not being doing right by the North Atlantic right whale. Your favorite type of beer could reveal something about your personality.

Could PFAS Contaminants Make the Coronavirus Worse? That story and more on H2O Radio’s weekly news report about water. Headlines: The EPA is moving to craft exemptions for PFAS chemicals as another federal agency questions their connection to COVID-19. It's not just oceans—fruits and vegetables have microplastics in them, too. Programs that plant trees to mitigate climate change could backfire. There might be a new method to desalinate seawater that's profitable and environmentally benign. In the latest NASA challenge, you'll get bonus points for considering vomit in your design.

To Stop the Coronavirus, Put a Lid on It. That story and more on H2O Radio’s weekly news report about water. Headlines: The great American outdoors just got a lot greater. The EPA defied a court order and will not set a drinking water standard for a known endocrine disruptor. Public restrooms could spread the coronavirus, according to a study published last week. There's a plume of dust from the Sahara extending over the Atlantic Ocean and it's visible from space. Could blowing soap bubbles help pollinate flowers?

It’s Raining Plastics on the National Parks. That story and more on H2O Radio’s weekly news report about water. We may soon have more discarded face masks in the ocean than jellyfish. Plastics are being carried high in the atmosphere and then depositing in remote areas when it rains or snows. A Russian diesel spill shows how buildings in the permafrost are vulnerable to global warming. Abandoned coal mines in the UK are finding new life providing heat. Returning sea otters sequester carbon.

While the Nation Protests, Trump Rolls Back Environmental Protections. That story and more on H2O Radio’s weekly news report about water. Trump ordered federal agencies to bypass critical environmental laws for projects, including oil and gas pipelines, highways, and mines. In another order, Trump rolled back protections for an East Coast marine monument established by President Obama. The EPA was found to have broken the law in its approval of weed killing products with dicamba. Could floating turbines help solve our energy needs? How you do your laundry matters.

Could Turning Beaches Green Fight Climate Change? That story and more on H2O Radio’s weekly news report about water. Forests have been getting shorter and younger over the past 50 years and that might have broad impacts on global ecosystems. A nonprofit wants to turn the tide on climate change by turning beaches green. Less snow could fall in North America by the end of the century unless greenhouse gas emissions are curbed. Cyclones may be fueling global warming. Lyme disease and COVID-19 have similar symptoms—don't mistake them.