Growing Impact
by Penn State Institute of Energy and the Environment
Latest episode
Can plants detect PFAS?
Can plants detect PFAS?
About this podcast
Growing Impact explores cutting-edge projects of Penn State researchers and scientists who are solving some of the world's most challenging energy and environmental issues.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 60 episodes
- Can plants detect PFAS? · 23 min · Season 7 Episode 1Plants respond to changes in their environment, but can those responses help detect contamination? A new research project is exploring whether flexible sensors attached to plants…
- Plastic recycling with coal · 20 min · Season 6 Episode 6Plastic recycling is difficult for a simple reason: Plastics are designed to last. Penn State researchers are testing whether tiny particles of Pennsylvania anthracite coal can…
- Resilient power grid planning · 23 min · Season 6 Episode 5As electricity demand grows and becomes harder to predict, power grid planners face a difficult question: how do they build for a future shaped by extreme weather, renewable…
- Managing India's groundwater crisis · 25 min · Season 6 Episode 4India is the world's largest groundwater-based economy, with more than half its 1.5 billion population depending on agriculture for their livelihoods — making groundwater…
- Microplastics in the marsh · 21 min · Season 6 Episode 3Microplastics are turning up in unexpected places, including tidal freshwater marshes. Researchers are uncovering how these ecosystems trap plastics before they reach the ocean…
- Decoding wildfire smoke forecasts · 17 min · Season 6 Episode 2Long-distance wildfire smoke is emerging as a serious health risk in the Northeast U.S., where many residents have little experience navigating hazardous air. Conflicting…
- Energy saving smart windows · 19 min · Season 6 Episode 1How do you keep a building comfortable without wasting energy? A Penn State team is tackling that question with an innovative smart window. Using a responsive polymer, the window…
- Indigenous communities and Amazon oil · 27 min · Season 5 Episode 10The Amazon, home to rich biodiversity and vital carbon-storing ecosystems, is also the ancestral land of Indigenous communities who are grappling with the devastating effects of…
- Climate change, extreme heat, and infant health · 19 min · Season 5 Episode 9Heat significantly affects pregnant women and infants, increasing risks like dehydration, heat exhaustion, and developmental issues in children. Expectant mothers are more…
- Cooling high-performance buildings · 26 min · Season 5 Episode 8Cooling is energy-intensive, with air conditioning consuming a significant portion of electricity in homes and commercial buildings, while also contributing to greenhouse gas…
- Measuring nitrous oxide emissions · 25 min · Season 5 Episode 7Nitrous oxide is a potent greenhouse gas with nearly 300 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide, making even small emissions highly impactful. Agriculture, particularly…
- PFAS and human health · 25 min · Season 5 Episode 6PFAS, synthetic chemicals found in countless everyday products, have made their way into humans and animals around the globe. Although their health effects remain unclear, their…
- Seismic sensing with fiber optics · 23 min · Season 5 Episode 5The Earth can shift suddenly, with sinkholes and landslides posing serious risks to people and property. Scientists are now using existing fiber optic cables in cities to detect…
- Low-carbon cement from farm waste · 26 min · Season 5 Episode 4Cement, a major component of concrete, is a significant contributor to global carbon emissions. Researchers are exploring agricultural waste as a potential alternative to cement…
- Feeding a changing world · 31 min · Season 5 Episode 3Smallholder farmers are the unsung heroes of our food system. Tilling tiny plots, they produce a staggering one-third of the world’s food and up to 80% of the food supply in…
- Visualizing flood risk · 23 min · Season 5 Episode 2Flooding is the world's most devastating natural disaster, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. Millions of Americans live in high-risk flood zones, with the threat…
- Converting CO2 into fuel · 23 min · Season 5 Episode 1Carbon dioxide (CO2) is abundant and stable, making it difficult to convert into something useful without a lot of energy. Researchers are using advanced computational modeling…
- Growing Impact: Season 5 · 3 min · Season 5Our planet is at a critical crossroads. In Season 5 of Growing Impact, we delve into groundbreaking research with the power to transform our world. This season offers a deep dive…
- Floating offshore wind energy · 30 min · Season 4 Episode 12Wind power has come a long way from its humble beginnings as water pumps and windmills. Today, it's a major contributor to our electricity generation. While onshore wind farms…
- Evaluating lighting efficiency · 22 min · Season 4 Episode 11Before the early 20th century, light measurement lacked a standard, repeatable approach. At that time, scientists developed a spectral sensitivity curve, representing the…
