Technology

Extreme wildfire activity has more than doubled worldwide. Fires are becoming more frequent, more intense, and larger. Rising global temperatures, warmer nighttime lows, and prolonged droughts are driving the trend, and it is only getting stronger.

An electric aircraft manufacturer has been rapidly expanding in South Burlington, Vermont. Beta Technologies has spent tens of millions of dollars on property acquisitions over the past year. Aaron Calvin, a reporter at Seven Days in Vermont,has been covering the growth and spoke with WAMC's Molly Anderson about the latest.

Technology is changing our lives at a breathtaking pace. But who’s making sure it’s changing them for the better? Trailblazing computer scientist Fran Berman has spent her career exploring the intersection of technology and society.In her new book, 'Better Tech: Putting People First in Cyberspace,' she argues that innovation must come with responsibility. From artificial intelligence to the growing power of big tech, Berman offers a practical roadmap for creating technologies that serve humanity rather than threaten it.I spoke with her at a recent NYSWI event where she discussed the need for such a book to discuss how we can build a safer, fairer digital future.

The world consumes over four billion tons of cement each year, making it second only to water as the most heavily consumed substance on Earth. Cement production creates roughly 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions because it involves burning lots of fossil fuels to create the necessary heat to form it as well as because heating the limestone in it releases greenhouse gases.

Ohio has been one of the toughest regions in country for clean energy development, particularly solar power. Permits for construction are often blocked by local political opposition rather than technical faults. Much of the opposition is based on the notion that covering fields with solar panels destroys the rural and agricultural character of local communities. Ohio residents often voice concerns that solar installations may lower home values, create glare, and cause drainage issues.

The idea of making cookies from recycled plastic seems both ridiculous and quite unappetizing, but researchers at Southern Illinois University may actually make it possible.

Africa is experiencing a boom in solar energy that is largely unaccounted for in any official statistics. It is primarily composed of rooftop arrays and other small systems and is mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. The rapid buildout is driving solar generation to record levels but is largely untracked.

Hyperscalers are large technology companies that build and operate massive, globally distributed data center networks to provide cloud computing, storage, and networking services on an enormous scale. Examples include Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Alibaba.

Electric vehicles are basically giant power banks on wheels. They swallow up lots of electricity at charging stations or home outlets in order to power the vehicle. However, in principle, they could also send back that stored up energy to power appliances and homes or even send it back to the grid to bolster the local utility. This sort of capability is called vehicle-to-everything, or V2X.

The elimination of federal tax credits for solar installations and electric cars have wreaked havoc with sales for these green energy technologies. The Republican Congress voted to have these credits expire at the end of last year. People raced to lock in good deals on both EVs and rooftop solar. Then, with the arrival of the new year, sales cratered – at least for a while.