Stories

New England’s Largest Battery is Hidden Inside a Massachusetts Mountain

December 5, 2016

It was Boston-born Ben Franklin who first used the term “battery” to describe an electric storage device. Now, nearly three centuries later, Massachusetts is hoping to jump-start the development of new kinds of batteries to power the future.

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Complaints About Toxins, Shoddy Construction Trail New England Developer

December 5, 2016

In the Marines, Dan Crim learned how to strap an air-tight respirator over his mouth and nose to protect himself from a biological threat. He was glad to never have to use one in a combat zone during his five deployments overseas. Now a retired Marine, Crim wears a respirator whenever he sets foot in the house he bought but no longer lives in.

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Mercury Levels in Gulf of Maine Tuna on the Decline

December 5, 2016

There’s some good news for sushi lovers. A new report finds that over an 8-year period, mercury levels in Gulf of Maine tuna declined 2 percent a year — a decline that parallels reductions in mercury pollution from Midwest coal-fired power plants.

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Vermont Dairy Workers React To Trump’s Deportation Plans

November 28, 2016

President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to deport millions of illegal immigrants with criminal records. It’s unclear how many people fit this category — but Trump’s sweeping statements are already sending shock waves into many undocumented workers’ lives.

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Rhode Island Fishermen, Scientists Study Impact of Offshore Wind Farm on Fisheries

November 22, 2016

The nation’s first offshore wind farm off the coast of Block Island will start producing electricity any day now. It’s a pilot project that will change the way the people on this small island power their homes and businesses. They’ve relied on importing diesel fuel up to this point.

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Connecticut’s Charcoal Has Stories to Tell, if You Know Where to Look

November 22, 2016

Although charcoal is now sold at your local supermarket, the unassuming briquette’s story wasn’t always confined to American grills and backyards. For a long time, charcoal was the lifeblood of Connecticut’s iron industry — fueling furnaces creating everything from weapons of war to wheels that rolled across the country.

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Trump May Find Climate Deal ‘Difficult’ To Break

November 22, 2016

Donald Trump’s surprise victory has prompted climate ministers from around the world to issue a joint statement about the need for the whole international community, including the United States, to remain committed to the Paris Climate Accords.

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Nation’s First Offshore Wind Farm To Start Spinning Soon Off Rhode Island

November 22, 2016

Any day now, America’s first offshore wind farm, off Block Island, will begin commercial operation.

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Searching for the Elusive Plastic Pollution Off Connecticut’s Coast

November 22, 2016

Plastic today is everywhere: in our bottles and cell phones, our grocery bags, and our trash. Some plastic garbage is so small, it’s impossible to see with the naked eye: tiny microbeads, which have been banned from some products because of their environmental impact. WNPR went looking for them in the waters off Connecticut’s coast.

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Six New England Ski Resorts to be Sold

November 4, 2016

In a big preseason sale, Sugarloaf, Sunday River and four other New England ski resorts are being sold. And that’s just part of an $830 million deal that includes ski resorts, theme parks and other recreation properties around the country.

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