PDX-Earth

Want to keep up on the environment? Join me every Wednesday for "PDX-Earth" on Portland State University's KPSU radio (kpsu.org) from 1-2 p.m. (PST) where we'll focus on what you and I can do to save the world. Today's show will discuss the Blue State coalition seeking to block Donald Trump's attempts to buy off alternative energy companies, the eerie parallels between the D-Day film "Pressure" and modern meteorology, the deadly toll of the Longview mill disaster in southwestern Washington, a foie gras ban in Portland is almost a reality, an interview with Oregon filmmaker and bee expert Onyx Baird regarding her upcoming bee movie project, "Amrita: When the Beekeepers Were Women," homemade alternative to chemical weedkillers, tips to lower your carbon footprint, and music from Japan, Hungary, Australia, Brazil, Mexico and Motown.

For more, visit kpsu.org.

PDX-Earth Tip: AirTags are a great way not to lose your luggage or your keys or your car, but the tiny transponders have increasingly taken on a different role – with huge environmental benefits.

AirTag is a tracking device developed by Apple in 2021 that helps people find personal objects through a process known as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). It is estimated that approximately 1 billion AirTags are in use now around the world, and subsequent generations of the technology continue to grow the market.

The majority of AirTag applications are used for day-to-day activities like finding lost backpacks or phones – and even once in a while a stolen car or monitoring a child’s activities – but environmental watchdog groups are increasingly using AirTags to hold elected officials accountable and verify recycling claims.

In 2023, AirTags were dropped into recycling bundles in Houston to verify the recycling claims of city programs and major industry players, including petrochemical giant Dow Inc. But instead of confirming Houston's new "all plastic accepted" program, the AirTags pinged at a nearby storage facility, nowhere close to where they were expected to be, and certainly were not superheated, chemically treated, or mechanically chopped up, as the program claimed.

The trash was instead sitting in an open-air lot alongside millions of other pieces of plastic waste.

But AirTags aren’t just a “gotcha” tool. Retailers like Zara and H&M use RFID technology to monitor stock levels, ensuring production aligns with demand. This precision reduces surplus goods that might otherwise become waste, slashing the energy and emissions tied to manufacturing and transportation.

RFID’s ability to trace materials throughout their lifecycle is also pivotal for circular economy models. Tags embedded in products—from electronics to apparel—record manufacturing origins, usage history, and end-of-life options. Dell uses RFID to track recycled plastics in its devices, ensuring components are reused in new products. This closed-loop system reduces reliance on virgin materials and fosters sustainable consumption patterns.

RFID technology is far more than a logistical tool—it is also a key contributor in the fight against waste and climate change. Through the many benefits it brings to the table, RFID drives systemic shifts toward sustainability, and innovations in biodegradable materials and circular systems further cement its role as a green technology.

For more, visit kpsu.org.

PDX-Earth Episode 139
Today's show discusses why many fear this summer's 2026 World Cup soccer tournament could be the "most polluting" ever, how Donald Trump's border wall is desecrating sacred indigenous sites, the wildlife crossings tucked inside the bipartisan transportation bill, the formerly contaminated site in North Portland that could soon be a botanical garden, an interview with University of British Columbia researcher Dr. Rachel Scholes regarding artificial turf run-off that is killing salmon, how AirTags track recycled waste, tips to lower your carbon footprint, and music from Australia, Gambia, Pakistan, Argentina, the Northern Cheyenne and Blackfeet nations and Motown.

Click here to download and listen:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O_-OTq72KMWuN2IEAIrPwbvnRY5g-0av/view?usp=sharing

For more, visit kpsu.org