Overview

Most the of 600 billion pounds of waste that Americans produce every year ends up in landfills. All that trash can have huge impacts on the environment. But modern landfills have found a new use for all that trash — they’re turning it into energy.

Avalanches are mysterious and complex and the science of these natural phenomena is incomplete. But one thing that is known is how to prevent them. To do that, you have to do something counterintuitive — you have to start them.

Traffic is one of the biggest problems plaguing cities today. Idling cars cause increased emissions, more traffic means more accidents, and it is, of course, annoying. Meet traffic scientist, Dr. Alex Bayen who is working to solve traffic with automation.

It’s a mile long and 150 feet high, and covered in the most spectacular ice falls anyone has ever seen. And it’s all human made. The Ouray Ice Park is the world’s premiere location for ice climbing and attracts visitors from around the world. Nobody has ever attempted to create anything on this scale. How do they do it?

Experience the world through two-time Drone Racing League Champion Jordan Temkin’s eyes as we dive into the mechanics and the physics of FPV (First-Person View) drones.

The prairie landscape has come to symbolize the American heartland. But an ecosystem that once covered a vast swath of the continent has all but disappeared. Just a tiny fraction remains. But researchers and conservationists in Oklahoma may have hit upon two surprising keys to saving this lost ecosystem: bison and fire. Their efforts could help restore degraded grasslands around the world.

The three human figures and two animals that make up the Blythe Geoglyphs - or Blythe Giant Intaglios - are enormous. So big in fact, that they can’t be fully appreciated from the ground. But the figures were carved into the earth long before air travel was invented. So who made them...and why?

It’s called the Land of Arches. With more than 100 natural sandstone arches, Kentucky’s Red River Gorge is a breathtaking natural spectacle. The gorge is considered one of the world’s premier rock climbing destinations. It’s also a haven for rare plants and animals. Why? The rugged topography that makes this place so conducive for climbing has also created a place where rare species thrive.

The fall colors of New England is one of the most breathtaking natural spectacles on earth. Trillions of green leaves across New England transform into the brilliant hues of fall. But the reasons why are still a bit of a mystery.

Wild horses made their home on the islands of North Carolina centuries ago. Today, they are celebrities on these islands drawing thousands of people every summer to the northern beaches of North Carolina. However, the horse population needs to be managed because they can cause serious damage to the ecosystem. How can we respect these horses and keep them wild while protecting the islands?

Are real-life fire lookouts becoming obsolete due to modern technology? Meet Mark Hufstetler, a fire lookout at Baptiste Tower in Flathead National Forest, Montana, who believes human observation is still imperative in fire detection and management. See how people like Mark have been protecting our forests for over a century and continue to play a vital role in protecting our natural resources.

The trees in the Blue Ridge Mountains are responsible for that dreamy blue haze on the horizon. Trees produce fine mists of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which scatter blue light waves. In the mid-90s, the area had serious air quality issues. Not only was it dangerous to breathe, the hazy blue was disappearing from the horizon. But it wasn’t just the trees fault. Here’s what happened...