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In an effort to make their farms more environmentally and economically sustainable, some farmers are experimenting with agrivoltaics: growing crops underneath solar panels. This dual harvest is working for some, but what will it take for agrivoltaics to work on a larger, more industrial scale?
Joining Host Ira Flatow are journalist Jana Rose Schleis and environmental economics expert Madhu Khanna.
Further Reading
- Solar arrays supply shade — and land — for Midwest farmers, via KBIA News
- Cows, crops and energy: Experiments explore multi-use farmland, via KBIA News
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Segment Guests
Jana Rose Schleis
Jana Rose Schleis is a news producer at KBIA in Columbia, Missouri.
Madhu Khanna
Dr. Madhu Khanna is a professor of environmental economics and director of the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Segment Transcript
The transcript is being processed. It will be available 2-3 days after this story’s publication date.
Meet the Producers and Host
About Ira Flatow
Ira Flatow is the founder and host of Science Friday. His green thumb has revived many an office plant at death’s door.
About Kathleen Davis
Kathleen Davis is a producer and fill-in host at Science Friday, which means she spends her weeks researching, writing, editing, and sometimes talking into a microphone. She’s always eager to talk about freshwater lakes and Coney Island diners.