Hi, Ira here. A lot of you have said, hey, Ira, we like the podcast, but sometimes we just want

to listen to one story at a time, and we hear you. So we're going to try something new.

A topic or two a day, spread out through Monday through Science Friday. Have a listen.

Kenya is having a massive boom for geothermal energy. Just how big of a deal is this?

It can power the rest of the continent of Africa if Han is completely, so it's huge.

It's Thursday, October 12th, but every day is Science Friday.

I'm Sci-Fi producer, Kathleen Davis. Kenya is seated right on the split of the African Continental

Plate. This means there are a ton of hydrothermal vents, which are perfect for harnessing geothermal

energy. This renewable energy is really ramping up in Kenya. A bit later, guest host Flora

Lichtman will explore the story, but first we're going to head to Louisiana, where

a saltwater wedge is hitting coastal towns. Today we're talking about a saltwater wedge.

I know it sounds like a menu item at sweet green, but it's actually a natural phenomenon.

Sea water from the Gulf of Mexico is slowly creeping up the Mississippi River.

And this is making waves for some Louisiana residents. This salty slurry can contaminate drinking water.

So how are cities preparing and what does this mean for people living on the river?

Here to tell us more is my guest, Halley Parker, coastal desk reporter for WWNO,

public radio in New Orleans, Louisiana. Welcome back to Science Friday.

Hi, Flora. What is the science behind a saltwater wedge? Like why does it happen?

Yeah, okay. So there's a couple things going on here. You might actually be surprised to learn

that the bottom of the Mississippi River sits below sea level throughout its entire path in Louisiana.

So that means that the Gulf of Mexico can actually creep up if given the chance.

And usually we don't have a wedge because the force of the fresh water flowing down the Mississippi

...