IF Federal Environmental Protections Go Away . . . EDF Speaks Out.

World Climate Talks (Starts 1:00)  CU Boulder Director of Environmental Journalism Tom Yulsman gives an update on COP29 United Nations 29th Conference on Climate Change, in this hottest year on record, and threats to shut down NOAA.

Methane Leaks, Trump and the EDF (starts 4:10) EDF — Environmental Defense Fund’s Rosalie Winn, explains why reducing methane leaks is crucial, and what to do if many federal environmental protections against methane leaks or air pollution go away.

Executive Producer/Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
Additional Contributions: Tom Yulsman, Joel Parker
Engineer: Jackie Sedley

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Wildfire Mushrooms for Wildfire Mitigation

WIldfire Mushroom c Coldfire Project

Wild, local mushrooms can break down deadwood into healthy soil, and they can do this surprisingly fast.  Used correctly, fungi are an emerging way to reduce the forest tinder that makes mega-wildfires more likely.   But there’s a wrong way and a right way to use mushrooms for mitigation  Our experts today will talk about the ways that are safe for the environment, and the results.

Our experts today are Jeff Ravage of the Coldfire Project and Zach Hedstrom of Boulder Mushroom .  They describe efforts underway to use mushrooms to break down deadwood into soil — to reduce forest tinder and also for sequestering carbon in soil.

Host/Show Producer: Shelley Schlender

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CU Boulder Nobel Prize Winner Tom Cech & “The Catalyst”

Nobel Laureate and CU Boulder researcher Tom Cech. (Photo by Glenn Asakawa/University of Colorado)

CU Boulder Nobel Prize Winner Tom Cech discusses his new book, The Catalyst, RNA and the Quest to Unlock Life’s Deepest Secrets

Tom Cech is our featured interview for the KGNU Fall Membership Drive.  Thank you to listeners who are contributing funds to help our volunteer powered, noncommercial, community radio station.  If you like what you hear and want to aid our efforts, please donate securely on line at  KGNU.org.

If you would like to join our team of volunteers who report for the science show and make it happen, please contact us via:  contact [no spam] howonearthradio.org
Just put the @ where it belongs.

Hosts: Shelley Schlender, Susan Moran
Show Producer: Shelley Schlender

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Eight-Legged Wonders: The Surprising Lives of Spiders

Boulder Colorado Nature Hikes

Local Science/Nature Calendar (starts 1:00)  We share news about the Marshall Mesa Trailhead Closure to eliminate burning underground coal, CSU Professor Mark Easter talks about the Blue Plate Book Launch, THIS THURSDAY at Boulder’s Patagonia Store, and a Hiking Song:Vocal Improvisation in the Wild, NEXT THURSDAY October 9th.

Tiny “Peacock” Spider c James O’Hanlon

EIGHT-LEGGED WONDERS:  The Surprising Lives of Spiders (starts 5:41) HowonEarth Hosts talk about spider phobias, and zoologist James O’Hanlon shares stories from his new book about peacock spiders, vegetarian spiders, spiders in outer space, and more.

Hosts: Esther Frost, Joel Parker
Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
Engineer:  Jackie Sedley

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Hoofbeats – Horses & Human History//Colorado Wolf Family ReCaptured

Colorado Parks & Wildlife Wolf Release

Wolf Family Recaptured  (Starts 1:40)    Colorado Parks & Wildlife did not reply to our request for an update on the fate of Colorado’s newly captured wild wolf family.  CU Boulder Professor Marc Bekoff did, offering suggestions for how to improve human-wolf interactions under the voter mandate to reintroduce wolves to Colorado.  Go here for a transcript and extended interview with Marc Bekoff.  Go here to see the “Kill Permit” Colorado Parks & Wildlife denied to the rancher who lives near the wolf family’s den.

HOOF  BEATS.  How Horses Shaped Human History. (Starts ) We speak with CU-Boulder Archeologist William Taylor about his new book, Hoofbeats, that chronicles the origin of horses and the human/horse bond. Taylor will give a talk about his new book, Thursday, September 19th at the Boulder Bookstore.

Special music courtesy of YouTube and The Hu, about Mongolia, the cradle of horse domestication, where a horse culture still exists and thrives.

Executive Producer: Susan Moran
Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
Engineer
: Jackie Sedley

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Colorado Wolves Recapture – Marc Bekoff Extended Interview

This is an extended interview with CU Boulder Wildlife Expert Marc Bekoff about challenges and possibilities with Colorado Wolf Reintroduction.  For the broadcast interview, GO Here.  And here is an AI-generated written transcipt.

 

 

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SOLO: Building a Remarkable Life of Your Own – Peter McGraw

Peter McGraw

SOLO:  Building a Remarkable Life of Your Own.  CU Boulder Professor, Behavioral Economist and book author Peter McGraw uses statistical data and personal anecdotes to explain the growing worldwide trend for adults to live “Solo.”

(for Cat Ladies song, go here)

Show Producer and Host: Shelley Schlender
Executive Producer: Susan Moran

 

 

 

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Wildfires & Smokey Skies

credit: Maeve Conran. The Flatirons in Boulder shrouded in wildfire smoke on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued an air quality alert due to particle pollution and ozone levels.

Wildfire smoke has marred the Front Range in recent weeks, due to Megafires that are likely to become more frequent.  And more smoke is likely.

Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World (Starts 00:00) Beth Bennett speaks with author John Vaillant about the Canadian firestorm that forced 100,000 people to run for their lives . . . and why firestorms like this are becoming more common.  (For extended version, go here)

Smokey Skies (Starts 15:00) The Front Range is getting eye-stinging smoke from wildfires over 1,000 miles away . . . last week, from Canada, and this week, likely from California, according to the Colorado Smoke Blog.  University of Utah Atmospheric Scientist Dr. Derek Mallia speaks with Rocky Mountain Community Radio Director, Maeve Conran, about why wildfire smoke travels so far, and how people can protect themselves from its toxic effects.

Host/Producer: Shelley Schlender
Additional Contributions: Beth Bennett and Maeve Conran
Executive Producer: Susan Moran

 

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Green Power for when the Power Goes Out

c Wiki Media from Olympus Digital Camera

Matt Johnson of Namaste Solar and Stu Cummings of Go Electric Colorado  share climate friendly ways to keep your home power going, even if power from your utility suddenly goes out.  It’s a discussion spurred by April’s massive power outages, when Xcel Energy Colorado abruptly shut off power to over 150,000 Denver Metro homes, citing concerns that downed power lines might spark a wildfire.

Hosts: Shelley Schlender, Esther Frost
Producer: Shelley Schlender
Executive Producer: Shelley Schlender

 

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Gold Lab Symposium – 2024 – Health, Intelligence & Culture

Gold Lab Foundation 2024 Illustration

Gold Lab Symposium on Science and Health.  (starts 6:40) Boulder scientist and entrepreneur, Larry Gold, shares a sneak preview of this year’s Gold Lab Symposium at CU-Boulder Muenzinger Auditorium this Thursday and Friday.  This year’s symposium focuses on Pain, Culture and Intelligence.

The symposium includes discussion of the paper, Organ aging signatures in the plasma proteome track health and disease

CU-Wizards (starts 1:00) and the upcoming show with CU-Boulder Nobel Prize Winner Eric Cornell

Scott Falci – Denver Neurosurgeon (starts 2:45) and the quest to solve suicidal pain in people who have been paralyzed.  Falci will speak live at the Gold Lab Symposium.

 

Executive & Show Producer: Shelley Schlender
Additional Contributions: Joel Parker

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