Nell Larson

Mike Luers, General Manager of the Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District, talks about the extreme importance that we NOT flush "flushable" wipes and other bleach-based wipes down our toilets.  They should be thrown away in a waste basket.  He describes the growing problem these wipes, along with paper towels, napkins and even tissues are having on the pipes, pumps and motors at the treatment plant.   

This week on This Green Earth, author Mark Kurlansky joins the show to talk about his new book, "Salmon - A Fish, The Earth, and a History of Their Common Fate".

Today on This Green Earth, Carly Ferro, Director of the Utah Chapter of the Sierra Club provides a summary of legislation the Sierra Club was tracking along with an update on the events that they may have to cancel around Earth Day.

Today on This Green Earth, Douglas Tallamy talks about his new book "Nature's Best Hope - A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard".

During today's show, Nell and Chris learned about the Repeatedly Flooded Communities Preparation Act from Laura Lightbody with the Pew Charitable Trust.  Repetitive-loss properties have historically accounted for 1% of National Flood Insurance Program policies, but represent 25 - 30% of claims, putting the program 20 billion dollars into the red. This Act encourages the 20,000 participating communities to plan ahead to avoid repeating history and being forced to rebuild time and time again. Utah's Ben McAdams co-sponsored this bipartisan legislation.

In this episode of  This Green Earth  we re-broadcast two interviews.  One with author and journalist Eugene Linden on his New York Times Op Ed titled:  How Scientists Got Climate Change So Wrong.   And the second with biologist James Wolfin on the multiple benefits of replacing ecologically-sterile kentucky blue grass with pollinator and mower-friendly forms of cover like clover.   That plus news on January 2020 being the warmest

On Today's program  an interview with Alice Hill about her new book:  Building a Resilient Tomorrow - How to Prepare for the Coming Climate Disruption.  

On today's show author Jon Gertner talks about his book about Greenland titled:  The Ice at the End of the World. 

Today on This Green Earth, environmental writer, UCLA Institute fellow, and author of Rambunctious garden Emma Marris talks about what "nature" means in a changing world, what counts as nature and what it means to protect it.   In addition, Professor Marris will discuss her recent New York Times op ed on her five-step plan on how to tackle climate change calmly once and for all.  Professor Marris will address all this in a talk she is giving at The Natural History Museum of Utah Tuesday night.  It's part of the Museum's  "Essence of Nature 2020" lecture series.  

During the second half of the show, local resident Mike Stevens joined Chris and Nell to further discuss his recent Park Record letter to the editor.  He wrote about retail stores on Main Street and their practice of leaving their doors open even during very cold weather, a practice which he sees as wasteful - and unnecessary.  Mike and Chris also explored other locations that have implemented education and regulation on this practice.  

During the first half of the show, Celia Peterson from Park City's Sustainability Department joined Chris and Nell to discuss the City's efforts to bolster the number of Electric Vehicle Charging stations and locations in town, as well as preview the plans to update the vehicle anti-idling ordinance in the community.  

An article published last month in the Journal of Applied Ecology found evidence that plan and invertebrate diversity declines - and pest species increase - when lawns are mowed more intensely.  The authors propose that, "in addition to known advantages such as carbon emission reductions, we propose that a reduction in mowing intensity in urban lawns is likely to promote urban invertebrate and plant diversity, and associated ecosystem services."  James Wolfin of Metro Blooms joined Chris and Nell to talk about his research on pollinator communities that forage on lawns, and his work throug

On Monday, Goldman Sachs announced that it will not finance new oil drilling or exploration projects in the Arctic, becoming the first US bank to make such a commitment. The bank’s environmental policy framework now includes a ban on financing for new thermal coal mines worldwide.  Here to explain the details is Ben Cushing from the Sierra Club.  We also asked Ben what impact this will have on other major financiers and who might follow suit.  

The United Nations just completed their 25th Conference of Parties on Climate Change, or COP 25, in Madrid.  Who's leading the way and who is lagging behind?  What is required of major countries in order to adequately address climate change?   Jake Schmidt, Managing Director of International Programs for the Natural Resources Defense Council, joined Chris and Nell to cover the key take-aways. 

During the second part of the show, the conversation was all about beavers!  Marshall Wolf, a phd candidate at Utah State University, joined Chris and Nell to cover the rich history of beavers in Summit County, and how they have impacted our local geology and play a key role in native ecosystems.  He also shared information about his project in partnership with Swaner Preserve, using beaver-inspired restoration techniques to restore a healthier ecosystem and carefully monitor the changes taking place.