Nell Larson

Walt Meier, Senior Research  Scientist with the National Snow and Ice Data Center out of Boulder, Colorado talks about the record low sea ice presently being observed at BOTH poles; not just the Arctic but the Antarctic as well.  The Arctic extent of sea ice is on a path to match the lowest year ever recorded - 2012, while Antarctic sea ice has been in retreat for the past five years.              

Jason Christensen, Water Resource Manager from Park City Municipal talks about the progress the City is making in reducing the communities water use by 25% by the year 2025 (using the year 2000 as a baseline).  He explains what the city is doing what the city is doing to lower leaks within the city's delivery network and, how homeowners are lowering their demand by a significant margin.      

During the second half of the show, Nell and Chris talk with author Summer Rayne Oakes about the benefits and logistics of growing plants in your home, and about her new book, How to Make a Plant Love You: Cultivating Green Space in Your Home and Heart.  

During the first half of the show, Nell and Chris learn about the latest research on the Salt Lake Valley's Jordan River, and the surprising results about where the water in the river comes from, and how it is impacted by nutrients from the community around it. Dr. Rose Smith, professor at the University of Utah joins Chris and Nell to share the details.

During the second half of the show, Nell and Chris spoke with Melissa Marsted, local Park City author of a series of children's books focusing on National Parks, native wildlife, and environmental issues through the eyes of a wildlife narrator.  

During the first half of the show, Nell and Chris spoke with Brian McInerney as they do every solstice and equinox for an update on weather and climate.  A record breaking wet spring has provided many benefits to our streams, reservoirs, and soils, but also causes some challenges.  Tune in to learn more!

Christopher Thomas works with the Utah Sierra Club and the Beyond Coal Campaign.  The purpose of the Beyond Coal Campaign is to aid efforts in retiring coal plants while working to transition communities who have been dependent on coal to other industries. Basically, working to reinvent power in a way that is sustainable, healthy, accessible to all, and economically viable. Christopher Thomas joins Chris and Nell on the program to talk about the campaign, it’s message and goals and how you can participate and become involved.

During the second half of This Green Earth, Nell and Chris chat with Jennifer Gardner,  local Park City resident who recently took on the design and construction of an environmentally conscious home.  Learn about her experiences, her challenges, and her tips for those who want to follow in her footsteps.  

During the first half of This Green Earth, Nell and Chris spoke with Bren Smith, commercial fisherman turned restorative ocean farmer about his new book:  Eat Like a Fish - My Adventures as a Fisherman Turned Restorative Ocean Farmer.  Bren shared his thoughts on how we can transform our food system while enjoying nutritious, locally grown food, and how in the process, restorative ocean farming can create new jobs and help to address climate change.  

During the second half of the show, Nell and Chris spoke with Phyllis Robinson, local chocolatier and founder of Tandem Chocolates about the impacts of the mainstream cocoa industry as well as sustainable and conflict-free chocolate and how to find it.

During the first half of the show, Nell and Chris spoke with Academy-Award nominated filmmaker Danfung Dennis, founder of Condition One, a virtual reality production company that focuses on the creation of immersive environmental documentaries. One such film, This is Climate Change, is showing locally on Saturday evenings and tickets are available for sale online.  

Nell and Chris spoke with Nicholas Markels, a recent Park City High School graduate and winner of the Edison Award for his bio-degradable multi-function plastic spoon, fork, knife utensil called a Sporknife. Nick created and submitted 3-D images, engineering designs, and a photograph of the prototype he had built.
By designing a single, pull apart plastic utensil made from corn-based plastic, Nick hopes to entice businesses to choose his product for its cost effectiveness and environmental benefits.

Last year, legislators passed a bill that established the Utah Inland Port Authority. It will cover some 16,000 acres, or 25 square miles of land just west of the SLC airport; half of it north of I-80 and the other half south. The port will be comprised of warehouses, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers. Proponents of the port say it’s a unique economic opportunity that will bring jobs and connect the state directly to the flow of international trade. But opponents say, not so fast.

During the second segment of This Green Earth, Kelly Nokes, an attorney with the Western Environmental Law Center, joined Chris and Nell to discuss "cyanide bombs," or M-44 devices used to poison native wild predators such as coyotes on public land as well as private property. Kelly shared the current legal status of these and proposed legislation to discontinue their use.  

During the first half of the show, Nell and Chris learned about the Wasatch Wildlife Watch, a massive citizen science effort using camera traps to gather data about wildlife in the Wasatch Front and track how they are impacted by humans. Dr. Mary Pendergast, from Wild Utah Project, and Austin Green, with the University of Utah, joined Chris and Nell to share the details and how listeners can get involved as volunteers.