This Green Earth

Last week, the EPA announced that they where eliminating the Office of Science Advisor, a position that has been around for 37 years advising the EPA's chief administrator on the science behind environmental policies and regulations.   Why is an office that has been around since 1981 suddenly going away?  Chris Cherniak and Nell Larson speak with a policy expert from the Union of Concerned Scientists to answer that question and others, on This Green Earth.

In the second half of the program, Chris and Nell speak with Paul Greenberg, the author of the new book, “The Omega Principal, Seafood and the Quest for a Long Life and a Healthier Planet.” Omega 3 fatty acids – or fish oil – have long been touted by doctors and dieticians as a key to a healthy heart and sharper brain.  But, what’s the impact of harvesting tons of anchovies and sardines to the marine food chain?

This summer was Utah's warmest on record.  September was well above average and also one of the driest.  And today most of the state is facing warnings for "flash floods".   What's going on?  Chris and Nell speak with Brian McInerney from the National Weather Service to better understand our shifting temperatures and weather patterns.  

Chris and Nell talk to Meredith Reba, the co-author of a fascinating new book titled: City Unseen, New Visions of an Urban Planet.  The book compiles satellite images of one hundred cities around the globe showing how geography shapes urban settings while also showing how cities impact the surrounding environment.

Washington County in the southwest corner of the state wants to divert tens of millions of gallons of water each day from the Colorado River to satisfy their growing demand for water.  But the proposed 140-mile-long Lake Powell Pipeline just suffered a setback from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Chris and Nell visit with Zach Frankel, the Executive Director of the Utah Rivers Council.

This morning on This Green Earth, Chris and Nell speak with Earl Swift, author of the book: "Chesapeake Requiem - A Year with the Watermen of Vanishing Tangier Island".    The book chronicles the lives of crabbers and oystermen residing on a small island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay.  It's a story of an island that is undergoing physical, biological and economic loss and what residents believe should be done to save it.     

In the second part of the show Chris and Nell talk about growing cougar populations in the U.S. with Jim Williams, author of the book:  Path of the Puma - The Remarkable Resilience of the Mountain Lion.  

Today on This Green Earth, Chris and Nell first speak with Jeremy Jackson, co-author of the new book "Breakpoint - Reckoning with America's Environmental Crisis".   The book shows how America's mounting environmental crises like droughts, fires, floods and rising seas are not only connected by human activity but together, are re-shaping our land, water, coastlines and economies. 

Today on This Green Earth, Chris and Nell speak with Lisa Lynch,  environmental attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, about the EPA's canceling of their own Clean Power Plan and replacing it with something called the Affordable Clean Energy Rule.  She'll talk about why EPA is doing this and the major differences between the two plans.   Then, find out many more 90 degree days Salt Lake City is experiencing today versus the 1980's.  Hint, it's more than just a few. 

Dave Pacheco with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance talks about a public meeting being held August 29th at the Salt Lake City Public Library to discuss the Emery County Public Lands Management Act.