This Green Earth

On This Green Earth, Alaska-based journalist Yereth Rosen lights up the conversation with a discussion on Arctic lightning.

In a single decade, summer lightning tripled across the Arctic, a change directly attributed to rapid Arctic warming. Rosen recently wrote an article for Arctic Today about this trend. She will provide an overview of this important data.

On This Green Earth, joining Nell and Chris is Dr. Robert Davies, a professor of Physics at Utah State University.

Davies has published numerous works on the Earth’s climate system and continues to study critical science communication, principally focused on climate change and human sustainability. 

He'll be sharing the latest on climate change and what it means for mountain communities such as Park City. 

On This Green Earth: Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland visited Bears Ears and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments last week. This is the first time a Native American will be in charge of shaping federal policies on public lands and waters.

Nell and Chris will be talking about this visit and the possibilities of expanding the reach of these two monuments with Bluff City Councilman Jim Sayers.

On This Green Earth, Nell and Chris take a closer look at Arctic Sea Ice.

The Arctic Sea Ice reached its maximum surface area around the middle of March this year.  What was the extent of its coverage, and how much of it has already begun to melt due to the combination of natural and man-made warming?

Walt Meier, senior research scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center comes on the show to answer these questions. 

On This Green Earth, Utah Rivers Council Campaign Director Jon Carter talks about the return of the Rain Barrel Program, and why they are so important to those of us who live in a drought-impacted, high desert environment.

The Utah Rivers Council, in collaboration with Park City Municipal Corporation is once again offering Rain Barrels for sale starting April 6. 

The barrels will range in price between $50 and $75 and, be available for pickup beginning May 2. 

On This Green Earth, Flooding from rising seas is a present and increasing threat to coastal communities around the world. 

Oceanographer John Englander presents his new book: Moving to Higher Ground – Rising Sea Level and the Path Forward. In his first interview since the book launched, Englander talks with Chris and Nell about exploring how sea level rise will affect our ecosystems, our economies, our water supplies and our daily lives. 

His book also covers the strategies and adaptations required to tackle the inevitability of a rising sea.

On This Green Earth, Nathan Donley from the Center for Biological Diversity joins Nell and Chris to discuss a recent federal study which found 90% of streams sampled contain pesticides.   

Nathan will share the acute and chronic ecological impacts that are associated with this condition in our waterways. 

Josh Balk of the Humane Society joins This Green Earth to share his thoughts on the recent signing of Senate Bill 147 into law. 

The bill bans the use of "battery cages" in Utah’s egg farms and requires that hens live in cage-free conditions.

Utah is the eighth state to sign this bill, joining California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.

Today on This Green Earth, Robert Adler gives us the breakdown on the 26th Annual Wallace Stegner Symposium titled:  "The Plastics Paradox: Societal Boon or Environmental Bane?". The program will present a number of speakers who explore the role of plastics in our lives, including its history, benefits, impacts, and solutions.

Adler is a professor at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, where he teaches and writes in the areas of environmental and water law.

On this episode of This Green Earth:

Adam Brewerton with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources talks about the outbreak of salmonella that is happening in songbirds throughout the pacific northwest. 

He will share what we can do to recognize infected birds, and how we can help the outbreak from spreading by keeping our backyard feeders clean. 

On this episode of This Green Earth:

Group leader with the Wasatch Back chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby Lauren Barros joins the show to talk about the major changes in Climate Legislation.

Barros also discusses the Executive Orders expected under the new Biden administration.

Birders around the world are rejoicing with the rediscovery of a bird that has not been seen for 180 years. 

The illusive Black-browed Babbler has been captured, photographed and then released back into the tropical forest of Borneo. 

Dr. John Mittermeier of the American Bird Conservancy talks with Nell and Chris about this unique feathered creature, its accidental capture, and why its rediscovery is so important to both birders and conservationists.   

Today on This Green Earth:

Sean Sublette from Climate Central is talking about last week’s record-breaking cold temps in the Midwest and Southern U.S.

Sublette will have answers about what role the jet stream played in this event, and the influences a warming planet can have on the jet stream.

Sublette also lets us know if we should expect more cold snaps like this, even as the planet warms.

Today on This Green Earth:

A fascinating conversation with Kim McCoy, an oceanographer and co-author of the book: Waves and Beaches: The Powerful Dynamics of Sea and Coast.

McCoy discusses the ongoing physical, chemical and biological impacts that rising sea levels are having on our beaches and coasts. 

On today's episode of This Green Earth:

Mary Farnsworth was recently named the Acting Regional Forester for the Intermountain Region of the U.S. Forest Service.

Farnsworth addresses the responsibilities of this position and what the Intermountain Region faces with a new administration.