KGNU - How On Earth

GIF of Avalanche starting to slide ((CLICK on IMAGE to see the slide)) — from Colorado Avalanche Information Center We speak with Ethan Greene, director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, about the new study he has coauthored with Spencer Logan, a chief researcher at the center who alsoversees the Avalanche Accident database for the United States.    Their new study is available now.  It’s titled, Education and Experience Levels of People Involved in Avalanches during the 2019-2020 Colorado Avalanche Season.  It will be published soon, in greater detail, in The Avalanche Review. For those looking for videos from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, here is the snowmobile accident posted at the CAIC Avalanche Information Center YouTube CHANNEL.   Weekly forecasts are also on this site. Host/Producer:   Shelley Schlender Music From:   Prince Avalanche and Snowfall by The Halo Benders Executive producer:   Susan Moran

University of Plymouth Sustainability Hub showing external green wall in full bloom. Long COVID  (starts 1:00) National Jewish in Denver shares research about how COVID sometimes affects the powerhouses inside our cells, the mitochondria. Green Walls (starts 3:54) are a beautiful way to cover indoor and outdoor walls with living plants.  It’s a popular feature for ultra-modern buildings.  Researchers in England report that green walls on older, conventional buildings can reduce heating costs inside the building.   Marshall Fire Research Drone (photo by Stacie Johnson) Drones at the Marshall Fire (starts 10:42) are helping local researchers from around the country collect field data about the recent wildfire disaster that destroyed 1,000 homes.  The scientists hope their findings will help the communities recover.  REGISTER HERE for the February 17th, 2 PM, virtual presentation of their findings. Volunteering to Get COVID.  (starts 21:22) in the name of science has produced results that are varied and sometimes surprising. Hosts:   Benita Lee & Stacie Johnson Producers:    Benita Lee, Stacie Johnson and Shelley Schlender Additional Contributions:   Beth Bennett, National Jewish Hospital Executive producer:   Susan Moran

Heartbreak in Our  Bodies: (start time: 6:58) This week on How On Earth, host Susan Moran talks with science journalist Florence Williams about her newly published book, Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey, in which she goes on a quest to understand why, and how, the heartbreak she felt when her marriage fell apart was wreaking havoc on her body. The book, and this interview, also explore various methods of healing and the science behind them. Host: Susan Moran Engineer: Rossana Long Headline contributors: Beth Bennett, Shelley Schlender Play the audio here:

This week on How on Earth, Beth talks to 2 climate scientists about their (very different) fields, and how climate change can play into local disasters, especially the recent fires that devastated the Front Range towns outside Boulder. Twila Moon is a glaciologist turned climate scientist who researches the effects of ice sheet melt on climate. Her TED talk conveys this message clearly. Brian Buma is Associate Professor of Integrative Biology at the University of Colorado at Denver. He studies landscape ecology and is especially interested in natural disasters, like the recent Marshall fire. You can hear Shannon Young, KGNU’s station manager talk to Brian about his recent book here. Executive Producer: Susan Moran Show Producer: Beth Bennett Listen to the show:

(Image courtesy of Wiki images) In this episode, we celebrate the show’s 30th Anniversary with Dave Atkins and Jeff Orrey, How on Earth’s original  hosts. We’ll play some excerpts from the pilot January 14, 1992 episode and update the science from a 2022 perspective.  Subjects range from Chinook winds and Colorado fires, finding exoplanets, the history of Hubble telescope, Halley’s Comet and blood pressure. Hosts:   Jill Sjong, Beth Bennett, Dave Atkins, Jeff Orrey Producer:    Jill Sjong Additional Contributions:   Joel Parker, Beth Bennett Executive producer:   Beth Bennett Listen to the show:

http://howonearthradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/HOE_Jan4_2022.mp32021 saw many remarkable science stories making it difficult to pick the top contenders. The How on Earth team struggled with these decisions but here they are! Executive Producer: Susan Moran Show Producer: Beth Bennett Additonal contributions by: Benita Lee, Joel Parker, Jill Sjong, Shelley Schlender Listen to the show:

Corona (Not Virus) News (starts 1:00)  Astrophysicist Joel Parker explains the probe that touched the sun’s corona. Green Recycling from Discarded Electronics (starts 3:59) Benita Lee talks with Penn State Scientist Amir Sheikhi about recycling neodymium. Defy Aging:  A Beginner’s Guide to the New Science of Longer Life and Better Health.  (starts 9:28)  Science Show volunteer, Geneticist and Defy Aging  author Beth Bennett, explains how to promote longevity and  healthspan.  Host/Contributors: Jill Sjong, Joel Parker, Benita Lee Executive Producer: Beth Bennett Show Producer: Shelley Schlender  

This week on How On Earth, we welcome Benita Lee who brought up the growing problem with fentanyl – a new street drug that’s killing many. Benita talks with DEA agent David Olesky about the scope of the problem and what the agency is doing to combat it. Beth talks with pharmacologist and policy maker Robert Valuck about how the drug affects the brain, causes death, and the protective effect of the blocking drug naloxone. Executive Producer: Beth Bennett Show Producer: Beth Bennett Additional Contributions: Benita Lee Listen to the Show:

http://howonearthradio.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/HOE_Nov30_2021.mp3This week on How on Earth, Beth talks with Professor Fred Provenza, author of the book Nourishment: What Animals Can Teach Us about Rediscovering our Nutritional Wisdom. He returns to discuss his current venture into the utility of grazing animals in regenerating soil and reducing our carbon footprint. Yes, cows may actually reduce the rate of climate change. Executive Producer: Beth Bennett Producer: Beth Bennett Listen to the Show:

Bernie Rollin Green Building Handbook (starts 1:00) CU Boulder Engineering Professor Wil Srubar is the co-author of a new report highlighting innovative building materials that actually store more CO2 than the emissions from their manufacture, making these building materials what’s known as “carbon sinks” Wild Strawberry Flavor from Fungi (starts 3:29) Holger Zorn explains how and why his team of scientists have identified a fungus that provides a wild strawberry flavor to foods. Wild Turkeys at Sandstone Ranch (starts 9:07) Naturalists Steve Jones, Ruth Carol Cushman and Scott Severs visit Longmont’s Sandstone Ranch to look for a . . . sometimes elusive . . .  flock of wild turkeys. Farewell to Animal Rights Activist Bernie Rollin (starts 12:44) CSU Philosopher, Vet Scientist and Animal Rights Activist Bernie Rollin died last week.  We share excerpts from a past interview, plus a story about the friendship between a turkey and a dog, from his memoir, Putting the Horse Before Descartes Hosts: Benita Lee, Stacie Johnson Executive Producer: Beth Bennett Show Producer: Shelley Schlender