The city of Bend is exploring how it could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2050. The goals are outlined in the city’s Community Climate Action Plan, which it’s working on updating.  Officials are examining what strategies to prioritize and how future policies could affect Bend's businesses, affordable housing goals and economy. Recently, the city has considered how it could construct new  buildings that have electric appliances rather than fossil-fuel power sources like gas. While some climate activists applaud the efforts, others wonder how new regulations could affect the city financially and leave it vulnerable to costly lawsuits.   Cyrus Mooney is the business advocate for the city of Bend. Cassie Lacy is the senior management analyst for the city. They join us with details of the city’s plans.  

Valerie Jacques Lehman loves the Oregon Ducks. No matter their crushing defeat in the Rose Bowl. She says like many fans, she was devastated by that loss but says a real fan is loyal, win or lose. We talk with her about the big game and how she keeps on the sunny side even after the worst outcome. 

A new study, led by researchers at the University of Washington, has linked exposure to wildfire smoke with a higher risk of developing dementia. The study followed more than 1.2 million Kaiser Permanente Southern California members from 2008 to 2019. It also found that minority communities and those living in higher-poverty census tracts were more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than white or higher-income patients. Joan Casey is an associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at UW. She joins us with more details on how wildfire smoke can affect our brains and bodies.

The state of Washington owns land that rightfully belongs to the Yakama Nation. A treaty map that showed what land should be included in the Yakama reservation was lost for nearly 75 years since it was filed under "M" for Montana. Because the land ownership was long established and is being used as a revenue source for the state, Washington will likely want compensation before returning it. Maria Parazo Rose is a freelance journalist who covered this story for Grist. She joins us with details.

 In 2020, Oregonians voted to legalize the use of psilocybin mushrooms in therapeutic settings. This came as fresh research showed promising results of psychedelic therapy for depression, PTSD and substance use disorder. Now a new kind of patient is seeking out this care. As reported in the New York Times, some people are seeking psychedelics, such as ketamine and psychedelic mushrooms, for palliative care. Andrew Jacobs is a health and science reporter for the Times. He joins us to share more.

Historically, philosophers have studied ethical theories that focused on how we make decisions based on what is morally right or wrong. But a somewhat newer branch known as care ethics, approaches morality from a much broader context, which involves centering the individual's experience and their relationship to the people around them. Maurice Hamington is a philosophy professor at Portland State University and author of the book, “Revolutionary Care.” He argues that the world needs more care and compassion for others and also recently spoke to the Atlantic about incorporating care ethics into parenting approaches. Hamington joins us to share more on care ethics and how he thinks it could be incorporated into our daily lives.

White pelicans are distinctive. Their 9-foot white wings are black tipped, and can create a bit of a mirage when they fly, seemingly appearing and disappearing as they go. Some observers have mistakenly reported them as UFOs. The birds also have notable long orange beaks and the largest wingspan of any other bird in Oregon.     Their populations have increased considerably over the past few decades, and more recently, some pelicans have been spotted staying along the coast and in the Columbia River Basin for longer than expected. Scientists would like to know more about why and what the implications could be for the wider ecosystem. We learn more about white pelican colonies in the Pacific Northwest and how climate change may factor into the health of these birds from James Lawonn, an avian biologist at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

About a dozen years ago, Wasco County Sheriff Lane Magill became aware of a growing need for treatment services for residents experiencing mental health crises in his county. Faced with a lack of residential care services in the region, he struggled to find help for people experiencing homelessness or veterans who suffered from PTSD. The surge of fentanyl-related overdoses in the county since 2021 also highlighted the link between behavioral health and substance use disorders, and the lack of local treatment options.But that may now soon change. As first reported in the Columbia Gorge News, Magill expects to break ground this year on a new residential treatment facility in The Dalles. It would offer 16 beds to treat residents in Hood River, Wasco and Sherman Counties for substance use disorders, along with a walk-in center for people in mental health crisis. Sheriff Magill joins us to talk about the status of the $50 million project, and the regulatory roadblocks it faces. 

An Ashland educator is helping to develop lesson plans about Ukrainian history and current events for American high school students. Paul Huard, an AP U.S. History teacher at Ashland High School, has traveled to Poland and Ukraine in recent summers to do humanitarian relief work as the country continues to resist a Russian invasion. From a colleague there, he learned about the “On Ukraine” project through Harvard’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies. Huard and a handful of other educators selected to participate in the program have been working with letters, documents and other primary sources from the Lviv Center for Urban History to develop teaching materials for American educators. He joins us with more details on the project and why it’s important for American students to learn about Ukraine.

A report from the Oregon Kelp Alliance found that nearly two-thirds of the state’s kelp forests have died out over the last decade. A multitude of factors appear to be behind the decline, including rising ocean temperatures and booming populations of purple sea urchins, which eat the kelp. The report also outlines future research and conservation strategies that could help protect the state’s remaining kelp forests. Sara Hamilton is the scientific coordinator for the Oregon Kelp Alliance and one of the report’s lead authors. She joins us to talk about the status of Oregon’s kelp forests and what it could mean for coastal communities and ecosystems.