Monthly Archives: May 2014

Creature Adventurer Chris Kratt

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Wild-Kratts-postChris_KrattIf you have or even know any kids between the ages of 4 and 16, you may have heard of this week’s guest. Today on Sea Change Radio we are talking with a luminary of children’s television, Chris Kratt. Along with his brother Martin Kratt, Chris writes, produces and stars in two very popular kids’ programs on public television: Zoboomafoo and Wild Kratts.

These shows have engaged a whole new generation of kids on the subject of wildlife, nature, animal habitats, and biodiversity in a way that is as informative as it is playful. Featuring old favorites like koala bears and lions as well as unsung heroes like pigeons, dingoes, and earthworms, the Emmy Award-winning Kratts channel their incomparable enthusiasm into lessons on the unique roles all animals play in nature. Kratt and host Alex Wise talk about the origins of the shows, the brothers’ animal preserve, and then we welcome a very special, pint-sized guest host who asks Chris Kratt some hard-hitting journalistic questions.

 

A Wilderness Too Tame?

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JasonMarkwildernessWhen was the last time you were really in the wilderness? Or, maybe you’re like the millions of Americans who’ve never even been in the wild before. This week on Sea Change Radio, I have a wild discussion with Jason Mark, the editor of Earth Island Journal, as we honor the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Wilderness Act of 1964. Mark shares his misgivings about what he views to be a technological threat to some of nature’s most mysterious spots and how much of our wild is already pretty tame. Then, he and host Alex Wise delve into conservation policy and talk about the surprising number of bipartisan conservation bills that unsurprisingly have not yet been passed by Congress.

Returns on Trash and Treasure

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DaleWannenGailLoosToday on Sea Change Radio we talk with two people working on very different fronts of the environmental movement. Our first guest is Dale Wannen, a Presidio Graduate School alum who runs a sustainable and responsible investment firm. We learn about the latest in sustainable and responsible investing (or SRI), including whether or not the small investor stands a chance in the age of flash trading. He also explains how owning just a small amount of stock allows an investor to influence a corporation’s sustainability practices, creating a return that is both monetary and socially beneficial.

Then, host Alex Wise talks to composting expert Gail Loos. She tells us about the growing trend among municipalities to encourage composting through curbside pick-up programs. She also describes how to get a return on your biodegradable garbage, in the form of nutrient-rich soil, even if your city is not yet composting.

Adam Browning: Solar Strides

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AdamBrowning2solarThe signs of solar power becoming a truly self-sustaining industry are manifold: Solar manufacturing costs fell by between 70 and 80 per cent from 2007 to 2012 while at the same time, the efficiency rates of solar panels continue to improve. But this success has also led to pushback from many of our nation’s utilities.

This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak again to the Executive Director of Vote Solar, Adam Browning, to discuss some of the policies that have helped the solar explosion, how public utilities are reacting to the success of solar in very different ways, and what steps are being taken to start getting solar to the millions of Americans who are not homeowners.