Coastal Conversations 1/24/20: Community Science Education

Guest Producer/Host: Catherine Schmitt
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne

Key Discussion Points:
a) bringing young people into nature for studies that have implications for their families and communities makes science relevant and real.
b) schools provide research capacity in rural communities
c) outdoor classrooms have lifelong impacts.

Guests:
Bill Zoellick, Schoodic Institute Education Director Emeritus
Sarah Hooper, Schoodic Institute Education Specialist
Mike Pinkham, Gouldsboro Shellfish Warden

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Let’s Talk Animals 1/23/20: Camel Crazy

Producer/Host: Dr. John Hunt
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne

How camel’s milk helps autism
What is in camels milk?

Camel biology and behavior

Guest: Pat Christina Adams- author, journalist

About the host:
Dr. John Hunt produces 2 radio shows at WERU. A short called Pet Sounds, a 3-5 minute short essay on all aspects of pets, and animals in general at 7:30 am on Sundays, and this program, Lets Talk Animals: From Aardvarks To Zebras, which airs at 4pm every fourth Thursday. During this hour long program Dr. Hunt invites a guest to come in and talk about a particular topic. Some past topics have included; Seeing Eye dog training, Turkeys in Maine, Cat adoption, Reintroducing the Atlantic Salmon, Homing Pigeons, Veterinary Acupuncture to name a few.

Dr. Hunt is a retired veterinarian that practiced small animal medicine and surgery for 32 years. For twenty six of those years he owned and operated the Bucksport Veterinary Hospital. He graduated from Michigan State University Vet School in 1982, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Conservation from the University of Connecticut in 1974, and a Masters in Zoology at Michigan State in 1976. Although he took special interest in pet behavior problems his primary interest was helping pet owners care for their pets by not only helping them when they were sick but educating, counseling and supporting the family to achieve good pet care.

Dr. Hunt was also a track coach at Bucksport High School for 20+ years, raised his 3 children and loved being part of the Bucksport community. His has written 2 books and currently teaches at the Veterinary Technician program at York County Community College.

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RadioActive 1/23/20: Update on Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act Changes

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Maine Judiciary Committee Votes to Accept Recommendations of Task Force on Changes Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act

On January 14th, the Maine Legislature’s Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to accept the recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act. The Task Force met July through December 2019, to review and propose changes to the Settlement Act, with the goal of recognizing the inherent sovereignty of the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet and Micmac Tribes within Maine, in concert with the status of other federally recognized Tribes throughout the country. Today we hear from Tribal leaders.
For meeting videos, audio, transcripts and other materials:
www.sunlightmediacollective.org
legislature.maine.gov/maine-indian-claims-tf
www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_129th/billpdfs/HP130701.pdf

b) The Judiciary Committee will hold public hearings on proposed legislation on February 14th and 21st at the State House, Room 438.

c) Today we announce a special call-in program on Climate Emergency : Thursday, January 30th, 4-5pm, preceding next week’s regularly scheduled RadioActive. We will look at local efforts to declare and address climate emergency.
Four town councils in Maine have declared a climate emergency : Portland, South Portland, Bar Harbor and Brunswick. On January 21st, the Bar Harbor Town Council passed a directive to create a Task Force on the Climate Emergency. See page 107: www.barharbormaine.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01212020-2455
We will also cover the January 29th meeting of the newly created Maine Climate Council.
www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=Portal_Public_Calendar&id=1706048&v=article_microformat2017

Guests:
Chief Kirk Francis, Penobscot Nation, president of United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) and National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), Natural Resource Committee Chair
Chief Clarissa Sabattis, Houlton Band of Maliseets
Vice Chief, Elizabeth Dana, Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik

Today’s program was co-produced by WERU FM/RadioActive and Sunlight Media Collective.

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Power for the People 1/22/20: Wood Stoves

Producer/Host: Steve Kahl
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne

Discussion included:
a) safety considerations
b) types of stoves
c) firewood purchasing and storage

Guest: Paul Carey, owner North Winds Stove Shop, Ellsworth

About the host:

Steve Kahl is Professor of Science at Thomas College where he teaches environmental and energy courses and advises the student sustainability club. He writes the monthly ‘Sustainability Minute’ email which is distributed to over 1,200 readers. He is a member of the Quarry Road Recreational Area board of directors where he is advocating for a net-zero energy new welcome center. He has advised the board of WERU on the current plan for the station to become 100% solar powered in 2020. Steve is a member of the Green Campus Coalition of Maine, the working group of sustainability directors at Maine college campuses.

Steve’s past positions include Sustainability Director at Unity College where he developed a plan for the college to become 100% solar powered and earned the college the prestigious STARS Gold ranking with the American Association of Sustainability in Higher Education. Before that, he was Director of Environmental and Energy Strategies for the James Sewall Company of Old Town where he led a Maine Technology Institute research project that found that Maine could be 79% solar powered if all suitably-oriented rooftops had solar PV panels.

Prior to moving home to Maine, he was a member of the Energy Commission in Plymouth NH where he was obtained funding for the renovation of a town office building to net-zero energy and the installation of 160 KW of solar PV panels on town properties included a major PV array at the sewage treatment plant that offsets 40% of its electrical costs.

In his own home, he has installed two air-source heat pumps to completely eliminate heating oil, a hybrid hot water heater to reduce his water heating costs by 70%, and insulated the basement and attic to further reduce energy consumption and increase comfort. He would like to install rooftop solar panels but so far his shade trees that also produce maple syrup each year have convinced him otherwise. However, he has solar panels on his summer place at the lake and hasn’t paid for any electricity there since 2011.

Steve has a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the University of Maine.

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