Common Ground Radio 1/6/17

Producer/Host: C.J. Walke
Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Organic Food and Farming in Maine

Program Topic: Maine Legal Food Hub

Key Discussion Points:
a) Formation of the Maine Legal Food Hub
b) Services available for farmers and food entrepreneurs
c) Process of eligibility and assistance

Guests:
Phelps Turner, Attorney, Coordinator, Maine Legal Food Hub (www.legalfoodhub.org)
Beth Boepple, Attorney, BCM Environmental & Land Law (www.nhlandlaw.com)

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RadioActive 1/5/17

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: Board of Environmental Approves Passes Mining Regulations

Key Discussion Points:

1) Today, the Maine Board of Environmental Protection voted to support changes to environmental regulations that would allow metallic mining in Maine. The Proposed rule changes now go to the legislature.
2) Over the paste past 5 years, the Department of Environmental Protection has tried to push the rule changes through the legislature, where it has been voted down. Changes to Maine’s mining law were originally designed by JD Irving, who has interest in mining Bald Mountain in Aroostook County.
3) Widespread public opposition has organized around com batting the DEP’s proposed rule changes, while trying to offer alternative protections to the state’s current inadequate statute.

Guest: Lindsay Newland Bowker, Environmental Risk Manager, Bowker Associates, Science and Research In the Public Interest

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Notes from the Electronic Cottage 1/5/17

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Algorithms affect our everyday lives on many levels and most of us have no idea they even exist let alone how they work. If we apply for a job, do a search on the Web, try to get into college, go to a bank for a loan – we are interacting with machine algorithms whether we know it or not. A 2016 book entitled “Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy” helps us regular folks to understand how algorithms are affecting us every day, and not always positively. Here’s why.

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