EarthBeat Radio

The connections between eating meat to climate change.

As the world food crisis continues, the ties from food to fuel have never been more apparent. Try to count the carbon of your dinner plate and suddenly you're considering the irony that more carbon may released by your local farmer and her free-range chickens than the far away mega-farm with four stories of chicken coops. Today on Earthbeat -- biofuels, vegetables, counting-carbon, eating locally, agribusiness, even Al Gore.

Speaking about his research on counting carbon, Adrian Williams from the Department of Natural Resources at Cranfield University in Britian. Tom Philpott, the food editor from the magazine Grist gives an overview on food and climate.

Two farmers speak about sustainable agriculture and grass-fed beef. Dan Imhoff is also the author of the book Food Fight: A Citizen's Guide to the Farm Bill. Anthony Flaccavento is the director of the group Appalachian Sustainable Development.

Standing front in center in linking meat to climate is the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PETAVice President Bruce Friedrich speaks about their campaign to turn Al Gore into a vegetarian.

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Photo used courtesy of Janet Towbin.

Music for this edition of Earthbeat is "Stroking the Grits" and "Chokin on a Piece of Steak" by The Poets of Rhythm. Our theme music is Baladi by Tony Anka, Bellydance Superstars vol. 2.

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Many environmentalists call Portland, Oregon - nirvana. The city is on track to meet the Kyoto Protocols, has a land use policy that stops sprawl, miles of bike lanes and even has a plan for Peak Oil.

On this encore edition of Earthbeat, host Daphne Wysham takes a road trip to Portland. Recording the show from the studios of KBOO in Portland, Daphne gets an overview of Portland's policies with city commissioner Erik Sten and the Oregon Environmental Council's Teresa Huntsinger.

Taking a in-depth look at Portland's Peak Oil program is Michael Armstrong with the city's office of Sustainable Development, and David Cohan. David is a project manager for the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance and a member of the grassroots group that put Peak Oil in Portland front and center.

Finally, Daphne talks about the main reason why so many people move to Portland -- its astounding natural resources. Steve Pedrey the spokesman for Oregon Wild discusses so-called 'salvage logging' after forest fires and how it damages the environment and the CEO and President of the Wild Salmon Center - Guido Rahr, discusses the effects this fish has on the economy, and the psyche, of the Pacific Northwest.

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This edition of Earthbeat is dedicated to Dr. Donald Wysham, a man whose love of the great outdoors remains an inspiration.

Image used courtesy of Bill Harvey via Flickr.

Music used in this edition of Earthbeat: Portland, Oregon by Loretta Lynn & Portland by The Replacements.

Our theme music is Baladi by Tony Anka, Bellydance Superstars vol. 2.

Thank you to all the wonderful people and volunteers at KBOO in Portland, Oregon. Don't forget to support public radio, the voice of the people!

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Global warming is already having an effect on the world's tourism industry. While islands begin to disappear and coastlines erode, a macabre type of tourist is emerging - people burning through thousands of gallons of jet fuel - just to be the last to see disappearing places. Joining host Mike Tidwell during this encore edition of Earthbeat is Jonathan Tourtellot, the director of the National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations and the geotourism editor for National Geographic Traveler. Joining the conversation from his office in Ann Arbor, Michigan is Will Weber, the director of the adventure travel outfitter, Journeys International.

One group that is combining direct political action with their love of America's playgrounds is the National Parks Conservation Agency. Their director of Clean Air Programs, Mark Wenzler, discusses their report: Unnatural Disaster.

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Image used courtesy of suntoksabwan.

Music used in this edition of Earthbeat: Travelin' Man by DJ Honda & Mos Def. Umi Says by Mos Def, Zero 7 remix.

Our theme music is Baladi by Tony Anka, Bellydance Superstars vol. 2.

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The World Bank is trying to tie itself to the climate crisis by positioning itself as the savior behind a world-wide carbon market.

But while the Bank's left hand is making claims of clean energy and a new world-wide economy -- its right hand continues the Bank's old fossil fuel ways.

Joining Earthbeat host Daphne Wysham in our studios is Janet Redman, the author of a report investigating the Bank's carbon double-dealing. The report is titled: The World Bank: Climate Profiteer, it is available at the Sustainable Energy and Economy Network at the Institute for Policy Studies. Focusing on the World Bank-funded new coal-fired power plant in India is Barbara Bramble of the National Wildlife Federation.

Taking action against fossil fuels around the world is Energy Action, a coaltion of youth groups around the world fighting against climate change. Recently they held Fossil Fool's Day in April to highlight the folly of fossil fuels. Joining us in the studio to discuss Energy Action's actions is Ragini Kapadia and Whit Jones.

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Our theme music is Baladi by Tony Anka, Bellydance Superstars vol. 2.

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American coal companies say that they're all about America's fuel for Americas -- but what they're really doing is tearing up American mountains to ship millions of tons of coal overseas -- all for record profits.

Joining host Mike Tidwell in our Washington, DC studios is Alice McKeown, a coal expert with the Sierra Club. Giving us the view from Appalachia is author Jeff Biggers. He's currently on tour throughout Appalachia for his new book The United States of Appalachia.

Record gasoline prices this summer aren't expected to cut into the great American road trip. But what if we all drove 55? Tim Castleman says we'd slow global warming, cut down accidents, and even get to our destinations faster. Tim is the founder of Drive 55, and of the Peace Train projects.

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Music used in this edition of Earthbeat is 'Livin' on a Coastline' and 'I Can't Drive 55' by Sammy Hagar.

Our theme music is Baladi by Tony Anka, Bellydance Superstars vol. 2.

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