WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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Hello and welcome to Eco Report.
On today’s broadcast, we hear Part Two of a conversation between Environmental Correspondent Zero Roze and Andy Mahler of Heartwood and Protect Our Woods on efforts to stop logging and burning in the publicly owned forests of Indiana.
And now for your environmental reports:
- Congress fails to pass Deam Expansion Legislation. Despite thousands of emails and calls to Indiana’s congressional delegation, Congress has adjourned without passing The Benjamin Harrison National Recreation Area and Wilderness Establishment Act. The legislation was one of many public lands bills that had bipartisan support in the Senate but failed to make it past the finish line due to partisan gridlock between the House and Senate over the Continuing Resolution.
- The New York Times reports that insurers are deserting homeowners as climate shocks worsen. Without insurance, it’s impossible to get a mortgage; without a mortgage, most Americans can’t buy a home.
- As WFHB has reported earlier, China is rapidly installing wind and solar capacity. This week we’ll add more detail, especially about the largest, by far, solar farm. The largest solar farm on the globe spans 200,000 acres of desert. The area is no longer known for its dust storms, thanks to the panels, and offers the added benefit of growing more vegetation. Area goat farmers are invited to graze their herds to keep the grass short.
- The Indiana Capital Chronicle reports a new, quietly-released study showed that small nuclear reactors could present “substantial opportunities” for Indiana to meet its energy demands, and identified eight current or former coal sites across the state that could serve as coal-to-nuclear opportunities.
Feature Report:
And now we turn to Zero Roze for Part Two of his discussion with Andy Mahler, forest protector and long time environmental activist organizing opposition to plans of the Forest Service to log and burn public land.
And now for some upcoming events:
- Brown County State Park continues their Winter Hike Series with a Boulder In A Tree Hike on Saturday, January 18th, from 11 am to 1 pm. This is a 2-mile round trip and is quite rugged. Learn about the boulder in the tree and how it got there. Dress for the weather.
- Become an Animal CSI at McCormick’s Creek State Park on Sunday, January 19th beginning at 2 pm. Learn common animal footprints and then put your skills to the test. Use the footprint clues to investigate how animals interact with each other.
- Whooper Wednesday’s will continue at Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area every Wednesday until February 26th. Meet at the Visitor’s Center at 8 am Wednesday, January 22nd, to walk around the property to see if you can spot the endangered Whooping Crane.
- The next Winter Exploration Hike will take place at the Fairfax State Recreation Area at Monroe Lake on Wednesday, January 22nd, beginning at 2 pm. These hikes are off-trail into lesser-known back country. There is no pre-determined route and no restrooms. Sign up at tinyurl.com/exp-01-22-2025.
- Enjoy a Squirrel Appreciation Day Hike at the RCA Community Park on Saturday, January 25th, from 2:30 to 3:30 pm. Learn all about squirrels and explore the important role they play in maintaining a balanced ecosystem. Sign up at bloomington.IN.gov/parks.
Credits:
This week’s headlines were written by Norm Holy.
Today’s news feature was produced by myself, Zero Roze
Julianna Dailey assembled the script which was edited by the EcoReport team and produced the upcoming events.
Kade Young is our engineer.
