Just as fire season winds down (we hope), The Exchange talks about what happens after the flames are gone.
That's just one of the many highlights of the week. We'll also visit with the Southern Oregon World of Wines Festival people and hear about wolverines denied entry to the endangered species list.
Here--minus pictures and direct web links--is the week's lineup (which could change without notice).
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Monday, August 18, 2014/8:00 The Value Of A Burning Forest
It's hard to think about the benefits of a forest fire when it's bearing down on your house or filling the air with smoke. But fire is a natural part of the life cycle of forests. And it is one that got pushed aside for many years, in favor of fire suppression. Foresters and environmentalists like to remind people of the many benefits of fire in the forest. Oregon Wild Executive Director Sean Stevens joins us to lay them out.
http://www.oregonwild.org/
Monday, August 18, 2014/8:30 Giving Money To The City Council (Legally)
Think of the joys of being a city council member: you get to study difficult issues, you get to spend time in meetings, you get to interface with members of the public, often when they're angry. And you don't get paid. It is that last issue that a couple of members of the Medford City Council want to explore. John Michaels and Bob Strosser, both soon to depart the council, think perhaps a few dollars could sweeten the allure of a council seat. Listen as we go through the process.
http://www.ci.medford.or.us/SectionIndex.asp?SectionID=542
Monday, August 18, 2014/9:00 Explosion Green
We've got many more people on the planet and many more devices requiring electricity, but electricity us is NOT rising sharply in the developed world. That's because we've gotten good at energy conservation. The green building movement figures heavily in the more efficient use of energy. David Gottfried is one of the fathers of green building; he details its growth in his book "Explosion Green."
http://explosiongreen.com/
Tuesday, August 19, 2014/8:00 Southern Oregon's World Of Wine
The growth of the region's wine business gives residents and visitors alike ample chances to open a bottle. And the regular events are supplemented by special gigs, like the Southern Oregon World of Wine Festival this week. The events include a wine competition and wine sensory classes. We'll hear the details on events and where the receipts go from this benefit festival.
http://worldofwinefestival.com/
Tuesday, August 19, 2014/8:30 Medford Looks At Sign Regulations
Sign technology has gotten so good, some electronic signs offer an experience similar to watching TV. And that's the problem for some people… the signs can be distracting to drivers as the pass by. The Medford city planning commission wants to take a look at the sign code, with an eye toward keeping distractions to a minimum. Planning commissioner Bill Mansfield joins us to explain the effort.
http://www.ci.medford.or.us/SectionIndex.asp?SectionID=17
Tuesday, August 19, 2014/9:00 The End Of Absence
The connected life is just great… with a smartphone nearby, we need never be fully "away" from friends and loved ones. Sigh. Writer Michael Harris says there's a unique opportunity for people of the "straddle generation." These are the people who can remember the time before full connectivity, when we might have daydreamed more or even got bored. Harris riffs on the situation in his book "The End of Absence."
http://www.endofabsence.com/
Wednesday, August 20, 2014/8:00 The Festival Of Eugene
Summer festivals continue across the region. Eugene steps up the activity late this week with the Festival of Eugene. It features music, poetry, health and wellness… and yes, lots and lots of food. Festival producer Krysta Albert joins us with details.
http://festivalofeugene.com/
Wednesday, August 20, 2014/8:30 Keeping The Wolverine Off The Endangered List
The federal Endangered Species Act seems to make everybody unhappy these days. Extractive industries don't like the way it changes the way they do business (think logging and the spotted owl). And environmental groups are frequently frustrated by the federal government's slow moves to protect sensitive species. Take the wolverine, for example. The federal Fish & Wildlife Service withdrew its proposal to list the wolverine, despite its small population numbers. Now Cascadia Wildlands and other groups are threatening to sue.
http://www.cascwild.org/
Wednesday, August 20, 2014/9:00
Put aside the meat and potatoes for a while, we need to talk about vegetables. And when you hear about Domenica Marchetti's book, you'll understand that need. Dominica put aside a journalism career to write exclusively about food, and her fifth book is "The Glorious Vegetables of Italy." Yes, you can find many of them here... and we'll hear how to cook them.
http://www.domenicacooks.com/cookbooks/the-glorious-vegetables-of-italy/
Thursday, August 21, 2014/8:00 Challenging Right To Farm Over Pesticides
Complaints about pesticide use are fairly common around farms and forests. But a complaint about pesticide use on the Oregon coast is headed for court, with a unique approach. Property owners in Gold Beach filed suit, challenging portions of the state's Right to Farm and Forest Law. The law exempts landowners from liability for pesticide spraying. Eugene-based Beyond Toxics is assisting the landowners in their court fight.
http://www.beyondtoxics.org/
Thursday, August 21, 2014/8:30 West Nile Virus In Oregon
70 percent of people who become infected with West Nile Virus show no symptoms. That's the good news. The bad news is that the people who do show symptoms can become very sick and take weeks to recover... and some can develop complications that lead to death. West Nile is present in Oregon once again this year, though not in great numbers. Oregon Public Health helps us understand the risks and preventive measures.
http://public.health.oregon.gov/diseasesconditions/diseasesaz/westnilevirus/pages/survey.aspx
Thursday, August 21, 2014/9:00 A Love For Dogs That's Just "Off The Leash"
Who can resist a dog, with that fuzzy, warm face? A few people, actually. Count Matthew Gilbert among them. Or formerly among them… as TV critic at the Boston Globe, he was plenty comfortable with events happening on the other side of a glass screen from him. But then he fell in love with a dog lover, and a dog, and was assimilated into dog park culture. He tells the story in his first book "Off the Leash."
http://us.macmillan.com/offtheleash/MatthewGilbert
Friday, August 22, 2014 Second Visits: Comedy and Marijuana
The Exchange takes a one-day hiatus from live broadcasting today. We'll go back into the vaults for some prime interviews from previous programs.
At 8: comedy writer Alan Zweibel. His history includes a few years on Saturday Night Live, and he's the co-author of a work of fiction with columnist Dave Barry called "Lunatics." We'll hear about the book in particular, and comedy writing in general.
At 9: the recent history of marijuana and societal attitudes toward it are plenty interesting. But journalist Martin Lee went way back in history for his book on the roots (sorry) of marijuana. It's called "Smoke Signals."
