Climate Year Review: 2019

Meteorologists Rick DiMaio and John Lee examine social and legal issues of last year’s weather and climate events. Curtis Leopaldo, from Leopardo Energy division, has a plan for funding green municipal infrastructure upgrades. Ryan Anderson says Midwest Grows Green is about to unveil a tookit for municipalities who want to switch to natural lawn care.

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Green Infrastructure Means Green Jobs

Daniella Pereira from Openlands talks TreeKeepers, green infrastructure and jobs. Robert Nevel previews the MLK Food Justice & Sustainability Weekend at KAM Isaiah Israel. Elysabeth Alfano talks about the premiere of her new show on WCGO Radio, Sundays at 3pm.

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Cannabis Gold Rush or Bust?

One year after hemp production was allowed in Illinois, Mike and Peggy talk to Liz Rupel from the Illinois Stewardship Alliance and hemp advocate Rachel Berry about the state of the industry. Ty Benefiel from Hero Power explains how you can purchase clean energy for a reasonable rate in Illinois.

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Growing Plants in the Dark

It’s a Wonderful Slice 2019! Mike, Peggy and an all-star WCGO Radio cast perform the 10 (or 12 or 14) minute version of the Hollywood Holiday Classic. Lisa Eldred Steinkopf talks about her new book, Grow in the Dark: How to Choose and Care for Low-Light Houseplants. Mike reprises his own holiday classic, A Gardening Xmas Carol.

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Passive Houses Get Aggressive

Chicago area architects Nathan Kipnis and Tom Bassett-Dilley return to the show to discuss the importance of passive houses and concepts like embodied carbon, global decarbonization, and net zero energy use.

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How Two Gardeners Beat Chicago City Hall

Pete and Noreen Czosnyka, who live on Chicago’s northwest side, just accomplished something special–they beat the City of Chicago in a court case involving native plants in their yard. Pete and his lawyer Jeff Smith join us in studio. Then, Adam Minter, author of Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale, talks to us about an unexpected but thriving economy of secondhand stuff.

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Skeet’s Holiday Critter Carnival

Show regular Skeet from Bartlett Tree Experts returns to talk dormant season tree care. And he promises to bring more critters into the studio. (Yay?) Chris McCarthy from EarthPaint explains how you CAN recycle paint and do it for good causes at the same time. BTW, he’ll sell you some great quality paints, too.

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Growing Organic Microgreens Indoors

Jeanne Nolan from The Organic Gardener visits the WCGO Studios to talk about their new service that helps people grow microgreens indoors. Hannah, Justin, and maybe even Fred from Gabby Road join Mike and Peggy to talk about their new show.

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The Albatross and the Mouse

Wieteke Holthuijzen might be a Northern Illinois University student, but she spends a lot of time studying the albatross on Midway Atoll and why they are threatened by house mice. Lisa Albrecht returns to the show to talk about the state of solar energy in Illinois.

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Preventing Monarch Butterfly Roadkill

Dr. Robert Coulson from Texas A&M University explains how they are studying “hot spots” where migrating monarch butterflies have high mortality rates along Texas roads. Dr. Elaine Evans, Assistant Extension Professor with the University of Minnesota Extension, says “leave the leaves” on your lawn and garden this season to help overwintering insects. Pat Stone explains how Greenprints Magazine reveals the joy, the humor, the headaches, and the heart of gardening. Commissioner Kim du Buclet promotes the MWRD “Road Show.”

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