Patt Morrison for Wednesday, April 27, 2011

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

 

1:06 – 1:39

OPEN

 

 

1:41:30 – 1:58:30

Farming in skyscrapers: fantasy or necessity?
It takes a plot of farmland the size of Virginia to feed New York City, and the food problem is worldwide. With over 80% of the world’s agriculturally-suitable land in use and the UN’s projection that the world's population will rise from the current 6.8 billion to 9.1 billion by 2050, the way we feed ourselves may not be sustainable. But horticulture experts abroad and environmental scientists at home have a surprise solution—indoor farms in sky-scrapers. These so-called vertical farms are designed to out-produce conventional farms by 11-30% all without plow, tractors, herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers! Because all water and nutrients are to be recycled, the only thing that will leave the vertical farm building is produce. In countries with crowded cities and almost no arable land—like the Arab Emirates—there will also be no shipping costs: the vertical farm will be a farmer’s market surrounded by grocery shoppers. Bean plants on the 90^th floor—is this the future of food?

 

Guests:

Gertjan Meeuws, managing partner, Plantlab

CALL HIM:

 

Dickson Despommier, Ph.D., professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University and author of The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21^st Century

CALL HIM:

 

 

 

2:06 – 2:30

The royal wedding – more than you need to know

The royal wedding – a combination fairy tale and extravagant 17-ring circus - has something for everybody. You may hate the monarchy as an institution but you can’t help watching, can you? Every little detail, from the dress Kate will wear to the honeymoon destination, is subject of conversation, speculation or parody on some radio or TV network, online chat room, or at the water cooler. And everyone thinks they’re an expert. But, we have news for you, the real Royals expert is our own Patt Morrison, and she will take your calls on all things sovereign in the British Isles.

 

Guest:

Patt Morrison

 

 

 

2:30 – 2:39

Your papers, please: State Department proposes new goofy rules to obtain a passport

List all of your addresses since birth; list your entire employment history including the names of your supervisors; list your mother’s residence one year prior to your birth; list any “religious ceremony” around the time of your birth.  If you would find those requests for personal information a bit too pushy then you might want to think twice about applying for a U.S. passport in the near future.  The State Department has proposed a new list of requirements to obtain a passport, making it much more difficult to get the one document necessary for international travel, including going to Canada and Mexico.  The new passport form is technically still under review but the public comment period just ended and it’s now up to the Office of Management & Budget to approve the form.  Looking forward to that long-awaited vacation to Europe?  Hopefully you can “describe the circumstances of your birth including the names (as well as address and phone number, if available) of persons present or in attendance at your birth” in order to get your hands on a passport.

 

Guests:

Edward Hasbrouck, travel journalist & blogger for the website ConsumerTraveler.com

CALL HIM:

 

 

 

2:41:30 – 2:58:30

Plastic: A Toxic Love Story

Plastic: the all encompassing material that facilitates our modern world. From how we keep our teeth clean, to how we get to work; plastic is involved in more then one step of the process. As ubiquitous as it is harmful, plastic has taken on its own tragic love story with our planet Earth. How did we find ourselves caught in this total dependence on such a strange material? On the show to discuss our abusive relationship with “sweet lady plastic” is Susan Freinkel, author of Plastic: A Toxic Love Story.

 

Guest:

Susan Freinkel, science & environmental reporter & author of Plastic: A Toxic Love Story

IN STUDIO

 

 

Jonathan Serviss
Senior Producer, Patt Morrison
Southern California Public Radio
NPR Affiliate for Los Angeles
89.3 KPCC-FM | 89.1 KUOR-FM | 90.3 KPCV-FM
626.583.5171, office
415.497.2131, mobile
jserviss@kpcc.org / jserviss@scpr.org
www.scpr.org