Patt Morrison for Thursday, May 10, 2012

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Thursday, May 10, 2012

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 – 1:30 - OPEN

 

 

1:30 – 1:39

What's your dog thinking when he sees that steak on the table?
That look on Sparky's face? Love. Adulation. Sadness and empathy when he sees you grieving. Or, at least, these are the thoughts we imagine our pup having when he looks our way with his head cocked just so. Soon, however, we may be able to know what dogs are really thinking. Is it love, or is it the love of food that bonds our dogs to us? Scientists at Emory University recently proved that it's possible to perform an MRI on a non-sedated canine, and the next step is (you guessed it) – what, exactly, lies behind those big, brown puppy-dog eyes. Do dogs know what we're thinking? How about what we're feeling? What would you want to know about your pet's thoughts?

Guests:

Michael Chill, dog trainer and behavior specialist

 

UNCONFIRMED

Researcher from Emory University

 

 

 

2:06 – 2:30
Black women and fat: Is black fat different than white fat?

If current obesity rates don't change, 42 percent of American adults will be obese by 2030 and about one-quarter of that group will be severely obese, a condition that shortens life and incurs large medical expenses, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. As it is, 35.7 percent of adults are already obese, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Everyone agrees that obesity is an expensive medical and social health problem that needs to be alleviated, but not everyone agrees on how to effectively approach the fight against it. Some organizations advocate instituting a sugar tax, others push for a penny-per-ounce tax, while some individuals simply call for a "body-culture revolution." Certain minority groups suffer from dangerously higher obesity rates, including black women, with four out of five of them considered to be seriously overweight. In a New York Times article published last week, African American scholar Alice Randall stated that black women choose to be fat because "our men like us bigger." She goes on, "Chemically, in its ability to promote disease, black fat may be the same as white fat. Culturally, it is not." A report from the Institute of Medicine released on Tuesday backs a multi-pronged approach to fighting obesity, but admits that there is no magic bullet to solve the problem. What will it take to buck the trend and curb obesity? Do we as a society need to completely change the way we think about our health and our bodies? Will lowering obesity rates require a profound and massive cultural revolution?

 
Guest:

NOT CONFIRMED

Alice Randall, food activist committed to reforms that support healthy bodies and communities; author of The Wind Done Gone, Pushkin and the Queen of Spades, Rebel Yell, and Ada's Rules. She is a Harvard educated African-American novelist who lives in Nashville and writes country songs.

 

 

<>2:30 – 2:39  - OPEN

2:41:30 – 2:58:30

Which 'green' building trends are set to become the norm?

Anyone living in the Los Angeles area knows that we are high on consumption (gas, food, water) and low on resources. Making changes to your daily habits through things like energy-efficient appliances, replacing light bulbs, and driving less offers one kind of antidote, but "green" building trends, like using recycled materials, are also on the rise. Last year, California instituted the first mandatory green-building code in the nation, requiring that indoor water use be cut by as much as 20% and that at least 50% of construction waste has to be recycled. At this weekend's AltBuild Expo, California designers and architects will showcase how they've gone above and beyond the call of duty by providing demonstrations, lectures, and house tours involving all kinds of green building techniques, from solar power to recycled graywater. If you're planning on remodeling or repainting your house, or you have questions about sustainable methods of composting, gardening, or landscaping, tune in as Patt talks about both AltBuild and green building in general.

 

Guest:

Brenden McEneaney, Green Building Program advisor for the Office of Sustainability and the Environment, City of Santa Monica

IN STUDIO