Chris Cummins

1 month ago | fm4.orf.at | Chris Cummins

Maksym Butkevych is a human rights defender, turned soldier, turned POW (prisoner of war). He says Ukraine is fighting a war over values and if the West rewards Putin for ignoring international law, then all of Europe will pay the price. By Chris CumminsThis week Russia and Ukraine announced they had each swapped 175 prisoners in what was one of the largest prisoner exchanges since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago.

1 month ago | benefitnews.com | Chris Cummins

From company parties to happy-hour meetups after work, alcohol is highly ingrained in many workplaces. But while drinking is a welcome way to blow off steam for many employees, it can cause undue stress for others, especially those in recovery. A culture that encourages drinking can be exclusionary to sober people in several different ways. For example, in some workplaces, "shmoozing" with management over beers is often seen as a way to get in their good graces and secure promotions.

1 month ago | fm4.orf.at | Chris Cummins

Our soulful Sunday radio show has been honoured with a climbing route on an iconic rock face near Innsbruck. By Chris CumminsThe new Sunny Side Up route on the Martinswand was created by Johnny DeMaine, a climber originally from Hawaii who says he wanted to make a gesture of gratitude “for the good sounds and good vibes” that have accompanied his Sundays on the rock face.

1 month ago | fm4.orf.at | Chris Cummins

Is the long delay in Austria’s lithium mining a story of bureaucratic overreach getting in the way of pragmatic necessity? By Chris CumminsThe rough mountain road up to the Weinebene is sparkling with fresh powder snow. Up here, on the border between Carinthia and Styria, the “energy transition” that we hope might save winters for future generations seems to be in full flow.

2 months ago | fm4.orf.at | Chris Cummins

Mining is an important part of the net-zero transition. The critical minerals that need to be extracted are essential to green tech. But mining has a troubling history of toxicity and exploitation. Can the future be fairer and cleaner? By Chris CumminsWe don’t talk about mining very often on FM4. Yet we talk a lot about the green transition - and the two things are deeply entwined.