Jon Ehrens

1 week ago | vermontpublic.org | Mikaela Lefrak |Jon Ehrens

More than 200 wildfires are currently burning in Canada. They are transforming forests, and becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change. This hour we discuss how wildfires affect our landscapes, and how wildfire smoke affects air quality and our bodies. Our guests are David Grass, a senior environmental health manager at the Vermont Department of Health, and David Phillips, a Toronto-based climatologist emeritus with Environment and Climate Change Canada, a governmental agency.

2 weeks ago | vermontpublic.org | Mikaela Lefrak |Jon Ehrens

Rosemary Gladstar is said to be the Godmother of modern herbalism. In the latest installment of Vermont Edition At Home, Mikaela visited Gladstar at her house in Milton, Vermont. They discussed her roots in herbalism, from her childhood learning how to forage for food and medicine with her grandmother, to becoming the founder of a world renowned herbal retreat center in Vermont and founder of several companies.

2 weeks ago | vermontpublic.org | Mitch Wertlieb |Jon Ehrens |Andrea Laurion

"The long term survival of life on earth has never really been in doubt...it's the survival of homo sapiens that has been in question." That stark reminder, or perhaps warning, comes from one of the central characters in the new novel by Vermont author Tim Weed called "The Afterlife Project." Guest host Mitch Wertlieb speaks with the Putney-based writer about what inspired his book--which blends elements of climate fact with science fiction, telling a story that stretches from the not too...

2 weeks ago | vermontpublic.org | Mikaela Lefrak |Nina Keck |Jon Ehrens

The birthrate in the United States is on the decline, and of all 50 states, Vermont’s fertility rate is the lowest. We'll listen to a recent episode of Vermont Public's podcast Brave Little State where reporter Nina Keck looks into a listener’s question about childlessness. Then, we'll be joined by sociology professor Amy Blackstone of the University of Maine, who researches why some people opt out of parenting. Her book is Childfree by Choice. Have questions, comments or tips?

3 weeks ago | vermontpublic.org | Mikaela Lefrak |Jon Ehrens

Electric vehicles – EVs – don’t emit pollutants into the air. That’s a good thing, if you’re focused on cutting emissions and curbing climate change. But they’re also often more expensive than gas cars, and the charging infrastructure along roads and highways isn’t fully built out yet. Considering these challenges, how do you get people to buy EVs? In Vermont, the legislature enacted a new regulation in 2022 to end gas-powered car sales by 2035.