Press Play with Madeleine Brand
How We Fight Wildfires
Wildfire season is in full swing, and a pilot died yesterday while fighting a wildfire near Yosemite National Park. Are our fire prevention techniques up-to-date?
By Madeleine Brand • • 50m ListenWildfire season is in full swing, and a pilot died yesterday while fighting one near Yosemite National Park. Are our fire prevention techniques up-to-date? Wal-Mart is ending health coverage for its approximately 30,000 part-time workers. What will it mean for part-timers seeking medical care, not just at Wal-Mart but also at other retailers who may follow suit? In our weekly tech news roundup, we look at new apps that let neighbors in California secretly turn each other in to authorities for wasting water in the drought. Next, naturalist and author Diane Ackerman explains why she thinks the so-called Human Age we live in -- in which virtually every corner of the Earth has been touched by mankind -- is a good thing. And finally, should chimpanzees be afforded the same rights as humans? A New York appeals court will consider that question today.
Banner Image: The July Complex Fire in the Klamath National Forest in California, which began on Aug. 3, 2014 from an undetermined cause and consumed over 50,000 acres; Credit: U.S. Forest Service
In this episode
5 storiesHow We Fight Wildfires
It’s been a catastrophic wildfire year in California, with more than 5,000 so far. Yesterday, a pilot died when his tanker plane crashed near Yosemite National Park. The weather and lack of water are big factors, but what about our fire management practices? Are they also to blame?
Read the story8 minWal-Mart To Drop Part-Timers’ Healthcare
Wal-Mart is ending health coverage for its approximately 30,000 part-time workers. The company says it’s too expensive under the Affordable Care Act. Wal-Mart is the country’s biggest private employer, and other retailers are expected to follow its lead. We look at what this means for part-timers’ seeking medical care.
Read the story6 minDrought Tattletale Apps
Today in our weekly tech news roundup, we look at new apps that let Southern California neighbors secretly turn each other in to the authorities for wasting water. We also look at Facebook’s new embrace of anonymity, and how Hong Kong protesters avoided the Internet while organizing.
Read the story9 minHow We Shape the World
The Anthropocene -- or “the Human Age” -- is what scientists call the era we’re in now. And it has affected nearly every inch of the Earth: air, land, water… there’s nothing humans haven’t touched. We often hear the negative side of this, but writer Diane Ackerman has a different perspective.
Read the story14 minChimps on Trial
Is keeping an animal in a cage par for the course for pet owners? Or is it unlawful imprisonment? That question goes before a New York appeals court today. And the answer will depend on whether the court considers a chimp a person.
Read the story10 min
