D. Eric Schansberg is a professor of economics at IU Southeast in New Albany, In, an adjunct scholar for the Indiana Policy Review, and the author of “College 101: What Students and Parents Should Know about Universities.”

We’re keepin’ it hyper-local this week on Sustainability Now! Your host, Justin Mog, is in conversation with two community radio friends, Sharon Scott, General Manager & Sean Selby, Audio Carpenter, from our sister station here in Louisville, WXOX ARTxFM 97.1 FM and https://artxfm.com. These folks are extremely knowledgable about people-powered radio and, in fact, Sharon wrote a book about it called “Low Power FM for Dummies” that just came out in 2023. Learn all about the community radio and experimental radio scene right here in Louisville and around the country, through their work with the Grassroots Radio Conference and the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. Learn how you can get involved and don’t miss their 10th Birthday Party coming up on Valentine's Day 2026!

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com

Did you know that the millions of tiny mitochondria in your body are considered 'social beings'? Yes, these tiny organelles don't just generate energy for the cell. They sense the environment, form dynamic groups, communicate with each other, divide labor among themselves, and even heal one another. Learn about these fascinating organelles from a world expert, and hear what we can do to optimize their behavior in our bodies. Then hear an interview with a Harvard physician about the role of dietary protein in our overall health. How much protein should we really consume every day? These interviews are courtesy of the 'Big Picture Science' podcast, produced by the SETI Institute on October 6, 2025: https://radio.seti.org/episodes/skeptic-check-health-fads.

‘Bench Talk: The Week in Science’ is a weekly program that airs on WFMP Louisville FORward Radio 106.5 FM (forwardradio.org) every Monday at 7:30 pm, Tuesday at 11:30 am, and Wednesday at 7:30 am.

Visit our Facebook page for links to the articles discussed in this episode: https://www.facebook.com/BenchTalkRadio

This week on Truth to Power, we bring you a community conversation about “Fighting Injustice: A Lifelong Struggle To Do The Right Things” with civil rights lawyer and activist Eric Seitz. This virtual conversation was organized by the Oberlin Club of Washington, DC and it took place on December 3, 2025. After graduation, how do we apply the values and idealism developed during our student years to change the world and have a meaningful career and life? What can we learn from the inspiring examples set by alumni at a time when democracy, human rights and human dignity are under assault by the government?

Eric Seitz (class of 1965), a civil rights attorney now based in Honolulu, is the quintessential Oberlin activist whose career has been guided by a commitment to the pursuit of fairness and justice. Across his career, he has challenged the establishment and represented all categories of political activists, including members of the Black Panther Party, the Chicago Seven, and Leonard Peltier the Native American political activist who was at the center of a nearly 50-year-long controversy surrounding the killings of two FBI agents at South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1993. While studying law at UC Berkeley, Eric counseled and assisted draft resisters and taught courses to lawyers and law students on the draft and military law. At Oberlin, Eric majored in Government and recalled how he was a firebrand advocate during his time as an student, even prompting college President Carr to send a note suggesting he might be happier at another school. Watch a full recording at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kb32I4JgCI

On Truth to Power each week, we gather people from around the community to discuss the state of the world, the nation, the state, and the city! It's a community conversation like you won't hear anywhere else!

Truth to Power airs every Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 11am, and Sunday at 4pm on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at https://www.forwardradio.org

Our guest today is Professor Marc Murphy brings four decades of experience as a trial attorney to his role at U of L’s Brandeis Law School . His career has included service as a prosecutor, criminal defense attorney and litigator of complex civil matters, including class actions and civil fraud. He has argued before state and federal appellate courts, served as Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney, and practiced nationally as a partner with Stites & Harbison as well as the predecessor for Frost Brown & Todd.

In 2018, he was named Louisville’s White Collar Criminal Defense Attorney of the Year. At Brandeis Law, he also collaborates with the Office of Professional Development to enhance student learning and connect them with the practice of law in Louisville and beyond. In addition to his legal career, Professor Murphy is an award-winning political cartoonist for the Louisville Courier-Journal and his commentary cartoons have appeared in other publications as well. He serves as president of the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists and sits on the board of Cartoonists Rights Network International, a nonprofit dedicated to defending free speech and human rights worldwide.

Earlier in his career, Professor Murphy served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps in Europe and Central America, where he was twice awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.

Professor Murphy has also been an active voice for racial justice. Following the killing of Breonna Taylor, he represented protesters in Louisville, and spoke, wrote and marched, as an ally. In 2025, he received the Louisville Urban League’s first Accomplice for Justice Award.

With the Kentucky Legislature going back into session this week, we reconnect with our friends at the Kentucky Resources Council (KRC) on Sustainability Now! Your host, Justin Mog, is in conversation this week with KRC’s Program Attorney, Byron Gary, about their new study released on December 11th, which evaluates Kentucky’s electricity needs, and demonstrates how new state laws are hindering a transition to a cheaper, cleaner, and more dependable energy portfolio — at a time when many Kentuckians are struggling to afford their utility bills. The independent report, commissioned by KRC, Mountain Association, Metropolitan Housing Coalition, and Earthjustice, compares multiple energy pathways through 2050 and concludes that replacing aging coal-fired power plants with a mix of renewable energy, battery storage, and efficiency investments could save Kentuckians billions while maintaining reliability. Read the report at https://kyrc.org/energy-report/

The report investigates whether continued reliance on fossil-fuels is necessary to assure affordable and reliable electricity service in Kentucky. The report found that Kentucky Senate Bills 4 (2023) and 349 (2024) hinder the development of cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable alternatives to serve Kentucky’s electricity needs. The most affordable and reliable option to serve Kentuckians’ electricity needs is a modern and diverse energy supply that includes much more renewable energy, battery storage, and demand-side resources than are currently planned by Kentucky’s regulated utilities.

Kentucky Senate Bills 4 (2023) and 349 (2024) put up hurdles to retiring aging, uneconomic coal-fired power plants. The independent report explains that continued reliance on coal is not necessary, and it’s more expensive. There are cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable alternatives for Kentucky’s ratepayers.

Kentucky could save upwards of 4 billion dollars by 2050 with a more diverse portfolio that includes less fossil fuels and more renewables – but these laws must be amended now.

This report highlights costs and risks to ratepayers across the nation as other states, including Alaska, Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Utah and Wyoming, have also considered or passed legislation that would slow closures of an aging fleet of coal-fired power plants.

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com

Twenty science stories from 2025 that you might have missed! The asteroid that's NOT going to hit earth. Exploring protein localization. Probing the sun. Pursuing nuclear fusion. ADHD and life expectancy. Sleeplessness and heart disease. Evolution of potatoes from tomatoes. New moons in our solar system. Exoplanet discoveries. The new human organelle. The Turing Test is passed. Feasibility of geoengineering. Influence of microbiome on infant brain development. Effect of COVID19 in male fathers on their offspring. A link between the common cold and COVID-19. Ocean acidification and environmental thresholds. Life on other planets. Pig organs successfully transplanted into people. Advances in synthesizing antimatter.

Then hear about the planets, meteors, stars, nebulae, and constellations we can see in the night sky in January.

‘Bench Talk: The Week in Science’ is a weekly program that airs on WFMP Louisville FORward Radio 106.5 FM (forwardradio.org) every Monday at 7:30 pm, Tuesday at 11:30 am, and Wednesday at 7:30 am.

Visit our Facebook page for links to the articles discussed in this episode: https://www.facebook.com/BenchTalkRadio

On this week's show, your host, Justin Mog, takes it plant-forward into the new year with Wendy Matthews, CEO of Veganuary, a non-profit organization registered in England and Wales that encourages people worldwide to try vegan for January and beyond. Check out https://veganuary.com to learn more about the campaign and opportunities to get involved!

Tune in to hear about the history of the organization and what they’ve been able to accomplish in the last decade. Wendy shares her own personal journey toward a plant-based diet and the role of small social nudges in her own story. We take a deep dive into why plant-based diets matter, particularly now, in terms of physical and mental health, the environment, ethics, and economics. We discuss how difficult the transition to a vegan diet is in the U.S. vs. other places around the world and share some of the ways people get involved in Veganuary and the resources available online, including recipes, a free cookbook, nutrition guide, vegan shopping & restaurant guides, a free starter kit, and tips for getting started.

Take part in Veganuary: https://veganuary.com/en-us/try-vegan/

Donate to Veganuary: https://veganuary.com/en-us/donate/

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com

Psychiatrist Chris Stewart on treating those with both mental and addiction issues.

The Rev. Kevin Cosby is the pastor at St. Stevens Church and the president of Simmons College in Louisville. Dr. Ricky Jones is a University of Louisville, Pan-African Studies professor, the winner of "Best Opinion Writer Award" for his Courier-Journal column which provides some of the most penetrating and controversial writing in the publication. Dr. Jones and Dr. Cosby were the keynote speakers at the Louisville branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History Dinner that occurred December 19th at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage.