Forward Radio podcasts

U.S. Representative Morgan McGarvey answers questions from the audience on August 15, 2023, at All People's Unitarian Church, an event hosted by the Floyd's Fork Democratic Club.

On this week’s Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, puts on his overalls and gets down in the weeds with some of the organizers from the Food In Neighborhoods (FIN) community coalition who are pulling together Kentucky’s first-ever People’s Summit on Food Systems and Urban Agriculture on September 8-9, 2023. It is called “Weaving the Food Web” and it will be taking place here in Louisville at 100 Witherspoon Conference Center. You can learn more and register at https://whova.com/portal/registration/agcon_202309/

In studio to discuss the Summit are Andrew Kang-Bartlett, from the FIN Steering Committee; Von Barnes, from Kentucky State University Extension; and Marissa Beinhauer who works for Catholic Charities with their refugee and underserved community garden program, Common Earth Gardens. She came to Louisville five years ago, working as an AmeriCorp member for Americana Community Center and, eventually, she began working on local farms. FIN and the Cooperative Extension Program of Kentucky State University have partnered to organize “Weaving the Food Web: The People’s Summit on Food Systems and Urban Agriculture.” This public event will take place in Louisville on September 8–9, 2023. The People’s Summit includes caravan tours in the city that will raise awareness about local food apartheid and grassroots efforts to increase healthy food access as well as spotlight the work of urban growers. The Summit will have workshops-style events involving popular education and in-depth political strategy discussions.

The Summit will address topics such as: food apartheid and environmental racism; youth leadership training; how to grow your own food; cooperative economics and Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs); urban and rural land access; New American success stories; and local food policy advocacy. Weaving the Food Web is a transformative act of healing, solidarity, and collective action toward realizing food justice, human rights and dignified livelihoods for all. Exciting food justice initiatives will be featured and the input of participants - through dialogue, art and celebration - will be gathered during the day. Hot breakfast and lunch, ASL and language interpretation will be offered, along with childcare. Grow Appalachia is offering free registration for beginning farmers. Be part of food justice history and join us on September 8 and 9! Learn more and register at http://foodinneighborhoods.org

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 http://forwardradio.org

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

Currently Cassie Armstrong is an assistant professor at the University of Louisville Brandise School and a Kentucky State Senator that represents Kentucky’s political district 19 in Jefferson County. Professor Armstrong is a 2015 graduate of Harvard Law School, where she was President of the Legal Aid Bureau. She subsequently was selected to be a Skadden Fellow and with that award worked for two years as an attorney at Louisville Legal Aid Society and the Kentucky Equal Justice Center, where she represented victims of domestic violence in family law matters, designed and implemented a comprehensive program to provide legal services to rural victims of domestic violence and litigated appeals on poverty law issues.

Most recently, Professor Armstrong worked as an Associate at the Louisville firm of Kaplan Johnson Abate & Bird LLP. Before that, she clerked for Judge Amul Thapar, now at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and then a Judge at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. She also clerked briefly for Judge Phillip Shepherd of the Franklin Circuit Court.

Professor Armstrong received a B.A. from Yale College, summa cum laude, in 2010, an M.P.H. from Yale in 2011 and an M.Sc. in Public Management and Governance from the London School of Economics in 2012.

She is a native Kentuckian, having grown up in eastern Kentucky. Her book, Hill Women: Finding Family and a Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains was published by Random House in 2020. She was elected to Louisville Metro Council's District 8 seat in June 2020. From 2018-2020, she served as the Vice Chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party.

We discuss the human's best friend with some critical thinking tools!

Steven Feldstein is a senior fellow in Carnegie’s Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on issues of democracy, technology, human rights, U.S. foreign policy, and Africa.

Feldstein served as a deputy assistant secretary in the Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Bureau in the U.S. Department of State, where he had responsibility for Africa policy, international labor affairs, and international religious freedom. Previously he was the director of policy at the U.S. Agency for International Development, and also served as counsel on the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, where he oversaw U.S. foreign assistance programs, State Department management, and international organizations.

He has published research on how artificial intelligence is reshaping repression, the geopolitics of technology, China’s role in advancing digital authoritarianism and COVID-19’s effect on democracies.

Steven Feldstein is a frequent commentator on television and radio. He received his B.A. from Princeton and his J.D. from Berkeley Law. He is the author of The Rise of Digital Repression: How Technology is Reshaping Power, Politics, and Resistance

We were honored to welcome Andy Hunter, the CEO of Bookshop.org to the podcast this week. Andy is a writer, a publisher, and now heads up a company that competes with Amazon for on-line book sales. But unlike Amazon, the proceeds of Bookshop.org’s sales go back to independent bookstores.

At the click of a button, you can order a book to be delivered while your favorite independent bookseller gets part of that sale. Independent bookstores that sell most of their books during summer or don’t have the capacity to ship books can create a Bookshop.org page and sell books to anyone at any time. Authors, schools, and book influencers can create pages, too.

We talk with Andy about why he started this endeavor a few months before COVID hit, why he loves Coney Island, and how his degree in philosophy has affected the types of books he gravitates to.

Oh, and as of this recording, we decided to get with the times. The Perks is a Bookshop affiliate; you can see any of the books we talk about on the show on our new bookshop page and order them there.

https://bookshop.org/shop/PerksOfBeingABookLover

You can find Bookshop at https//bookshop.org.

For show notes for any episode, go to our website at www.perksofbeingabooklover.com.

We are also on Instagram @perksofbeingabookloverpod and on

FB Perks of Being a Book Lover.

Books mentioned in this episode:

Books mentioned--

1- Is It Hot In Here? (Or am I Suffering for all Eternity for the Sins I Committed on Earth?) by Zach Zimmerman

2- Emergency by Kathleen Alcott

3- The MANIAC by Benjamin Labatut

4- When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut

5- Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

6- The Wizard's Guide to Magical Baking by T. Kingfisher

7- The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

Movies mentioned--

1- Barbie (2023)

Podcast episode-

1- Thrillers by the Bookclub Podcast - Ep. 39 - Murder Ensues

Recipe Mentioned:

https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/07/tomato-and-fried-provolone-sandwich/

Welcome to TCR

This is HH your host.

We are on episode number 384.

Today’s Topic is … Trees, Climate & the Biotic Pump

The climate report is about separating truth from fiction in the climate space. There’s a lot of fiction out there, a lot of storytelling, a lot of rhetoric. But we help you separate the rhetoric from the reality.

Part 1. Why this topic (Trees, Climate and the Biotic Pump)

Part 2. Fun facts about the biotic pump

Part 3. What the UN says about Climate Change.

Part 4. More about Trees & Climate

Why this topic?

Must understand it to understand climate.

Little emphasized and rarely talked about.

Describes how forests act to pull rain

This topic encourages (or demands) support for preservation of our forests.

Part 2. Fun Facts about the Biotic Pump.

biotic pump theory shows how forests create and control winds coming up from the ocean and in doing so bring water to the forests further inland (or downwind?)

The biotic pump describes how water vapor given off by trees can drive winds and these winds can cross continents and deliver this moisture to far off forests.

Biotic pump theory has urged forest preservation, restoring hydrologic cycles and planetary cooling.

Trees and plants slow the progress of rainfall.

Trees and plants release water vapor

Trees release VOCs (terpenoids)

Trees release airborne microbes (aerobacter).

These facilitate condensation.

Condensation creates a vacuum.

The Vacuum draws in air from elsewhere, and thus continues the process.

Rain falls more easily into a cool, moist area.

Trees and plants create increasingly healthy soil.

Trees transpire lots of water. This has a cooling effect.

Transpiration puts water back into the atmosphere.

Rainfall helps plant growth, thus increasing forest cover.

Vegetation (trees and plants) create a more moist environment, due to shade, but also due to evaporative cooling.

When sunlight hits an area not covered with plants, it tends to heat up. But plant cover takes the same sunshine and uses it to cool the area down.

Water has a high specific heat, meaning it is slow to take on heat when it’s warming up, and slow to release heat when it’s cooling down.

Tree canopies slow the progression of rain to the soil surface and soften the impact.

Plants create organic matter that create soil carbon, enhancing soil structure for the infiltration and storage of water.

When there is forest cover, this protects soil from erosion.

trees and plants photosynthesize sugars providing a foundational ingredient of life and growth.

Photosynthesis also produces oxygen and removes carbon dioxide from the air.

Trees also provide food and timber, and foster biodiversity.

Forested lands provide ample water for human and animal life. (and plant life, fungi, microbes)

Rajendra Singh, the Waterman of India, led a movement that restored several rivers in Rhajastan increasing vegetation cover from 2% to 48%, cooling the region by 2o Celsius, and increasing rainfall.[17],[19]

Todd Blevins, KY State Director of the KY Humane Society of the United States discusses a proposed ordinance, dubbed the Puppy Mill Ordinance, being considered by the Louisville Metro Council, for adoption. He explains the existence of, problems with, and solutions to the puppy mill to pet store pipeline so prevalent here in Kentucky and throughout the U.S.

Forward Radio was thrilled to participate in the 2nd annual Bluegrass VegFest, at the historic Mellwood Art Center on Saturday, July 15th, 2023! Bluegrass VegFest is a FREE public education event whose mission is outreach about the benefits of veganism as a way to protect animals and the environment, and improve health. Learn more at http://bluegrassvegfest.com

Forward Radio not only hosted a booth to help you translate your plant-power into community radio, but we also conducted a live broadcast to bring you interviews with some of the many vendors, keynote speakers & cooking demos.

On today's Truth to Power, we bring you highlights from the fifth hour of our live broadcast, including a vegan charcuterie cooking demo with:

KRISTINA ADDINGTON

Owner of V-Grits, Chef, Vegan Activist

After learning about the cruelties of factory farming and exploitation of animals across many industries more than sixteen years ago, Chef Kristina chose to dedicate her life to educating and promoting a cruelty free, vegan existence. She spent the next few years as a Campaign Coordinator and Corporate Liaison for PETA, while also teaching vegan cooking classes. 

In 2014 Chef Kristina used the prize money from a cooking competition on the food network to launch the V-Grits food truck (an acronym for vegan girl raised in the south) with a focus on southern style vegan comfort food. V-Grits (https://www.vgrits.com) has taken many forms over the last decade, including a meal service, a product line, a full service restaurant and brewery, and now resides inside Louisville’s Logan Street Market serving fast casual vegan comfort food. In addition to being a business owner and animal rights activist, Chef Kristina is a mom to her four year old son Andrew, a health food and fitness enthusiast, and a vintage toy collector.

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 http://forwardradio.org

On this week’s Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, is thrilled to be in dialogue with the inspirational Taylor Ryan, Founder and Director of Change Today, Change Tomorrow (https://change-today.org/). Taylor was born and raised in Paducah, but now lives in Louisville. She is a UofL Communications alum with two masters degrees from Marshall University.

She has always been a dynamic and giving part of her community; being involved in various organizations such as New Roots and Empowering Ladies Together. With her focused community connection, Taylor was able to spearhead dozens of impactful projects, including everything from food pantry and hygiene drives, to entire block clean-ups. In addition, Taylor has served as a Community History Fellow at the Filson Historical Society, the Norton Institute for Health Equity’s Community Advisory Board on COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in West Louisville, and the Community Advisory Board for Louisville Youth Philanthropic Council. She recently joined the board of the Kentucky Solar Energy Society.

While looking into the needs of her community, Taylor found existing organizations weren’t meeting the mark, either due to a lack of resources or disconnect from the community. Taylor decided to do something about it, and Change Today, Change Tomorrow was founded. Since 2019, CTCT has provided barrier-free access to the community through food justice, educational services, and public health initiatives.

Change Today, Change Tomorrow is a Black woman led non-profit organization in Louisville. Through the main pillars of service, Food Justice, Community Engagement, and Public Health, they provide for the most marginalized communities in the city, because when you show up for the most marginalized, you show up for everyone. They protect, defend, and meet the needs of those who have been counted out. They are a force of disruptors and changemakers that believe in #communitypower. If you’re interested in applying for the working Board of Directors, go to http://tinyurl.com/CTCTBoard

CTCT's Inaugural 5k Call To Action Walk is Saturday, August 19th 8-11am, starting at Broadway at the Shawnee Park Loop and walking to the only grocery store in the West End to raise awareness about food apartheid. Online registration required.

CTCT's Annual Vegan Cookoff is 
Saturday, August 19th 2-5pm at The Common Table Garden Café, 1200 South 28th Street. This one-of-a-kind event celebrates health, community, and the fight against food injustice in Louisville's West End. At this vibrant gathering local chefs will present their best vegan dishes to be tasted, enjoyed, and voted on by attendees. But there's more to the event than just mouth-watering vegan cuisine. Attendees will have the chance to pick up free, fresh produce from Cleav's Family Farm, savor in-house made cold-pressed juice, and receive organic supplements and herbal teas from Health Daddy Wow. There will also be free health screenings and resources from a variety of community organizations. It's an afternoon packed full of flavors, health, and community-building you won't want to miss! Details and free tickets at http://change-today.org

Like Forward Radio, CTCT will be participating in Give For Good Louisville on September 14th! Please donate at http://giveforgoodlouisville.org

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 http://forwardradio.org

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