Kansas City is finishing its campaign of installing LED streetlights that they say promote green sustainability. But activists say it's just a band-aid on the city's bigger climate problem. Plus: Why Kansas musician Freedy Johnston returned to his small hometown to paint a mural.

Over the past six years, Kansas City has converted almost all of its street lights to energy-saving LED bulbs. But as KCUR’s Brandon Azim reports, environmental advocates say that until the city moves toward a more renewable energy source, the transition is a token gesture toward its sustainability goals.

Musician Freedy Johnston left his hometown of Kinsley, Kansas, in the 1980s to pursue his musical dreams. He returned this August to work on a mural celebrating the place he once moved away from. Jedd Beaudoin, of KMUW in Wichita, spoke with Johnston about the project, and forging a new connection to home.

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This episode of Kansas City Today is hosted by Brian Ellison. It is produced by David McKeel and KCUR Studios. It's edited by Madeline Fox, Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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