The Point

Cold weather is really here, and the birds of our region are coping as they always do: perfectly insulated in their down feathers, and feasting on berries, bait, and other local abundance. On The Point , this month's Bird News program is hosted by Mindy Todd . Mark Faherty , ornithologist and science coordinator at Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary , is our guest in the studio.

Sea level rise is typically mentioned in the context of erosion, coastal flooding, storm damage at the coasts. All of those are issues, to be sure. But rising ocean levels can have other effects – on septic systems and drinking water supplies farther inland. Potential impacts on groundwater are the subject of a new report from US Geological Survey’s New England Water Science Center. Melting glaciers and warming oceans are causing sea levels to rise around the globe. Tides already reach nearly a

We come into contact with countless chemicals everyday. In fact, we're made of chemicals. But the number of human-made, synthetic chemicals in our lives has skyrocketed, and many common household and personal care products actually contain chemicals that may be bad for our health. Scientists can measure the amounts of these chemicals in retail products and the home environment, and they can study what they do to animals in laboratory. But that leaves one big, unanswered question: Just how much

From the design features in a passive solar house to new technologies in building materials and appliances, there are numerous ways for buildings to become more energy efficient. On The Point , host Mindy Todd talks with Steve Baczek , an architect, who has designed passive homes on the Cape and Islands, and Roe Osborn , an editor at the Journal of Light C onstruction , about ways new and older buildings can incorporate green technology and improve energy efficiency . Here's a Link to

On The Point , we talk about books with a winter theme. Mindy Todd hosts book experts Jill Erickson , of the Falmouth Public Library , and Jennifer Gaines , of the Woods Hole Library . Click here for a list of books we talked about during the show.

Pilgrim Nuclear is slated to close in the spring of 2019. What are the steps involved with decommissioning the plant, and what will be left behind once the plant closes? On The Point, we talk with editors and reporters at The Cape Cod Times about their upcoming series exploring the long and short-term impacts of closing nuclear power plants, and what we can learn from other communities who have gone through the process. Guests on the program are: Christine Legere, reporter at The Cape Cod Times;

When Marie Curie discovered radioactivity, she kick-started the field of atomic physics and inspired two other female physicists whose work gave rise to the atomic age. Her daughter, Irene (and son-in-law, Frederic) Joliot-Curie, discovered a method of inducing artificial radioactivity. And Austrian-born Lise Meitner figured out nuclear fission. Lise Meitner was twenty years Irene Joliot-Curie's senior, but Austrian law delayed her education by a decade, making the two colleagues. And there are

On this special edition of The Point , the story of Massasoit's Peace Pact with the Pilgrims. Peace Talks Radio presents a conversation with American Indian scholars who fill in the details of Massasoit's attempt to make peace for his people and with the new strangers. We’ll also hear from Native American film director Chris Eyre on his portrayal of Massasoit for the 2009 PBS television series We Shall Remain .

On this special edition of The Point , we examine Turkeys and Thanksgiving from several perspectives. First, the subject of the BBC documentary My Life as Turkey shares how she became a wild turkey mother in the hammocks of Florida. We’ll also hear about the comeback of the once scorned bronze feathered turkey, get a taste of pre-contact American Indian Cuisine and hear how one native family gives thanks.

Get ready to cook and eat your Thanksgiving feast! On this special broadcast of The Point, Annie Corrigan, host of Earth Eats , invites us into the kitchen of renowned chef Daniel Orr as he prepares the Thanksgiving meal. Turkey, vegetarian options, and side dishes are cooked up along with some foody music.