You might not think you have too much in common with Henry David Thoreau – an American naturalist, author, and philosopher from the 1800s. Thoreau is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon his two-years living in the woods around Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Suddenly his experience as the original “social-distancer” seems quite relevant.

“Code Red" -- that's the alarming state of our planet's health, according to a United Nations climate change report, published this month. Our catchy slogan “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” doesn’t hold-up to such dire news. And it’s recently become clear that recycling is a glaringly broken system in our country. Only 8 percent of plastic waste gets recycled in the United States, according to 2017 EPA report.

Philadelphia International Records celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and the iconic "Phillysound" that it made famous. But the legacy of Philadelphia International Records is also its influence on other music genres and artists far beyond its birth city. As part of Under The Radar's ongoing summer series, we’re humming some of Philadelphia International’s biggest hits, and asking: Exactly what is the sound of Philadelphia?

Guests:

Max Ochester, musical historian and owner of record store Brewerytown Beats in Philadelphia.

Jack McCarthy, Philadelphia music archivist and historian.

The pandemic sparked a return to cooking at home, and with that, sales of cookbooks spiked. As home cooks search for new ways to spice up everyday meals, what are the new trends emerging?

Cookbook fans unite! In this segment from Under The Radar, Callie Crossley and our food contributor Amy Traverso each pick three of their current favorite cookbooks — and dish on why they love them!

Guest:

Featured Cookbooks:

"Super Natural Simple: Whole-food, Vegetarian Recipes for Real Life" by Heidi Swanson

"Cook, Eat, Repeat: Ingredients, Recipes, and Stories" by Nigella Lawson

"See You on Sunday: A Cookbook for Family and Friends"

"How To Grill Vegetables: The New Bible for Barbecuing Vegetable Over Live Fire" by Steven Raichlen

"Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes" by Bryant Terry

"The Arabesque Table: Contemporary Recipes from the Arab World" by Reem Kassis

This week on Under The Radar:

Booze-free beverages are having a moment — and no, we’re not talking about your grandfather’s O’Doul’s or sugary sweet mocktails. A wide variety of non-alcoholic craft beers are popping up on liquor store shelves near you, while bar menus are expanding to make space for spirit-free cocktails.

Alcohol sales did spike last year, as Americans drank more during the pandemic. But millennials are driving a boom in the non-alcoholic beverage business, and industry leaders say these drinks aren’t just for the sober or sober-curious. But will the general public make a full culture shift to non-alcoholic drinks?

Guests:

Bill Shufelt is co-founder and CEO of Athletic Brewing Co., a Connecticut-based non-alcoholic brewery.

Julia Bainbridge is the author of “Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You’re Not Drinking for Whatever Reason,” and a 2021 Food & Wine “Game Changer.”

Pauline Idogho is founder and CEO of Mocktail Club, a Black-owned non-alcoholic cocktail company based in Washington D.C.

Rosé wine sales have been climbing year over year worldwide, as wine lovers and others discover that it’s delicious and versatile. Now rosé fans will have even more to sample as wine producers are introducing new styles of the pink wine. We are continuing our summer fun series by answering the age-old question, 'Why rosé all day?'

Guest:

Jonathon Alsop, founder and executive director of the Boston Wine School and author of “The Wine Lover’s Devotional.”

This week on Under The Radar:

While Massachusetts debates vaccine and mask mandates, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill into law last week that supporters say establishes "medical freedom." Residents in the state who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 can still access public facilities and services, under the new law. The law states that all residents have the “natural, essential and inherent right to bodily integrity, free from any threat or compulsion by government to accept an immunization.”

But our guest Arnie Arnesen thinks that it will create greater levels of vulnerability, based on the politics of the legislature and the governor. "It is not about science, it is not about health, it is all about politics."

Other topics on our Regional Roundtable this week include a potential hate crime on Martha's Vineyard and regional home-seekers buying up Rhode Island property.

Guests:

Arnie Arnesen, host of The Attitude with Arnie Arnesen from WNHN in New Hampshire.

Ted Nesi, politics and business editor and investigative reporter for WPRI in Rhode Island.

George Brennan, news editor of the Martha’s Vineyard Times.

On Under The Radar, we're diving into the popular genre of young adult (YA) fiction in this special August edition of “Bookmarked: The Under the Radar Book Club.”

YA fiction and nonfiction is targeted at older teens, positioned in the editorial space between books for children and adults. But half of the readers are adults drawn to the common themes of family dynamics, friendship, first love and coming of age. YA authors tell their stories through multiple literary genres, including science fiction, romance, memoir, horror, fantasy, graphic novel, mystery and historical fiction.

Guests:

Crystal Maldonado is a writer by night and a marketer and social media manager by day. Her debut novel, “Fat Chance Charlie Vega” is a coming of age story featuring a biracial teen. The book earned a featured review on the list, Best Fiction for Young Adults. Maldonado is the co-founder of the online website Positively Smitten. She has been published in Latina magazine, the Hartford Courant, and Dogster. The University of Connecticut graduate lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and baby daughter.

Brittney Morris is the author of the YA novel “Slay” and Marvel’s “Spider Man: Miles Morales-Wings of Fury.” Her latest YA book is “The Cost of Knowing,” a gripping family story featuring two Black male teens, which has received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. Morris, who graduated from Boston University with a degree in economics, is also the founder and former president of the Boston University Creative Writing Club. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and son.

Malinda Lo is the author of six YA novels including her latest, “Last Night at the Telegraph Club,” set in San Francisco’s Chinatown during the 1950’s Red Scare. “Last Night at the Telegraph Club,” which has received eight starred reviews, was also named by Oprah Magazine, one of 50 LGBTQ Books That Will Heat Up the Literary Landscape in 2021. The three time finalist for the Lambda Literary Award also writes a biweekly newsletter, Lo & Behold. She graduated from Wellesley College and earned master’s degrees from both Harvard and Stanford. She lives in Massachusetts with her wife Amy Lovell.

Climate deniers are on the hot seat, as temperatures soar and extreme weather blows through communities across the country. Plus, oil pipelines are on pause — or shut down completely — including the infamous Keystone XL pipeline. And a history-making appointment, as the first African American is named to lead the U.S. Forest Service.

Those stories and more on our environmental roundtable.

Guests:

Dr. Aaron Bernstein, interim director of The Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Bernstein is a pediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Heather Goldstone, chief communications officer at Woodwell Climate Research Center and former host GBH’s weekly science-focused radio show, Living Lab Radio.

Sam Payne, digital organizer and communications specialist at the Better Future Project.

Editor's note: This segment was recorded one week ago. In the time since taping, floods swept Europe and China, the Bootleg Fire in Oregon expanded and another heat wave hit the American West. Smoke from wildfires on the West Coast reached the East Coast and British Columbia declared a state of emergency over wildfires.

Students and teachers had their worlds flipped upside down last year when the pandemic forced most to swap chalkboards for Zoom screens. A large part of teaching online, for many, became visual. But what about the challenges of online learning for those who are visually impaired or blind?

Our neighbors at Perkins School for the Blind, in Watertown, had to think quickly about ensuring their students still received a quality education and maintained community when they went remote. A sense of touch is fundamental to those without a sense of sight. So how did Perkins students, teachers and parents manage in a world that was suddenly socially distant?

Guests:

Rachel Antonino, lower school teacher at Perkins School for the Blind.

Matteo Faso, a senior at Perkins.

Michelle Contey, Matteo's mother.