First hour: Humans consume about a credit card's worth of plastic each week; local researchers discuss how to prevent it
Second hour: How you can help increase the number of trees planted in your community and combat climate change
Research shows humans consume hundreds of plastic particles each day – up to a credit card’s worth every week. How do these particles get into our ecosystems and our bodies? Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center and the Rochester Institute of Technology are studying this question. They recently received a $7.3 million dollar grant to establish the Lake Ontario Center for Microplastics and Human Health. The center’s work will focus on how plastic waste enters the Great Lakes and how it affects the health of humans, wildlife, and the environment. Our guests this hour discuss their research and what it means for the community. In studio:
- Katrina Smith Korfmacher, Ph.D., professor of environmental medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center
- Christy Tyler, Ph.D., professor in the Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences at the Rochester Institute of Technology
- Matt Hoffman, Ph.D., professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics in the College of Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology
- Sami Romanick, Ph.D., postdoctoral research fellow in biomedical engineering at the University of Rochester Medical Center
Then in our second hour, local municipalities and community groups are working to increase the number of trees in the Rochester area. The City of Rochester is currently updating its Urban Forestry Master Plan. Part of that effort includes residents becoming "tree ambassadors." Meanwhile, the local chapter of the Sierra Club is gearing up for its annual tree giveaway event. This hour, we explore how community members can take a hands-on approach to creating more green spaces in their neighborhoods and how that can help combat climate change. In studio:
- Andrew Place, city forester for the City of Rochester
- John Kastner, member of the executive board for the Rochester Regional of the Sierra Club
- Daryl Odhner, board member for the Rochester Regional Sierra Club, and tree enthusiast
