12:00: Why aren't more people driving electric vehicles?
1:00: Can mushrooms save the world?
Despite increased gas prices and lower costs associated with buying an electric vehicle, drivers are still hesitant to make the switch. That’s due, in part, to charging anxiety: even though most daily trips are short, people still worry, 'what happens when you can’t find a plug?' A mandate from New York State that aims to have all new cars sold run on electric by 2035 has also exposed some of the communities’ more complex problems: utility limitations; lack of support from the federal government; and the problems presented by modern EV batteries. Our guests break it down:
- Senator Jeremy Cooney, District 56, and chair of the NYS Transportation Committee
- Brian Sharp, investigations editor for WXXI News
- Eric Hittinger, professor of public policy at the Rochester Institute of Technology
Then, in our second hour, fungi are among the most powerful yet overlooked climate allies. From storing vast amounts of carbon underground to breaking down pollutants and replacing plastic, fungi could be key to restoring ecological balance in a warming world. This episode of "Environmental Connections" explores how mushrooms and mycelium are contributing to climate solutions — and what’s at stake if they disappear. Our guests:
- Stacey Estabrook, founder of FLX Mushrooms
- Kimberlie Le, co-founder of Prime Roots, a sustainable protein company
- Aishwarya Veerabahu, Ph.D. student in the Pringle Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
*Notes:
- Tune in on the last Friday of every month from 12–2 p.m. for "Environmental Connections."
- "Connections” (including "Environmental Connections") is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.
