Today on AirTalk, we break down the climate emergency this Earth Day with NPR affiliate stations in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado. Also on the show, we answer your COVID-19 questions; discuss beloved, classic hiking spots; and more.
COVID-19 AMA: Mask Wearing, Variants And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, we speak with nurse and UCLA professor Kristen R Choi.
Topics today include:
Dodgers will have a fully vaccinated fan section - is that safe?
Do we need to wear masks indoors?
According to one study, CA’s coronavirus variants are 20 percent more infectious
Healthcare workers are burned out by the pandemic
Is Covid now riskiest for young people?
There’s no evidence that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are unsafe for pregnant people
India reaches record for daily infections
Guest:
Kristen R. Choi, professor of nursing and public health at UCLA; registered nurse practicing at Gateways Hospital, based in Echo Park
A New Version Of One Of SoCal’s Beloved Hiking Classics Is Released In Time For Pandemic Hikers
After three years of hikes and research, author David Harris has released an updated version of John W. Robinson’s beloved hiking book “Trails of the Angeles: 100 Hikes in the San Gabriel Mountains,” a touchstone for SoCal hikers.
Robinson, who passed away in 2018, initially penned the trail guide in 1971. The book became a bible for hikers in the area, going on to sell 100,000 copies in 50 years of uninterrupted publication. Hikes in the book range from easy, one-mile outings to multi-day backpacking trips, all in a region that spans from Placerita Canyon near Santa Clarita to Cucamonga Peak in Rancho Cucamonga. Harris updated the book and substituted out old trails (some damaged or no longer maintained) for fresher options. A new iOS app even allows hikers to find the trails using digital maps. The book comes as many people in the Los Angeles area have been turning to hiking during the pandemic, which has remained one of the few weekend diversion options fully available to visitors throughout the pandemic.
Today on AirTalk, we’re discussing the new edition of John W. Robinson’s classic guide with co-author David Harris. Are you a hiker that has used “Trails of the Angeles” to explore the local environment? We want to hear from you! Give us a call at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
David Harris, author and co-author of several hiking books including “Trails of the Angeles: 100 Hikes in the San Gabriel Mountains,” 10th edition (Wilderness Press, 2021), an updated edition of the classic by John W. Robinson
AirTalk Earth Day Call-In Special: Living Through The Climate Emergency
While it may manifest itself in different ways, there’s no denying that our planet faces a climate emergency of epic proportions, and we’re all living through it.
For us in the West, there are a lot of similar themes -- drought, rising temperatures, increased risk of wildfire, air pollution, rising sea level, just to name a few. President Biden has made it a centerpiece of his new administration by reinstating a number of the environmental regulations that his predecessor rolled back, re-entering the U.S. into the global Paris Climate Accord and by rolling out a plan to address climate change that includes investing in renewable energy and re-entering global discussions on addressing the climate emergency.
Today on “AirTalk” from 11 a.m. to noon PT, KPCC’s Larry Mantle hosts an hour long, regional call-in show with NPR affiliates from California, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado to find out what “Living Through The Climate Emergency” means to the people who live in the American West and the reporters who cover them. Join the conversation by calling us at 866.893.5722 or tweet
.
Guests:
Jacob Margolis, science reporter for KPCC/LAist in Pasadena, CA; he tweets
Erik Anderson, environment reporter at KPBS, the NPR affiliate in San Diego, CA; he tweets
Ezra David Romero, climate reporter KQED, the NPR affiliate in San Francisco; he tweets
Miguel Otárola, climate and environment reporter for Colorado Public Radio, in Denver, CO; he tweets
Heidi Kyser, staff writer and producer for KNPR, the NPR member station in Las Vegas, and for Desert Companion, a magazine covering local issues and current events in Southern Nevada; she tweets