Radio
Battle Over Public Power
This week, voters on both sides of a contentious measure set for California's June ballot will take the stage in a public hearing in San Francisco. Proposition 16 has to do with how electricity will be delivered to our homes, and by whom. The issue is shaping up to be an epic showdown between local non-profit groups and the utility giant PG&E. Amy Standen has more.
Audio Report on Mar 15, 2010 by KQED QUEST staff from QUEST Northern California
Reporter's Notes: Battle Over Public Power
Three months before the state election, Prop 16 has made headlines in every major state newspaper.
Post on Mar 12, 2010 by Amy Standen
Wither The Lawn
After three years of drought, California is finally getting some wet relief. Yet a series of strong storms doesn't end the state's need to conserve water. A new California law will impose restrictions on landscaping for decades to come. Katharine Mieszkowski reports on the future of the suburban lawn.
Audio Report on Mar 08, 2010 by KQED QUEST staff from QUEST Northern California
Reporter's Notes: Putting Landscaping on a Water Budget
Is your yard a dated relic of California's water guzzling past, or, an exemplar of the drought-tolerant future that the state's trying to nudge us all towards?
Post on Mar 05, 2010 by Katharine Mieszkowski
Teaching the Brain To See
Thanks to stem cells and other cutting-edge technologies, doctors hope they may one day be able to restore sight to people who were born without it, or lost it, later in life. But a rare case here in the Bay Area suggests that curing blindness may be more than meets the eye.
Audio Report on Mar 01, 2010 by KQED QUEST staff from QUEST Northern California
Reporter's Notes: Can You Teach A Brain To See?
When Mike was three years old, he opened up a jar containing an explosive chemical that the miners had left behind. The accident left him nearly blind. Forty-two years later, doctors fixed one of his eyes in a series of two procedures.
Post on Feb 26, 2010 by Amy Standen
The Godfather of Green
Art Rosenfeld is retiring, stepping down from his post with the California Energy Commission. The 83-year-old nuclear physicist pushed California to enact some of the toughest energy efficiency standards in the world. QUEST talks with Rosenfeld about his passion for saving kilowatts. Andrea Kissack reports.
Audio Report on Feb 15, 2010 by KQED QUEST staff from QUEST Northern California
Reporter's Notes: The Godfather of Green
My head is swimming with energy efficiency facts after producing this week's QUEST radio piece on efficiency guru Art Rosenfeld. Rosenfeld is retiring, stepping down after two terms on the California Energy Commission.
Post on Feb 12, 2010 by Andrea Kissack
Is The Drought Over?
The recent rain storms have drenched Northern California, dumping in some places almost twice as much rain as we'd expect to see at this time of year. That's great news for a state that's suffered three years of drought. But are we finally in the clear? Amy Standen went in search of answers.
Audio Report on Feb 08, 2010 by KQED QUEST staff from QUEST Northern California
Reporter's Notes: Is The Drought Over?
By using water as a commodity, we are using up the fresh water the planet provides faster than it can replenish it. Reporting this piece introduced me to a subculture I hadn't paid much attention to before: Water nerds. It turns out I sit right next to a couple of them, right here at KQED. [...]
Post on Feb 05, 2010 by Amy Standen
Saving Coho
Coho salmon conservationists in Marin County are losing hope they'll see large numbers of the fish return to spawn this year, even after our recent rains. Marine biologists say the future looks grim after a series of drought years, and they're looking for ways to stop the fish from being sucked into what they call "the vortex of extinction." Dan Brekke reports.
Audio Report on Feb 01, 2010 by Dan Brekke from QUEST Northern California
Reporter's Notes: Rewriting the Coho Story
A short history of California salmon: Glorious past. Grim present. Dark future.
Post on Jan 29, 2010 by Dan Brekke
Truckers Clean Up Their Act
This month, truckers at the Port of Oakland face new rules on diesel rigs.The rules call for expensive filters that cut down the amount of soot the trucks spew out. Many truckers say they can't afford the new gear, especially amid a recession. But treating the health effects of diesel pollution may be much more expensive.
Audio Report on Jan 25, 2010 by KQED QUEST staff from QUEST Northern California
Reporter's Notes: Truckers Clean Up Their Act
Poor air quality can exacerbate breathing problems such as asthma, as well as cause other negative health outcomes. In few places is this more apparent than West Oakland, where reporter Amy Standen investigates the amount and types of carcinogens that are being emitted by diesel trucks and new air quality rules air officials believe will turn things around.
Post on Jan 22, 2010 by Amy Standen
Power Up With Leftovers
Americans throw away a staggering 31 million tons of food each year. As those scraps decompose they create methane – a powerful greenhouse gas – that could be harnessed to light our homes one day. As Tara Siler reports, a wastewater treatment plant in the Bay Area is leading the way.
Audio Report on Jan 11, 2010 by KQED QUEST staff from QUEST Northern California
Reporter's Notes: Power Up With Leftovers
The story intrigued me because it seemed like converting food waste to methane for energy use was a no- brainer. Why isn't everyone doing this?
Post on Jan 08, 2010 by Tara Siler
Tactile Maps
Human beings have used maps to describe the world for thousands of years. Blind people have used Braille for about 150. But there's never been a way for the blind to have easy access to maps of everyday places. Until now. Amy Standen reports.
Audio Report on Dec 31, 2009 by KQED QUEST staff from QUEST Northern California
Solar Thieves
Solar panels are a hot commodity these days and not just for residents and business owners who want to go green. It turns out that thieves are also embracing clean technology: Solar panel thefts are on the rise. And among the most popular targets are California wineries.
Audio Report on Dec 28, 2009 by KQED QUEST staff from QUEST Northern California
Reporter's Notes: Solar Thieves
The economy may be in the tank but business is booming for solar security companies. A rash of solar panel thefts in the Napa Valley, and elsewhere, have spawned an entire new industry.
Post on Dec 23, 2009 by Andrea Kissack
The Future of Phone Books
For many Bay Area residents, 'tis the season for egg nog, evenings by the fireplace, and…phone books! The new Yellow and White pages will land on hundreds of thousands of doorsteps this month. But if two California lawmakers get their way, this holiday tradition may soon change. Amy Standen reports.
Audio Report on Dec 21, 2009 by KQED QUEST staff from QUEST Northern California
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