Tag Archives: Mark Clipsham

A Philosophy Super Bowl?

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What’s not to like about trains, right? Well, apparently quite a bit if you live in a community where a big railroad company proposes a major expansion of train traffic. Joining me to discuss that concern is the mayor of Bettendorf, Iowa, Bob Gallagher. My first reaction was, “More trains equals less pollution and highway-safety concerns. Good thing, right?” After talking with Bob, well, let’s just say there are a bunch of other concerns to consider before jumping to a conclusion. …

Also, Kathy Byrnes joins me to discuss peas. Ok, that sounds even more boring than a Philosophy Super Bowl. But really, what do you know about peas? Are you afraid to know more, huh? Maybe Kathy’s a little off-base to call peas “the perfect produce,” but … well, you’ll just to have to listen and see if you agree or disagree. Continue Reading →

Earth Day, 2014: A Mediterranean meal in a Quonset hut

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On April 22, Earth Day, we arrive at the home of Mark Boyko and Karen Abbott near Concho. They graciously offer us a two-day break from wilderness camping. Like many people in eastern Arizona they live off the grid, their home powered entirely by solar and wind energy. We find ample space to pitch our tents, yet due to the howling wind and cold temperatures, Mark and Karen let marchers sleep in their spacious Quonset hut. They also invite us to use their shower.

Lala prepares the best meal of the March: a multi-course, Mediterranean-style dinner featuring ratatouille, baba ganoush, tabouleh, falafel, and hummus. Continue Reading →

Religion, politics, money, and the endless growth paradigm

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Money. Politics. Religion. Those are everyone’s top-three choices for Thanksgiving dinner conversation, right? Ok, not so much.

But maybe they should be, since each has a role to play in fueling the endless growth paradigm — which is neither physically, economically, nor spiritually sustainable.

On this week’s program, we tackle the confluence of those three forces. Mark Clipsham (architect, builder, DJ) is my in-studio guest. We’re joined by five callers who share differing and provocative perspectives. Continue Reading →

Summit is lying about its CO2 pipeline

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Summit’s refusal to provide assurance verbally or in writing that the CO2 will not be used for fracking is a clear indicator of its plans. Statements such as: “As we stand here today,” “We can’t make the promise long term,” and “Commercial options might be available that are different than storing it underground,” are all rock-solid indicators that CO2 from Iowa ethanol plants will be used for fracking — or what the industry calls “enhanced oil recovery.” Continue Reading →

We ate the butter cow

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I have a confession to make: I ate the Iowa State Fair Butter Cow. Then a second butter cow came along, and Kathy ate that one. Ok, I’m being a little silly. While neither Kathy nor I would ever devour or desecrate our State Fair’s most iconic feature, we calculate that, during our combined 122 years on this fine planet, we’ve each consumed the equivalent of a butter cow. That’s 600 pounds of butter. Each. Continue Reading →

Pat Bertroche: Retired Psychiatrist, Trump voter

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I appreciate Pat’s expertise on mental health. He also speaks from his professional perspective about the importance of taking COVID-19 seriously — a position that puts him at odds with many Trump voters I’ve interviewed.

So, when our conversation rolls around to the climate emergency, I’m mystified at Pat’s rejection of the consensus supported by 97 percent of all climate scientists. Continue Reading →

Nancy Suby-Bohn: Des Moines resident, Trump voter

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Beyond our presidential candidate preference, Nancy and I don’t see eye-to-eye on a bunch of things, especially climate change. But when I ask if she agrees or disagrees with 11 of my priorities, we’re on the same page with 10 of them!

Says Nancy to Ed, “You sound like a Republican!”

Says Ed to Nancy, “You sound like a Democrat!” Continue Reading →

Joel Brown: Former Democratic lawmaker, Trump voter

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Joel’s interest in politics is driven by two key passions: decentralizing the economy and freedom of speech. “The first speech I gave as a lawmaker was on a bill to extend First Amendment protections to student newspapers, protecting students from school administrator censorship,” Joel told me. “In my mind, that’s a big part of what the Democratic Party was all about.” Continue Reading →

You really don’t want to live in Star Wars

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“Energy is the thread that ties all our problems together into one knot. We need to cut the knot. We’re devolving further and further into techno-barbarism. I don’t want to live in Star Wars.” Continue Reading →