The Roadhouse

The Sutter Brothers (Bart and Ross Sutter) blend Bart's poems and stories with Ross's music from the Scandinavian, Celtic, and American folk traditions for a delightfully fun and unique show. They stopped by The Roadhouse recently before performing at the Grand Marais Public Library. You can learn more about them here. 

We've all heard the Earth is running out of water... but how is that measured? Is there a better way to gauge water scarcity? Dr. Kate Brauman thinks so. She's lead scientist for the Global Water Initiative at the Institute on the Environment at the U of MN. She talked with Dick about her ideas on more accurate and useful ways to determine water scarcity.

The Thunderheads, Minneapolis blues/rock/jam band, joined Dave and Dick for great music in Studio A. You can learn more about the band's music and schedule here. 

Aug. 25 marked the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. Dick spoke with Professor Michael Tarrant, who believes the parks are significant because they add to our Gross National Happiness. Tarrant studies natural resources and suggests that there are other important  indicators of social progress besides the traditional economic measures.

Tim McDonnell grew up on the edge of the Boundary Waters and has been writing about wilderness for years. He joined Dick to talk about his latest book, "The Contemplative Paddler's Fireside Companion," which he calls a 'why-do' guide exploring the spiritual side of the paddling experience. You can learn more about this book of essays here; it's available at many stores in Cook County as well.

Favorite local musician Pete K stopped by the studios to share a great mix of originals and covers. You can learn more about Pete's music and schedule here.

The basic idea of the circular economy is that in production, nothing should be wasted, and everything at the end of its life should be made into something else. Dave talked with Nathaniel Springer, an economist in the U of MN Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, to learn more. Here's a great article about it from the Institute on the Environment (U of MN). Nat also recommends the Ellen MacArthur Foundation as a place to learn more.

Musician Jim McGowan brought his guitar to Studio A last week for delightful music and fun chatter. You can often hear him at Cascade Lodge Pub in Lutsen.

Four young women set out from Seagull Lake May 29 to canoe to Hudson Bay. Called Journey 4 Renewal, the trip was a fundraiser for Wilderness Canoe Base. Two of the paddlers, Tessa Larson and Steph Branchaud, joined Dave to share stories about the trip and its joys and challenges. You can learn more here. 

Population growth won't be the only reason for increased food demand in the years ahead--the changing diets of the world's growing middle class, from plant- to animal-based, will play a significant role. Dick talked with Dr. Jamie Gerber, co-director of the U of MN Institute on the Environment's Global Landscapes Initiative, to learn about it. You can read much more on their environment reports website.  Jamie also  suggests the Better Buying Lab to help make more sustainable food choices.