MONDAY: The Air and Our Health
According to the CT Department of Public Health, Connecticut has higher rates of asthma than the rest of the country – especially among women, children, minorities, and urban-dwellers. So, what’s the cause? According to the American Lung Association, ozone and particle pollution–from car exhaust, smoke stacks, and fires–are especially potent air pollutants and can be linked to respiratory disease, heart attack, and stroke. In 2012, Connecticut’s air surpassed the EPA’s mandated ozone restrictions on twenty-seven days – that makes Connecticut’s air quality the worst in New England. And while levels of particle pollution have been declining since 1980, increasing life expectancy in 51 U.S. cities, they note that designated “safe” levels are not safe enough. But, outdoor air pollution is not the only source of asthma. Studies also show that indoor air pollution from cigarette smoke, rodent and cockroach droppings, and mold, can be a major source of indoor air pollution, especially in low-income households. Today – Where We Live – we’ll talk with experts from hospitals, universities, and the government, who’ll tell us what’s in our air, how it might be making us sick, and what we’re doing to lessen the impact.
TUESDAY: Police Roundtable on Guns
Tuesday’s the day that Vice President Biden presents his recommendations on gun safety to President Obama. Everyone is talking about guns – but few of us use them professionally. We’ll talk to police about the power of firearms, and what they’ve learned from carrying them on the job.
WEDNESDAY: New England as a State
Stated simply, I propose that the six New England states erase the borders that separate them, dissolve their state governments and climb up into the dawn together, reconfigured as a brand-new state called New England. It’s an idea that’s been written and talked about before, but mostly as a fun thought experiment. Today we’ll talk to Charlie Monagan, who revived the idea of “The Great State of New England” for Connecticut Magazine. We’ll take this idea seriously for just a moment. What if we combined all the New England states together into one super-state? (Would Boston be the capital?) And what do some of our neighbors think about this?
THURSDAY: What’s Ahead for Post-Newtown Legislation?
FRIDAY: Hartford Developers
Front Street, iQuilt, new apartments, old foreclosures… Today we talk to a panel of Hartford developers about the future of building and revitalizing the city.
