Eighteen years ago, genetically modified crops were introduced in the United States. First there were tomatoes, then soybeans, potatoes and corn. As the years have passed, more and more farmland has been devoted to these plants, which have a gene added to their DNA, giving them helpful traits such as pesticide resistance. But that help may come with a cost. During that same period, a growing number of children have developed allergies to food. Despite assurances of safety from biotech companies and government agencies, the parallel timing has raised suspicion. Harvest Public Media’s Camille Phillips checked out the research.
Another cause of problems – particularly respiratory problems, is mold. It's something we didn't know much about ten or fifteen years ago – but now it is a major health issue and part of something we now call sick house syndrome.
East Harlem has the highest asthma rates in the country – and it's partially the result of mold in buildings there. Ray Lopez developed asthma as a child in the Bronx. Now he works to help families living in sick housing.
There are many treatments for mold in houses – and lots of call for it, thanks to flooding and severe storms across the country. There's an innovative new treatment that uses heat instead of chemicals. I spoke with David Hedman, co-founder of Thermapure, a mold elimination system that uses heat instead of chemicals to kill mold in sick houses.
Coming up, memories of thirty years with one show.
Any relationship that lasts thirty years is something special – and to have a radio show for that long is downright amazing. But WAMC's Wanda Fisher, who you have met in her essay about trying out to be the voice of the Boston Red Sox, is in her third decade as host of a regional music show TheHudson River Sampler.
And finally, GillesMalkine remembers a singer you may not know – whose voice made a last impression.
Gilles Malkine is an actor, writer and musician. He lives in New York's Catskill mountains.
That’s our show for this week. Thanks to Katie Britton for production assistance. Our theme music is by Kevin Bartlett. This show is a national production of Northeast Public Radio. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock.