New software is providing data for emissions reduction in very specific areas, like your neighborhood. Listen to understand emissions at the local level and discuss how students can calculate their carbon footprint.

Access the audio file and lesson plans at the Listen Current website (you can register for a free account to access all teaching materials): https://listenwise.com/lessons/225-calculating-a-local-carbon-footprint

September 22, 2015  --  A new species that tells us something about humans origins was recently discovered deep inside a cave in South Africa. This discovery is a mystery in many ways. How did the bones get there? How old are the fossils? What is the significance of discovering them? The bones are so deep inside the cave they were almost inaccessible. The scientist who discovered them hired thin, non-claustrophobic scientists to descend a steep cliff and then climb through a 7-inch wide crack in a cave to collect over 1,000 bones.

September 4, 2015  --  It’s been 10 years since Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans. At the time then President George W. Bush and his administration were widely criticized for their slow response to the flooding. But on the 10 year anniversary Bush was invited back to visit the city again. His tour sparked mixed reactions from residents who still feel they were let down by the federal government's response to the massive disaster. Use this story to discuss this anniversary and the local reactions to the federal response. 

August 18, 2015  --  Farm work is on the decline, but work in agriculture-related business is booming. Two ways that technology is transforming the farming business is in creating websites where farmers can find bargains on seeds and selling technology solutions to help farmers collect and monitor data. Listen to hear the many new jobs that are being created using technology in interesting ways to improve farming businesses.

June 4, 2015   --  The practice of fracking or extracting gas from deep inside the earth has pitted cities and towns in Texas against the state of Texas. The Texas state legislature has passed a law that takes the power to regulate the gas industry away from the cities and towns directly impacted by fracking. Who should have power to decide what happens in a town - the citizens of that town or the state legislature?

May 3, 2015  --  Nepal, the mountainous South Asian country nestled between China and India, is small but densely populated. On April 25th a large earthquake devastated the country. From the capital city of Kathmandu to the highest mountain on Earth, Mount Everest, every corner of the country has been affected. With the death toll rising above 6,000 the international community and aid groups have sprung into action, sending supplies and people to support recovery. Unfortunately, the limited infrastructure in this developing nation is making the relief effort difficult.

April 15, 2015  --  California’s ongoing drought has prompted California Governor Jerry Brown to announce statewide mandatory water restrictions for the first time in history. Use this story to discuss drought, state regulation and individual responsibility for saving water.

April 5, 2015  --  The United States has become one of the world’s largest producers of oil but we might be running out of space to store this oil. If companies sell off large amounts of oil to open up storage space what will happen to the price of oil? Use this story to help students understand the relationship between oil production, speculation and storage.

March 6, 2015  --  In 2024 crews of four will be sent to Mars with the goal of creating a permanent human settlement there. 200,000 people applied to be one of the first four people willing to make this one-way trip. A 22-year-old college student from Texas is one of the final 100 applicants. Ask your students: Would they take a one-way trip to Mars, knowing they would never return to Earth?

March 1, 2015  --  When Americans think of earthquakes they often think of California, but in the last few years Oklahoma has become the leader in earthquakes in the continental United States. Some areas in Oklahoma experience two to three earthquakes a day! These quakes are being linked to a modern oil production technique known as hydraulic fracturing. It’s the process used to dispose of wastewater created during the extraction of oil from shale. Listen to learn how communities are responding to the quakes and the oil companies that might be creating them.