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The Soul of California

Let them share.....That's the goal. Let the leading thinkers, writers, academics, artists and activists talk about their work and the influence of California on that work. In these podcasts, I hope to bring out the myth and the ethos that is not only a leading administrative entity in the United States, but also the world. No commercials, just content. Feed your soul. Keep listening.
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Now displaying: October, 2016
Oct 24, 2016

In this 25-minute podcast, Dr. Emily Burns of Save the Redwoods League discusses how scientists can now measure the carbon content of Redwood and Giant Sequoia trees, and how these trees hold much more than previously thought.

Emily explains how the teams, consisting of scholars from Humboldt State University and UC Berkeley, have been able to examine one tree’s history all the way back to 474 AD through its rings. She also explains the technique of measuring carbon in a tree (min. 10, not for those with Vertigo), the restoration of forests  (min. 14) and how Sacramento is including the forests as a tool in its climate change policy, economically incentivising forest owners to significantly reduce or halt the cutting down of forests (min. 16). The Redwood's resilience to environmental conditions (and to climate change) is another major benefit going forward.  Emily then closes with her favourite type of tree and trail. 

 

Next time:  Sabrina Fendrick of Berkeley Patients Group on marijuana legalisation. 

Feed your soul. Keep listening.

Oct 13, 2016

The Transamerica building in San Francisco, Los Angeles International Airport, Pepperdine University, UCSD's Geisel Library, even master planning the city of Irvine, William Pereira’s buildings are littered all over California. A career embedded in the mid-20th century at a very special moment in history - the creation of a suburban metropolis in one of the most modern cities in the world. 

In this 45-minute podcast, Alan Hess returns to the Soul of California and discusses the variety of buildings which defined Southern California mid-century (min. 7), Pereira's background in Hollywood and his garnering of an Oscar (min. 10), Irvine’s masterplan (min 15-25), his legacy and the LA County Museum of Art (min. 29-40) and closes with his favourite building. He makes a convincing case for Pereira's legacy, comparing him to other "forgotten architects" (Green Brothers for the Craftsman style and Rudolph Schindler) who were all but forgotten after their deaths, but have since been elevated to the Pantheon of architecture. 

Feed your soul. Keep listening. 

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