June 13, 2008
In this episode:
Saving Lolita
Captured in the waters of Puget Sound, Lolita has spent the last 37 years performing at the Seaquarium in Miami. Now 40, Lolita is already well beyond the age at which most captive orcas die. One Whidbey Island man has been working for Lolita's release for more than a decade says time is running out. And he's getting support from some major Hollywood heavy hitters, including Harrison Ford, Johnny Depp and others who want to see Lolita swim free once more. But is this killer whale worth saving? And after four decades in captivity, is she even equipped to survive?
Global Warming Predictions
There's little argument anymore that the world is in the grips of a global warming crisis. But this isn't just a problem for polar bears and penguins watching their habitats melt away. A new report is making some frightening predictions about how climate change is going to affect Washington and Canada. From devastating wildfires to how much Puget Sound might rise, we'll show you the dire predictions about how global warming will hurt our environment and cost us financially. Plus, some of the alternative energy sources being developed in Washington state to help turn the tide of global warming.
Related Links
University of Washington Climate Impacts Group
University Of Washington Climate Impacts Group latest report on climate change
Science Daily's article Global Warming Threatens Pacific Northwest Coast
Seattle Times article Global Warming's Toll on Northwest Forests Debated
Seattle Times article Global Warming Hitting Northwest Hard, Researchers Warn
Union of Concerned Scientists' solutions to global warming
The State of the Streetcar
The Seattle Streetcar, (formerly called the South Lake Union Trolley, or S.L.U.T.) has been up and running for less than three months amid criticism that it costs too much, is a danger to cyclists, makes existing traffic worse, and no one really uses it. Despite those concerns, the City Council is studying possible new streetcar lines throughout the Emerald City. On the next Connects, a closer look at the streetcar: what's working, what's not, and whether this is the answer to the city's transportation troubles, or destined to be another transit oddity like the Monorail.
