Politics

New podcast: Fire & Brimstone

Cally Carswell Oct. 3, 2012 Web Exclusive

The latest edition of our podcast, West of 100, is ready for your ears. We're calling it "Fire & Brimstone," and if you've been following the comment stream on Emily Guerin's recent story about a controversial new wildfire study, you'll understand why. The debate over University of Wyoming scientist William Baker's new paper arguing that severe wildfire may have been historically more common than once thought has become unusually emotional. In the first segment of our podcast, Emily takes us behind the scenes of her reporting, and explains why the debate among fire ecologists has been so aggressive.

And HCN's editorial fellow Neil LaRubbio has a travelogue from his visit to the Gila Wilderness in the wake of the Whitewater-Baldy fire, the largest wildfire in New Mexico history, which burned through the Gila earlier this year. More fires have been allowed to burn in the Gila than in most of our nation's forests, and Neil went down there to see if that shaped how the area burned this year, as scientists hoped. We'll be printing his story in the magazine soon, but until then, listen to his travelogue!

You can find the podcast on our website, or subscribe for free through iTunes!

Cally Carswell is HCN's assistant editor.