2.17.15: Why The American Outdoors Is So White, An Online Resource For Hackers, & Uncommon Core

According to a report from the National Park Service only 7% of annual park visitors are African American. On today’s show, we delve into environmental history and cultural studies to find out why the story of the American outdoors is so white.

Then, environmentalists have taken many tacks to get people to be “greener”: the doomsday approach, education, shame. Now new research suggests another way to increase green behaviors: a salary. Why paying people an hourly wage decreases environmentally-friendly behaviors.

Listen to the full show and click Read more for individual segments.

Black Faces, White Spaces

• Carolyn Finney is Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at the University of California Berkeley and the author of Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors.

Uncommon Core: Computer Games & History

• The Uncommon Core takes a look at the more unusual college courses being taught around the country.  In this episode, we’ll hear from two professors who both stumbled on a way to engage students in history using an unusual medium.
• You can listen to this segment and read more at this link: The Uncommon Core: Computer Games & History

The Hacker's List

• Matthew Goldsteinis a reporter for Deal Book at The New York Times which is where you’ll find his article, “Need Some Espionage Done? Hackers Are For Hire Online,”

Another Dividing Line In "Green" Behavior: Salary vs. Hourly

• Tom Jacobswrote “Time-As-Money Mindset Decreases Green Behaviors” for Pacific Standard magazine.

Green Superheroes

• BackStory producer Andrew Parsons talks with comic book author Denny O’Neill and historian Bradford Wright, about Green Lantern and Green Arrow - two green superheroes who helped lead the way to more socially-conscious comic books in the 1970s.
• You can listen to this story again at PRX.org.