Beer bottles being made from recycled glass. EPA image.

The head of the National Hurricane Center is out, put on leave this Monday following calls from employees at the center for his removal. Bill Proenza, the ousted director, had been quite vocal about what he saw as dangerous gaps in the center's capabilities, including the potential failure of an aging satellite used for forecasting. Also this week, Dr Richard Carmona, the former Surgeon General, accused the Bush Administration of pressuring him to censor or delay scientific reports that disagreed with the administration's policies. Is it war on science, or politics as usual? Join Ira Flatow on Science Friday for a conversation with Seed magazine's Chris Mooney about this week's events.

Then, we face the age old question of "paper, or plastic?" You could use paper made from stone instead of trees or plastic made from canola oil. But if you trade in your paper and plastic bags and your bottles for biodegradable packaging, how eco-friendly will you really be? Ira talks with guests about packaging science and the quest to make greener containers for the products we buy and use. We'll talk with researchers making sustainable paper and plastics, and find out how U.S. efforts to switch to Earth-friendly packaging would measure up in Europe.Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (3-4 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:

Chris Mooney
Author, "Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics, and the Battle Over Global Warming" (2007, Harcourt)
Washington Correspondent
Seed Magazine
Washington, DC

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Jane Bickerstaffe
Director, Industry Council for Packaging & the Environment (INCPEN)
Reading, England

Nicole F. Smith
Architect
Environmental Director
Design & Source Productions, Inc.
New York, New York

Suresh Narine
Associate Professor
Director, Alberta Lipid Utilization Program
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Books/Articles Discussed:

"Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics, and the Battle Over Global Warming" by Chris Mooney. Harcourt, 2007.

(find books discussed on previous broadcasts)

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This segment produced by Anne Marie Cunningham