Firefighting is a career with an inherent cancer risk, but a full understanding of what those risks are has been elusive. An important registry designed to help understand the link between firefighters and cancer was taken offline on April 1 because of federal cuts, then restored six weeks later. Host Flora Lichtman discusses this with firefighter health researcher Sara Jahnke and reporter Murphy Woodhouse from Boise State Public Radio and the Mountain West News Bureau.
Plus, pests and pathogens are ravaging keystone tree species in forests across the country. Flora discusses the innovative science behind breeding pest-resistant trees with Leigh Greenwood from The Nature Conservancy.
Further Reading
- Read the full story: Can Breeding Pest-Resistant Trees Save American Forests?
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Segment Guests
Sara A. Jahnke
Dr. Sara Jahnke is the director of the Center for Fire, Rescue & EMS Health Research at NDRI-USA in Leawood, Kansas.
Leigh Greenwood
Leigh Greenwood is the director of the Forest Pest and Pathogen Program at the Nature Conservancy in Missoula, Montana.
Murphy Woodhouse
Murphy Woodhouse is a reporter for Boise State Public Radio and the Mountain West News Bureau in Boise, Idaho.
Segment Transcript
The transcript is being processed. It will be available 2-3 days after this story’s publication date.
Meet the Producers and Host
About Kathleen Davis
Kathleen Davis is a producer and fill-in host at Science Friday, which means she spends her weeks researching, writing, editing, and sometimes talking into a microphone. She’s always eager to talk about freshwater lakes and Coney Island diners.
About Flora Lichtman
Flora Lichtman is a host of Science Friday. In a previous life, she lived on a research ship where apertivi were served on the top deck, hoisted there via pulley by the ship’s chef.