Air Date: Week of March 9, 2001

Transcript

CURWOOD: Time for comments from you, our listeners.

(Music up and under)

CURWOOD: Mark Frey heard our story on monk parakeets. The South American birds were shipped to the States as pets, but some escaped or were released and now they're establishing colonies here. Mr. Frey in Worcester, Ohio, listens to WKSU, and he writes "I have great respect for the two birders you interviewed. However, I was appalled at their lack of concern over the problems associated with non-native species. I agree that a small percentage of introduced species become pests, but that is no reason for complacence. There's only a small chance of being hit by a car when I cross the road, but I still look both ways."

Kevin Gregory from Sunnyvale, California, listens to us on KQED in San Francisco. His ears pricked up when he heard our story about the connection between suburban sprawl and sprawling waistlines. "I especially appreciated the comments about walkers in our auto-dependent suburbs being seen as suspicious characters," writes Mr. Gregory. "It's ironic, too, that an SUV-driving male probably poses a more realistic safety risk to other members of a community."

William Murray hears us on WUGA in Athens, Georgia. During a recent rainstorm, he was reminded of our interviews with young students and their energy-saving inventions. "I remembered one of the inventors was working on a small, water-driven turbine to be used to generate electricity from water coming out of faucet taps," writes Mr. Murray. "Why not install such devices in the down spouts of gutters on houses and buildings? Then every time it rained, we'd be generating electricity."

(Music up and under)

CURWOOD: You can rain down your comments on us by calling our listener line any time at 800-218-9988. Or write to 8 Story Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138. Our e-mail address is Letters@loe.org. And visit our Web page at www.loe.org. CDs, tapes, and transcripts are $15.