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Hear the latest from the WWNO/WRKF Newsroom.

How heat impacts seniors; LSU AgCenter furthers rice research with new grant; introducing Wetlands Radio

Rice farm
Pascal Kings
/
Wikimedia Commons
Rice farm

Increasing temperatures in New Orleans are driving up utility bills as air-conditioners struggle to keep up. And some people are more vulnerable than others, like seniors.

The Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins worked with the climate research group, Climate Central, and reports from the Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood in New Orleans, where seniors with lower incomes struggle to deal with the heat — both physically and financially.

The U.S. rice industry has made impressive gains in sustainability over the last 40 years. Yet the crop is still at risk due to climate change, disease outbreaks, pests and human activity that can cause disturbances in production. The LSU AgCenter is continuing its research on rice sustainability, in large part thanks to a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Ronnie Levy, state rice specialist at the LSU AgCenter, joins us for more on this research.

Over the next two weeks on Louisiana Considered, Producer Eve Abrams will be sharing a series of stories on coastal restoration. Wetlands Radio traces the history of coastal restoration and the methods Louisiana is using to restore our coast.

Today, we learn how land loss is measured and what to do when our land disappears.

Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman, Adam Vos and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell.

You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It’s available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts.

Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you’re at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you’d like to listen to.

Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Karen Henderson is an award-winning journalist whose stories have aired nationally on NPR.
Alana Schreiber is the managing producer for the live daily news program, Louisiana Considered. She comes to WWNO from KUNC in Northern Colorado, where she worked as a radio producer for the daily news magazine, Colorado Edition. She has previously interned for Minnesota Public Radio in St. Paul.