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The Leonard Lopate Show

Tuesday, March 25, 2008
  • Jeffrey Sachs
    (kevin813/flickr)

    Solutions for a Small Planet

    Economist Jeffrey Sachs says that crises facing humanity - like poverty and disease - are daunting, but they can be solved! Also: find out how to build homes out of garbage like old tires and beer cans. A Chicago teacher on helping his students solve some of the big problems in their community. Plus, a new documentary about the last 5 years of war in Iraq.

    Tune in for our latest Political Projections on Tuesday, April 1st! We'll talk about political idealism in Hollywood. We're also hosting a special film screening on March 31st. Seating is limited to the first 100 people who RSVP, so don't wait!

Economics for a Crowded Planet

Crises facing humanity – like poverty and disease – are daunting, but economist Jeffrey D. Sachs says they can be solved. He shares his solutions in his new book, Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet.

Event: Jeffrey Sachs will be in conversation with Charlie Rose
Tuesday, March 25 at 8 pm
92nd Street Y, Kaufmann Concert Hall
Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street
To learn more and purchase tickets, go here.

Weigh in: Do you ever feel helpless when it comes to solving major problems facing humanity? Do you agree with Dr. Sachs that those problems all have solutions?

If you can't see the video click here

More about Jeffrey Sachs
Common Wealth website

Architect and Garbage Warrior

Architect Michael Reynolds builds eco-friendly housing using beer cans, car tires, and water bottles. He calls his art "Earthship Biotecture." Filmmaker Oliver Hodge documents Reynolds’s career in a new film, "Garbage Warrior."

Event: "Garbage Warrior" will be screened at the Walter Reade Theater as part of the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s ongoing series "Green Screens"
Tuesday, March 25 at 6:30 pm
70 Lincoln Center Plaza
Oliver Hodge and Michael Reynolds will be in attendance
For tickets and more info, go to filmlinc.com

”Garbage Warrior” will also air on the Sundance Channel
Tuesday, April 1 at 9:30 pm
More info at sundancechannel.com

“Garbage Warrior” website
See photos of Michael Reynolds’s work
Mike Reynolds's Earthship Biotecture website

Lessons from an Urban Classroom

When Brian Schultz was teaching in the Chicago public school system, he challenged his students from a housing project to solve a major problem in their community. The results were amazing. Schultz’s new book is Spectacular Things Happen Along the Way: Lessons from an Urban Classroom.

Bush’s War: The Past 5 Years

On the 5th anniversary of the Iraq invasion, FRONTLINE has put together a new 2-part documentary special, "Bush’s War," chronicling the trials of the last few years …from the horrors of 9/11 to the recent troop surge. Michael Kirk is a veteran producer with FRONTLINE.

Event: ”Bush’s War” will air on PBS
Monday, March 24 from 9:00 pm to 11:30 p.m. and Tuesday, March 25 from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm

More about FRONTLINE’s “Bush’s War”

Patrick Swayze

The Leonard Lopate Show

Patrick Swayze mixed grace with athleticism in his movies – and rose to stardom with roles in “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost.” He died just recently after a battle with pancreatic cancer. And you can hear his interview with Leonard Lopate from July 16, 2002, when he came by to discuss appearing in the film, “Green Dragon.”

The Silver Anniversary of the Silver Palate

The Leonard Lopate Show

Sheila Lukins was one half of a partnership that helped popularize gourmet cooking throughout America – first, through their gourmet food shop in New York City and then with the cookbook, The Silver Palate, which remains one of the top-selling cookbooks of all time. She collaborated on 2 other cookbooks that simplified gourmet cooking for the home cook. She died recently from brain cancer at the age of 66, and you can listen to her 2007 conversation with Leonard Lopate and her business partner Julee Rosso about the 25th Anniversary of the publication of The Silver Palate.

Dominick Dunne

The Leonard Lopate Show

Dominick Dunne was a famous novelist and Hollywood producer. But he may be best remembered for covering trials of the rich and famous – from Claus von Bulow to O. J. Simpson. He died just recently at the age of 83. But you can still hear his interview with Leonard from November 23, 2001, when he was discussing crimes, trials, and punishments.

Let’s Go Swimming!

The Leonard Lopate Show

According to the Centers for Disease Control, bacterial, viral, and parasitic organisms found in recreational water in the United States sicken thousands of people every year, and even result in deaths. We’ll speak with chemist and industrial hygienist Monona Rossol about the protozoa, amoebas and other things that love to go swimming with us. Monona is also founder and President of Arts, Crafts and Theater Safety.

Frank McCourt

The Leonard Lopate Show

Frank McCourt has been a guest many times on this show over the years, starting in 1996 for the memoir, Angela’s Ashes, that would earn him a Pulitzer Prize. Fame came to him late in life, after he’d retired at the age of 65 from teaching English and creative writing at public schools here in New York. He was a sweet, eloquent man who spoke with grace and humility; he just died at the age of 78 after a battle with cancer. You can hear him speaking with Leonard Lopate for his Survival Kit in 2000, and in 2005, for his memoir, Teacher Man.

Science and Faith

The Leonard Lopate Show

Earlier this week, Pres. Obama announced that he plans to nominate geneticist Dr. Francis Collins to lead the National Institutes of Health. You can listen to Leonard’s 2006 conversation with Dr. Collins about how he reconciles his personal faith with his professional scientific knowledge.

FDA to Regulate Tobacco?

The Leonard Lopate Show

May 14, 2009
Congress is getting ready to a vote on whether to make tobacco subject to FDA regulation. You can listen to a segment we did in May about the bill and what it would mean for the cigarette companies.

Our 3-ingredient Challenge wins a James Beard Award

The Leonard Lopate Show

On May 3, the Lopate Show won its third James Beard Award for our 3-ingredient challenge. In August, we asked our listeners to call in and name 3 ingredients and then challenged New York chef and 3-ingredient expert Rozanne Gold to whip up a recipe! You can listen to the 3-ingredient challenge and get some inspiration for simple, delicious, and unexpected dishes.

Leonard is on Facebook

Now Leonard is on Facebook! We’re posting photos, status updates, links to notable interviews, and lots more. Check it out.

Barack Obama, Circa 2004

The Leonard Lopate Show

Listen to President-Elect Barack Obama on the Leonard Lopate Show in November 2004. He had recently won a seat in the U.S. Senate, and only a few months before, his rousing speech during the 2004 Democratic National Convention catapulted him into the national spotlight.

Guest Picks

The Leonard Lopate Show

Find out surprising facts about some recent guests on the Leonard Lopate Show. Check out our Guest Picks section! Did you know that football star Herschel Walker loves Judge Judy, Laurie Anderson is a big fan of agility training for dogs, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi likes Johnny Depp?