This is a cross-post of our first contribution to The 365 Days of Astronomy podcast. Doug and Michael discuss the cause of the seasons here on earth and other aspects of the night sky as explained by simple geometry. Less

A few years ago, Paul Bannick went to photograph the Great Gray Owl in Northern Minnesota. He writes: "I went out one morning before the sun had risen and found one owl that was in a particularly photogenic place. I watched that owl: where it flew to, where it perched, how did it come looking for prey, when was the sun on its face." Paul learned what the bird's habits were, and that give him the best chance to capture the image he wanted. Learn more about Paul's book, The Owl and the Woodpecker. Less

Seasonable Monday - Partly cloudy. High: 35 Monday night - Mostly cloudy. Low: 26 Tuesday - Mostly cloudy. High: 38 Wednesday - Partly cloudy. High: 32 Thursday - Partly cloudy. High: 46 Friday - Partly cloudy. High: 48 Direct link to the audio a Monday January 5, 2009 - Kansas City Weather Forecast Less

In this programme: Hoping for a brighter future: the Armenian minority in Turkey -- Controversial Broadcaster: Free North Korea Radio -- Still afraid: African refugees in South Africa -- Learning English: Moto Drivers in Rwanda preparing for tourists You can podcast World in Progress or listen online Armenian Minority In Turkey Hopes For Brighter Future The mass killings of Armenians in 1915 by Turkey's then Ottoman rulers -- considered by many to have been genocide -- was followed by decades of mistrust and tension between Turks and Armenians. Today, Turkey's surviving Armenian minority is caught in the middle. Many feel a strong connection to both ethnic groups and want move on from the bitterness and problems of the past. There are hopes in Istanbul that reconciliation is now possible. Report: Dorian Jones African Refugees In South Africa Are Still Afraid It's now more than half a year on from the violent attacks on foreigners in South Africa -- negative news is no longer splashed on the front pages of newspapers and the refugee camps for displaced people have been closed. But people are still worried. During xenophobic attacks in South Africa in May 2008, about 60 black African foreigners were killed and tens of thousands were forced to leave their homes. The attacks were carried out by black South Africans -- on people from other African countries, including Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Somalia. The xenophobic attacks first broke out in the Alexandria township near Johannesburg, and then spread to KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. Many of the refugees found shelter in temporary camps. Today, many refugees have returned home. But for others, there is no possibility of returning – they have to still deal with the xenophobia that's lying dormant in South Africa. Report: Almuth Schellpeper Free North Korea Radio Remains Controversial Free North Korea Radio (FNKR) is a short wave radio station in Seoul, run by North Korean defectors. Their goal is to bring about the downfall of the North Korean regime -- not through violence, but by teaching North Koreans what democracy means. But the station which was set up in 2004 by defector, Sung Min Kim, is now under pressure to close down. Some South Korean groups claim the radio station is provoking war because it is upsetting the regime in Pyongyang and claim it violates an agreement by both sides to not broadcast propaganda. Report: Rebecca Henschke Moto Cycle Drivers In Rwanda Prepare For Globalization Motos, short for motorcycles, are the city's quickest and most readily available form of transportation in Kigali, Rwanda. Drivers who can negotiate in English have an edge over their competitors. Kigali is a thriving capital nestled between Rwanda’s sprawling green hills. City streets bustle with people, cars and thousands of green and yellow motorcycles, which are a landmark of the cityscape. At nearly every street corner, stoplight and parking lot, there are motorcycle drivers ready to take you to your chosen destination. But these motorcyclists are not the people you would normally expect to be at the forefront of government policy -- but they are. Just months after Rwanda joined the East African Community, the government began to organize English lessons, for all 3 000 drivers in the city. Report: Tanya Castle Less

Listen to the earth awaken, as dawn circles the globe. Learn more about acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton, who recorded these sounds around the globe, at SoundTracker. Less

Back to reality for the second half of the weekend Sunday - Partly cloudy. Much cooler. High: 28 Sunday night - Partly cloudy. Low: 15 Monday - Mostly cloudy. High: 34 Tuesday - Mostly cloudy. High: 36 Wednesday - Partly cloudy. High: 25 Thursday - Partly cloudy. High: 38 Direct link to the audio a Sunday January 4, 2009 - Kansas City Weather Forecast Less

There is an element of luck in birdwatching. A birder may have a target bird so elusive that the bird becomes a kind of “jinx bird.” But there was a real bird by that name! The bird once called the “jynx” is known today as the Eurasian Wryneck. When a wryneck is threatened at its nest-hole, it twists its head like a snake and hisses. This behavior led to the wryneck being invoked in witchcraft to put a spell or a jinx on someone. Get pictures of the birds featured in the week to come. Sign up for Weekly Preview. Less

A gray Saturday before cooler air builds in for next week Saturday - Mostly cloudy with a chance for showers and drizzle. High: 54 Saturday night - Drizzle ending. Turning cooler. Low: 22 Sunday - Partly cloudy. Much cooler. High: 28 Monday - Mostly cloudy. High: 34 Tuesday - Mostly cloudy with a slight chance for rain or snow. High: 36 Wednesday - Partly cloudy. High: 25 Direct link to the audio a Saturday January 3, 2009 - Kansas City Weather Forecast Less

CLIMATE CHANGE: A listener asks: How can it be "global warming" when it's so cold outside? And the chilling effects of deadly disease on the climate of the past. Less

In the Amazon, a cacophony of birdcalls surrounds you. One piercing, cheerful yelp catches your ear. Could this be the same sound you remember from a Saturday morning in your childhood? The Cuvier’s Toucan could have been the inspiration for Toucan Sam, the “spokesbird” for Froot Loops™ cereal. Its huge bill is surprisingly light, and enables the bird to pluck fruit hanging from small, outer branches. It may also scare off potential predators. Travel with Audubon, and you may spot a Cuvier's Toucan! Less

Stories: 1) Tennessee Spill: The Exxon Valdez Of Coal Ash? 2) Stunted Coral Highlights Troubling Ocean Trends 3) Driver Wants NASCAR To Go Green 4) Wind Farms Could Bring Wyoming Ranchers Windfall 5) Water Safe, Cleanup Under Way In Tenn. Dike Burst 6) Crews Toil To Clean Up Tennessee Coal Ash Spill Less

Warmer weather through Saturday Friday - Partly cloudy. High: 50 Friday night - Partly cloudy. Low: 36 Saturday - Mostly cloudy with a chance for showers. High: 54 Sunday - Partly cloudy. Much cooler. High: 28 Monday - Mostly cloudy. High: 34 Tuesday - Mostly cloudy with a chance for rain or snow. High: 36 Music to head into the weekend “What We Were Before” Up The Chain Direct link to the audio a Friday January 2, 2009 - Kansas City Weather Forecast Less

Listen to the earth awaken, as dawn circles the globe. Learn more about acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton, who recorded these sounds around the globe, at SoundTracker. Less

New year. Transitioning to a new weather pattern New Years Day - Partly cloudy. High: 43 Thursday night - Partly cloudy. Low: 25 Friday - Partly cloudy. High: 50 Saturday - Partly to mostly cloudy with a chance for showers. High: 54 Sunday - Partly cloudy. High: 36 Monday - Partly to mostly cloudy with a chance for rain or snow late. High: 28 Direct link to the audio a Thursday January 1, 2009 - Kansas City Weather Forecast Less

The Environmental Impact of Oil Sands Production in Canada -- Traditional Rice Farming Practices Under Threat in Asia -- Balancing Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development all in this edition of Living Planet. Tune in via the live-stream or download the program as a podcast. Send your comments and questions to features@dw-world.de.The Impact of Oil Sands Extraction in Alberta, Canada Oil sands or tar sands is a term to describe naturally occurring deposits of sand or clay, water and a thick, heavy substance called bitumen. It is processed to produce synthetic crude oil. Alberta contains the second largest proven concentration of oil in the world and the vast majority of that is found in oil sands deposits. There are 87 active oil sands projects in Alberta. In 2006, Alberta exported about 1.35 million barrels per day of crude oil to the United States. The World Wide Fund for Nature wants to stop the expansion of oil sands because they are the fastest contributor to Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. (Report: Pamela Schobess) Asia's Rice Paddies Threatened by Industrial Development From Bali to Vietnam, traditional rice paddies are being replaced by golf courses, hotels and industrial parks. As Asian economies surge, younger people in particular are choosing less labour-intensive work than rice farming. These factors have been cutting into the rice production. Global stocks of rice are their lowest in two decades and as result rice prices have almost tripled. Alarmed by its inability to feed a fast growing population, the Philippine government ordered a halt to the conversion of farmland for other uses. Indonesia used to be a rice exporter now it's importing rice. (Report: Rebecca Henschke) Finding a Solution to Deforestation in Developing Countries One activity that generates more greenhouse gasses than planes, trains, and automobiles is deforestation. Forests are disappearing at a rate of around 13 million hectares per year. Clearing rainforests to make way for agriculture is responsible for about 20% of all greenhouse gasses. Countries are trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Now, a number of key countries to take early action to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation . Negotiators at the recent Climate Change Talks in Poznan, Poland are trying to hammer out a solution – and as Living Planet reports, that’s easier said than done. (Report: Steve Zwick) Less

The new science is rolling in from England, Australia, and the American Geophysical Union conference. The news isn't chilling - it's heating and it's very scary. To cover it, we interview two top people in the field. We open with David Spratt, co-author of "Climate Code Red - The Case for Emergency Action" - which is just now being released in North America. I received an update from David, passed on by top Australian scientist Andrew Glikson. I trust Glikson, and he says Spratt has the science right. It seems so hard to believe. Even a close friend, a life-time environmentalist, came out doubting science just a week ago. We have the denial mechanism designed into us, since our earliest days. Nothing in human experience, as taught and recorded by any civilization, revealed that the climate system was very delicate. In fact, our world was barely balanced between the "Ice House" (vast glaciation) and the "Hot House" (climates too hot for humans and life as we know it). Unknowingly, we are tipping the switch. We MUST pay attention - no matter what the temporary weather is outside, or the political climate. It is time to learn or die. Following, David Spratt, we go to one of the best - Hell - he is the best - climate blogger on the Net. That is Joseph Romm, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. During the Clinton Administration, Mr. Romm was acting assistant secretary of energy, responsible for energy efficiency and renewable energy. Joe Romm's blog "Climateprogress.org" is reprinted all over the place, including many features in the Grist Mill blog. We are lucky to get him on radio, explaining not just the hot new climate science, but the possibilities for surviving this natural trap. Romm is also plugged into the Democratic science establishment, and describes some of the appointments made by Barrack Obama - that could help the climate. Then I do my "Tools for Tough Times" - simple gear for an emergency, Depression or system breakdown. You may need these tools, due to a storm, civil disruption, banking failure, flu outbreak, or just a lost job and looming poverty on government hand outs. Get your gear. Here is a short list, but you should listen to the broadcast. The full Radio Ecoshock show is available in CD Quality 56 MB or Lo-Fi 14 MB Less

Current energy challenges will require advances in alternative energy technology. One of the most promising is solar power. On this program, Dr. David Lee discussed advances in biosolar materials. Less

We're heading into a new year. A fresh chance to have what birders call a "Big Year," the ultra marathon of competitive birding. During a Big Year, a few obsessive birders race to see as many species as they can in a specified area. But you could decide to have a Not-So-Big Year, and just count the bird species seen in your yard. For a North American checklist, visit AOU.org, the American Ornithologists' Union. And a very Happy New Year from BirdNote! Less

There's no Naked Scientists Show this week, but we're proud to introduce a new series of podcasts, starring our own Diana O'Carroll: Naked Archaeology This episode features the tale of TB's earliest victims, the science of archaeology underwater and the first shamanic burial all go under the trowel in this month's Naked Archaeology. We also uncover where all the dirt comes from that buries the past, and in this month's Backyard Archaeology Irving Finkel takes us on a tour of the Babylon exhibition at the British Museum. Less

Honeybees respond with exquisite sensitivity to the intensity and duration of the sun’s light. Their lives and ours depend on the daily transformation of sunlight, through photosynthesis, into energy available to sustain us.  In the dead of winter, as the year turns, the bees in the hive respond to the change and prepare the queen (seen here with a green mark) for a new season. To learn more about keeping bees, click here.  To see more photos of bees and their hives, click here. Less