Open Spaces

January 15th, 2010 Listen to the Whole Show   A symbol of the culture fades from the plains Like cowboys in the American west, gauchos are iconic in Argentina. There, the gauchos have been riding the pampas on horseback and herding cattle for centuries. But now that agricultural systems are changing - the gaucho's way of life is under threat. The BBC's Candace Piette reports from the Argentine plains.

A listing of today's stories

Miners lead the way on safety In 2009, there were no fatalities at any of Wyoming's mines and there was a decrease in reported accidents. Those successes come for that industry as the state on the whole grapples with one of the highest worker fatality rates in the nation. Wyoming Public Radio's Renny MacKay reports on what lessons the mining industry has to offer other industries in the state when it comes to safety Carbon capture tested in West Virginia The coal industry can't escape talk about climate change. When it comes to global warming, America's in a bind. Almost half of our electricity comes from coal. But, compared to other power sources, coal produces the most carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Industry is testing so-called 'clean coal' technology to deal with the problem. Shawn Allee has this update from West Virginia on a test project that has some hard work left to do. Code of the West Next Friday will be the debut of a new video about Wyoming called Code of the West. It is produced by Author Jim Owen who has become enamored with western values. The video features Wyomingites in all walks of life and gives a huge plug to the state of Wyoming. It will be shown on Friday January 22nd at the Hilton Garden Inn in Laramie, beginning at 4:00. Owen, who is from California, told Bob Beck people from all over the country see Wyoming as something different. A symbol of the culture fades from the plains Like cowboys in the American west, gauchos are iconic in Argentina. There, the gauchos have been riding the pampas on horseback and herding cattle for centuries. But now that agricultural systems are changing - the gaucho's way of life is under threat. The BBC's Candace Piette reports from the Argentine plains. New center focuses on law for Wyoming communities The University of Wyoming's new Rural Law Center got up and running this past semester. Alan Romero is the director. He says the Center will get faculty and students to focus attention on rural legal issues. He told Addie Goss that could include legal challenges related to coal bed methane drilling, split estate, land development, and other issues that don't receive a lot of scholarly attention outside the rural West. Push continues for wilderness area in Big Horns The Wyoming Wilderness Association continues to lead the charge to turn 34 thousand acres of land in the Big Horn Mountains between Sheridan and Buffalo into a wilderness area. Called Rock Creek, the section of land was originally intended to be part of the 1984 Wyoming Wilderness Act, but was removed because there was the potential for energy development that never came to pass. This latest proposal is from the U.S. Forest Service. Last summer, Congresswoman Cynthia Lummis toured the area with Sheridan and Johnson County officials. It will be up to Lummis to ask Congress for the Wilderness designation. But she is waiting to see what local leaders think. Wyoming Public Radio's Bob Beck reports. More efforts to do something about driving under the influence The legislature this session may look at stricter penalties for people who drive under the influence. Meanwhile, an advisory group to the governor is taking a different approach to the issue - they're looking at administrative gaps in how the state prevents, catches and processes DUIs. The group has come up with recommendations for how to change the system - they'll suggest a plan for implementing those changes later this year. Group facilitator Lorrie Pozarik explains further with Addie Goss. Economic downturn could produce more nurses For years, Wyoming hasn't had enough nurses.... but in some parts of the state, the economy is changing that. More people are applying for nursing jobs - and more students are applying to nursing school. Wyoming Public Radio's Addie Goss reports.  What businesses want from health care reform Many in Wyoming are trying to follow what Congress is doing with health care legislation. Among those organizations is the Wyoming Business Coalition on Health. The group was started a few years ago to try to find ways to make insurance and health care affordable and available for businesses and employees. Anne Ladd oversees the organization. She says they believe that health care reform will bring help to Wyoming, but Ladd says it could also bring some unwanted burdens. She tells Bob Beck their needs are simple