Cute fox squirrels in California’s Fairyland amusement park aren’t playing nicely, but rather wreaking havoc by stealing food and chewing up water lines. Park managers are not amused, and they are turning to animal control scientists to rein in the aggressive squirrels and return harmony to Fairyland. Youth Radio’s Meaghan Baus reports.

In this week’s trip beyond the headlines, Peter Dykstra tells host Steve Curwood about the successes of a giant defender of rivers, a clever scheme to expose predatory science journals, and the possible environmental connection between the Unabomber and his targets.

Road salt helps to melt ice and keep travelers safe but too much can harm the environment and wildlife. Living on Earth’s Jenni Doering reports that scientists are testing unusual salt alternatives including waste products from sugar beets, barley and cheese to cut the salt and keep roads clear.

Trevor Cox, a professor of acoustic engineering at the University of Salford in the UK, explores the world looking for its most interesting sounds and wrote about them in The Sound Book. But he also considers silence and tells host Steve Curwood about the uncomfortable effect of a totally dead room, the natural silence of the Mojave desert and the importance of preserving quiet places to our well-being.

For Scott Martin, the joy of Christmas was spoiled by the sight of discarded trees in the trash in the New Year, so he founded a company that rents living Christmas trees. His alter ego “Scotty Claus” tells host Steve Curwood why renting a living tree is better for the environment and how it captures the spirit of the season.

State Attorneys General didn’t used to be big players in national policy-making, but that’s changed in recent years. Now Republican AGs allied with fossil fuel companies are challenging federal environmental regulations in court. Marquette University political scientist Paul Nolette discusses this development with host Steve Curwood and explains why it raises concerns about conflicts of interest, democratic process and protection for the environment.