Part 1 of the TED Radio Hour episode Paradise Lost and Found
Paradise is a real place, and for many, the California town was utopia — until the fire. We hear from residents and wildfire expert George Whitesides, who says a safer wildfire season is possible.
About George Whitesides
George Whitesides is the co-founder of Megafire Action, an advocacy group that supports wildfire science and forest treatment through policy. He is also a venture partner at Convective Capital, which invests exclusively in "firetech" companies that provide critical support and solutions such as vegetation-management tools, heat monitoring satellites and firefighting drones.
Prior to his work in wildfire policy, Whitesides was an aerospace executive. He was the CEO of Virgin Galactic, before that, NASA's Chief of Staff. He holds degrees from Princeton and Cambridge. In 2023, he announced his plans to run for California's 27th congressional district.
We also hear from Paradise, California residents Richard and Zetta Gore who lived through the fire and decided to rebuild their home.
This segment of the TED Radio Hour was produced by James Delahoussaye. It was edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHour and email us at TEDRadioHour@npr.org.
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