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Up To Date

Burnout On The Rise | The Future Of Kansas Wind Energy

Wind turbines in a harvested corn field stand out against a grey and cloudy sky.
File: Amy Mayer
/
Harvest Public Media
Forty-one percent of the energy in Kansas is generated via wind turbines, one of the highest percentages in the country.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led workers to experience burnout at unprecedented rates, and a bill in the Kansas Senate aims to more strictly regulate the wind turbine industry.

Segment 1, beginning at 00:59: According to a recent survey, nearly 90% of respondents in more than 40 countries feel their work lives are getting worse during the pandemic.

More than 60% say they are experiencing burnout often or very often. The World Health Organization defines it as “a syndrome associated with chronic stress at work that goes unmanaged.” A psychiatrist explained what causes burnout and how to know if you are experiencing it.

  • Dr. Jessi Gold, psychiatrist and assistant professor at Washington University in St. Louis

Segment 2, beginning at 26:46: Bill 279 is currently in front of the Senate Utilities Committee and has the support of committee chairman, Republican Senator Mike Thompson.

This would be the first bill of its kind in any state and could significantly stunt the growth of the $14 billion wind turbine industry in Kansas. This would be a reversal of support for an energy source that up to now had bipartisan backing.

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
As Up To Date’s senior producer, I construct daily conversations that give our listeners context to the issues of our time. I strive to provide a platform that holds those in power accountable, while also spotlighting the voices of Kansas City’s creatives and visionaries that may otherwise go unheard. Email me at zach@kcur.org.
Whether it’s something happening right now or something that happened 100 years ago, some stories don’t fit in the short few minutes of a newscast. As a podcast producer at KCUR, I help investigate questions and local curiosities in a way that brings listeners along for adventures with plot twists and thought-provoking ideas. Sometimes there isn’t an easy answer in the end – but my hope is that we all leave with a greater understanding of the city we live in. Reach me at mackenzie@kcur.org.
As senior producer of Up To Date, I want our listeners to hear familiar and new voices that shine light on the issues and challenges facing the myriad communities KCUR serves, and to expose our audiences to the wonderful and the creative in the Kansas City area. Just as important to me is an obligation to mentor the next generation of producers to ensure that the important conversations continue. Reach me at alexanderdk@kcur.org.