Arctic Drilling and Houston’s Wards: Wednesday’s Show (September 23, 2015)

The Arctic Ocean might seem a long long way from Houston. And, well, it is. So why should we be concerned with something happening way up there (other than, of course, climate change)? Well, drilling for oil in the Arctic could have direct and indirect effects on the city’s many oil and gas companies — and therefore the Houston economy.

A University of Houston energy symposium Thursday (Sept. 24, 2015) will discuss the pros and cons of oil production in the Arctic and what that might mean for Greater Houston. In advance of that event, we hear from two of the folks on either side of that debate on today’s edition of Houston Matters.

Then: We trust our doctors. We let them poke us and prod us. They give us shots. They see us naked. We entrust to them our medical history and share personal details about our lives in the hopes it leads to the best possible care. But doctors are also human, and they make mistakes. A new report warns — without some changes — our healthcare system could see more such diagnostic mistakes, which could be bad news for you and me. Two Texas Medical Center researchers testified on the matter recently, and they join us.

Also: For some time now on Houston Matters, when the words “ward” or “wards” get mentioned, we'd be guaranteed to get an email or a tweet from a listener asking the same question: "You mention the wards, but where can I find information on them?" Outside of places like Wikipedia, it can be difficult information to come by. So we ask Jerry Wood, former Deputy Assistant Director of the City of Houston's Planning Department, to help us understand Houston’s many wards.

And Houston resident Matthew Salesses discusses his debut novel The Hundred-Year Flood.