Michigan Radio: Environment
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West Michigan birders compete to find the most species
If you’ve always thought of birding as a quiet, relaxing hobby… you haven’t been to a Birdathon. During the recent West Michigan Birdathon, I met up with
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Building a 'Better Michigan' through media
To many of us, Sunday mornings mean a full cup of coffee and our Sunday paper. And there certainly has been no shortage of dire and ominous headlines
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The 'State of the Bird' in Michigan
Did you know that May is the height of birding season? Our State Bird is the robin, but there are literally hundreds of species who call Michigan home.
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10 percent of Michigan's septic fields stink: 130,000 of...
You're about to read something you might not want to spend much time thinking about, but that doesn't mean it's not important. That subject is septic
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Residents, regulators, activists and plant workers...
Even though Palisades is temporarily shut down, the nuclear power plant last night held a public open house it had scheduled more than a month ago. In a
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The latest on the leak at Palisades Nuclear Power Plant
In West Michigan, crews are continuing to try and figure out what caused the release of slightly radioactive water from the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant
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Kalamazoo residents struggle with EPA over "Mount PCB"
People in Kalamazoo are rallying to get rid of a major dump site that contains cancer causing waste. Imagine decades’ worth of wood pulp and grey clay
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Are people in Ironwood really afraid of wolves? (part 2)
Governor Rick Snyder signed a law yesterday afternoon that will allow a state wolf hunt in the Upper Peninsula.Later today, Michigan’s Natural Resources
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U.P. residents weigh in on proposed wolf hunt (part 1)
This week, the Michigan Natural Resources Commission is expected to vote on whether to authorize a wolf hunt. The hunt would take place in three separate
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By law, the state can only own so much land, but that...
The state of Michigan owns 4.6 million acres of land. But for now, the state can’t buy any more land. That’s because the Michigan Legislature capped the
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'The Wolverine State' without any wolverines
We've got the nickname "The Wolverine State," and of course, the University of Michigan and the Wolverines are forever linked. But the wolverine never
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Detroit high schoolers explore wilder side of Belle Isle
If you’ve heard about Belle Isle in the news lately, it was probably a story about people fighting over who should control Detroit’s famous island park.
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Record-breaking storms add two inches to Lakes Michigan...
Recent storms are improving the low water levels in the Great Lakes, at least a little. Lakes Michigan and Huron hit record low levels this winter. (See
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More than 1,000 still displaced after record setting...
Thousands of people affected by a record flood of the Grand River are still coming to terms with the losses. Today the river is expected to finally dip
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Protecting the Great Lakes
The future of the Great Lakes, their management, and their usage were among key topics in a forum held recently at MSU's Institute for Public Policy and
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Decision time for Isle Royale, only 8 wolves left
Wolves and moose fight for survival on Michigan's Isle Royale National Park. For more than 50 years, researchers have been closely watching them in the
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Once too polluted, Lansing's Red Cedar River is once...
For the first time in nearly a half century, people will be encouraged to fish along a portion of the Red Cedar River as it winds its way through the
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A surprising comeback for Lake Huron's native fish
For years now, we’ve heard bad news about the Great Lakes. Most of it has to do with invasive species getting into the lakes and wrecking the food web. One
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The latest buzz about Michigan bees
A recent survey released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that the state of Michigan has slipped from seventh to ninth place in national
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Checking in on Michigan's bird populations
Even as Mother Nature plays her own little cat mouse game with us regarding whether or not spring has actually arrived, there is one unimpeachable source
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Michigan winemakers experiment to get the most out of...
Michigan winemakers are exploring a variety of options to get the most out of their crops. They’re experimenting with growing hardier grapes to handle
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Are the safety problems at Palisades getting any better...
This week Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner William Magwood came to South Haven to tour the Palisades nuclear power plant in nearby Covert Township. Magwood
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Group hopes to stop a wolf hunt in Michigan
There is proof that saving Michigan wolves is indeed an issue that Michiganders feel passionate about. A proposed wolf hunt in Michigan could soon be put
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Michigan chefs experiment with Asian carp
One of the strategies to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes is to eat the fish now living in the Mississippi River. But finding a market for millions
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The Beaver is back in southeast Michigan
It has been nearly 150 years since the beaver has made its presence known along the Detroit and Rouge Rivers. The hardy little critters were done- in by
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Ships face reality of lower Great Lakes water levels
The Soo Locks will open with the official start of the main shipping season on the Great Lakes. But somebody’s got to break the ice first. Mike Davanzo is
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A new life for waste from Michigan's lumbering era
The lumbering boom in Michigan in the 1800s made some people very rich. It also left a lot of waste behind. Terry Heatlie and I took a walk in the mud on
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Let's take a roadtrip to Mars
What would it take to get humans to Mars? For the last seven months, NASA's rover 'Curiosity' has crawled all over the planet's dusty red Gale Crater. As
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MDCH releases report on drinking water wells after...
We’re rounding the corner on the three year anniversary of the Enbridge oil spill near Marshall. The cleanup isn’t over yet and so far, more than a million
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Will 2013 be a better year for Michigan farmers?
Last year disaster struck Michigan farms throughout the state. Early heat waves, low rainfall and a scorching summer resulted in non-existent crops and
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Setting aside land in Michigan for biodiversity?...
The following is a summary of a previously recorded interview. To hear the complete segment, click the audio above. The State Department of Natural
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How to turn beer, manure, rotten milk, and...
When you find an anaerobic digester in Michigan, they’re usually set up on large scale dairy farms. Michigan State University has a good YouTube video
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Belief in global warming is on the rise again
A new survey released by U of M's Ford School of Public Policy finds global warming is becoming more and more real to more and more Americans. Barry Rabeis
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Number of Detroit kids with elevated lead levels drops,...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say even low levels of lead in blood can affect a child’s IQ, their ability to pay attention and their
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New App warns of tornado approach
The American Red Cross has launched a new app for I-phones and Android phones that could be life-saving. The app sends out a piercing siren-inspired alert
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How the sequester might affect clean-up projects in the...
I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but folks in Washington aren’t exactly getting along these days. They couldn’t agree on how to cut the deficit, and now we
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Solving the problem of 'food insecurity'
The challenge of food insecurity is a fact of life for some 50 million Americans. Researchers at the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and
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Ruby-throated hummingbirds arriving earlier
Every spring, instinct tells the ruby-throated hummingbird to head from Mexico to northern states, including Michigan. But experts say it’s making that
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Michigan inventors compete in college clean tech venture...
I recently got a chance to hang out with Tom Brady. Nope, not the football star. But this Tom Brady is working on making a name for himself. Brady just
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Despite some bad news, Holland leaders optimistic about...
Community leaders in Holland, Michigan are trying to stay upbeat about the future of the battery industry they’ve worked so hard to attract.
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Stateside: Michigan site to research unmanned aircraft
The following is a summary of a previously recorded interview. To hear the complete segment, click the audio above. When you hear about unmanned aircraft
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Stateside: Using waste to power your home
The following is a summary of a previously recorded interview. To hear the complete segment, click the audio above. Here’s an alternative energy source you
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Grand Rapids officials making progress on 2020...
The mayor of Grand Rapids wants all of the electricity for the city's operations to come from renewable sources by the year 2020. I recently met up with
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Gov. Snyder proposes big changes to hunting, fishing...
If you like to hunt and fish, depending on what license you buy, you might have to pay more. Governor Rick Snyder wants to make some big changes to the
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Stateside: Solving the data needs of non-profit groups
The following is a summary of a previously recorded interview. To hear the complete segment, click the audio above. When it comes to data and knowing just
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Bill aims to restrict state's ability to manage for...
If you're feeling like you've heard this story before... you're right. Senator Tom Casperson-R (Escanaba) has introduced a bill, Senate Bill 78 , that
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Record low lake levels spark dredging debate
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been recording water levels for almost 100 years. In January, the levels in the Lake Michigan and Huron system dipped
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Tweeting the flu: Scientists tracking epidemic with...
Flu season started early and came in swinging. Health officials say it’s been a moderate to severe flu season for most of the country. Curtis Allen is a
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State officials want your input on Michigan's energy...
In Michigan, we get more than half of our electricity from coal. All of that coal is imported from other states. In a couple weeks, you’ll get a chance to
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Stateside: Scientists draft a National Climate Assessment
The following is a summary of a previously recorded interview. To hear the complete segment, click the audio above. More than 240 scientists contributed
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Study: Chemical in anti-bacterial soap turning up in...
When you use anti-bacterial soap, there’s a good chance there’s an ingredient called triclosan in it. It’s also added to things like body washes, some
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New report assesses current and future climate change
You probably remember that extreme weather was not kind to Michigan crops last year. Frank Szollosi is with the National Wildlife Federation. “We lost
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Stateside: Stabenow addresses farm bill, stresses its...
Senator Debbie Stabenow is asking Congress to pass a new farm bill.Stabenow spoke to the Michigan Agri-Business Association at its annual conference in Lansing earlier this morning.Stabenow, who spoke today with Stateside, was confident the bill would pass.“It will, because our farmers and ranchers need the certainty of a five-year farm bill and consumers need to know what their choices are and our farm bill includes more investments in local food systems. When we look at the deficit we have...
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The future of "green cars"
It used to be that fuel-efficient cars were not taken all that seriously. But that has changed.Jim Motavalli is the author of High Voltage and a blogger for the New York Times and Car Talk. He spoke with me for today's Environment Report from the North American International Auto Show.Motavalli points out that there's no special section for "green cars" at the auto show."I think what we’re seeing is green technology has been incorporated into pretty much all of the cars on display here, so...
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Stateside: What Upper Peninsula wolf hunt means for...
Gray wolves in the Upper Peninsula are a step closer to being hunted this fall.A new state law designating wolves as game animals in Michigan passed late last year.Adam Bump of Michigan Department of Natural Resources spoke with Cyndy about the implications of hunting wolves.“The focus was to give the DNR the full range of options for wolf management," said Bump.Bump noted the conflicts the wolves created.“There certainly is a lot of conflict that exists surrounding wolves. We’ve had...
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Trying to predict the future of the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are incredibly complex. There are just a lot of moving parts.A new project is taking on a giant task... to try to predict the future of the Great Lakes and what we might want the region to look like.21 research institutions from the U.S. and Canada are collaborating on the Great Lakes Futures Project.It’s not just a classroom exercise. Along with researchers and grad students, government officials from the U.S. and Canada are involved, and so are industry and environmental...
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New Michigan law widens uses for treated sewage product
A new law in Michigan will make it easier for sewage treatment plants to sell or give away their leftovers.All the water we use in our houses and businesses goes down a municipal drain and ends up in a wastewater treatment plant. It's processed and decontaminated and eventually becomes something called a biosolid.Some of it then goes into landfills, and some is used as agricultural fertilizer.A law signed last week will allow Michigan's sewage treatment plant to sell or give away what's...
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Stateside: The state of our waste
Mark Kurlyandchik, author of “Waste Matters,” is tracking his trash.Kurlyandchik’s recent Hour Magazine article investigated Michigan’s treatment of its waste materials.Some of his findings were striking.“The average American produces almost four and a half pounds of trash a day. The U.S. makes up four percent of the world’s population, but we generate 30 percent of the global waste,” he said.Kurlyandchik noted the country’s culture of consumerism as a reason for this large amount of...
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2012 shaping up to be warmest on record
The experts are still finalizing the data, but it looks like 2012 will go on the books as the warmest year in the U.S. in recorded history (ever since 1895).I spoke with state climatologist Jeff Andresen for today's Environment Report. He's also a professor of geography at Michigan State University. He says in Michigan, we also came close to setting a record last year.“We can say with certainty at this point that it’ll be at least in the top three, if we average over the state as a whole,...
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Stateside: Fish farming in Detroit
The Detroit Planning Commission recently approved a new Urban Agriculture Ordinance. The action takes the city a step closer to officially recognizing the dozens of urban farms and gardens scattered across the city.The ordinance also defines the kinds of projects that would be allowed, such as farm stands, orchards or greenhouses. Stateside’s Mercedes Mejia reports some residents are experimenting with aquaponic systems. It’s a method of growing crops and fish at the same time.Noah Link:...
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Researchers map 34 threats to the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are under a lot of stress.34 different kinds of stress, to be exact.That’s according to a research team that has produced a comprehensive map showing many of the things that stress the Great Lakes. Think: pollution, invasive species, development and climate change... just to name a few.To learn more about this new map, I went to visit David Allan. He’s a professor in the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan, and he’s one of the people who...
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Palisades: a year in review
The Palisades Nuclear Power Plant near South Haven has been going through some significant challenges over the past couple of years. It’s been shut down eight times in two years, and federal regulators downgraded its safety rating to one of the worst in the country.Michigan Radio's Lindsey Smith has been writing about the plant through the turmoil. She joined me on today's Environment Report to take a look back at the events of the past year.Last month, federal regulators upgraded...
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Stateside: Studying wolves to understand the environment
Michigan Radio’s Rebecca Williams visited Isle Royale, a remote island in Lake Superior reachable only by ferry or airplane.Williams spoke with scientist Rolf Peterson about the island’s diminishing wolf population.“Over the past 54 years, researchers have collected more than 4,000 moose skeletons on the island. The bones offer clues about the moose population – and about the wolves. Wolves got here by crossing an ice bridge from Ontario in the late 1940’s,” said Williams.Peterson’s studies...
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Native American remains unearthed by road crew
Earlier this year, a road crew in Oscoda, Michigan found some bones while they were resurfacing a stretch of U.S. 23. Scientists have recently confirmed the bones are Native American remains.James Robertson is the Michigan Department of Transportation's senior archaeologist.He says Oscoda's U.S. 23 road project had federal funding. So, a 1990 law called the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act went into effect.This provides a process that returns human remains, valuable or...
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DEQ reviewing final permit application for new U.P....
The company Orvana Resources is one step closer to getting the approval it needs to build a new mine. The Copperwood Mine is proposed for a site north of the town of Wakefield in the western U.P. The state is reviewing the company’s final environmental permit.The Department of Environmental Quality has already given the company mining, wastewater and air permits.Steve Casey is the District Supervisor for the DEQ’s Water Resources Division.“We’ve reviewed the application; put conditions on...
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Stateside: A morning jog in December, courtesy of global...
It's December and joggers' shorts are still short.Atypical high temperatures continue throughout the state, something Dr. Jeff Masters says is in line with a warming climate.Masters, who co-founded the Weather Underground, is reasonably concerned."It doesn't feel very right. We have seen a number of winter-time thunderstorms and it's definitely not right. The climate has shifted to a warmer state," said Masters."We're seeing natural extremes, too. You wouldn't see these temperatures if there...
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Debate continues around science behind wolf hunt
The Michigan Legislature is moving closer to allowing a hunting season for gray wolves. The state Senate voted last week to make the wolf a game species. Now, the bill goes to the House.There are around 700 wolves in Michigan, mostly in the western Upper Peninsula.If the Legislature makes the wolf a game species, then wildlife officials will still have to justify that a hunt is necessary and that it won’t harm wolf recovery.Under state law, there can’t be a recreational wolf hunt for any old...
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A 1,000 mile hike to protect the Great Lakes
This week on Seeking Change, Christina Shockley spoke with Loreen Niewenhuis. She's a Michigan author who hiked 1,000 miles to parts of all the Great Lakes. She wanted to learn how this water that surrounds our state-- and defines our state-- works. She also wanted to learn about the concerning points for the lakes. She'll write about this experience as well, in a book out early next year.
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Gov. Snyder gives energy and environment address
Governor Rick Snyder gave what his office calls a "special message" on the environment yesterday: Ensuring our Future: Energy and the Environment. He touched on all sorts of topics: renewable energy, brownfields, land and water, timber and mining and many others.But his main point: you can’t separate economics from energy or the environment.“There’s not two separate worlds. There’s not a world of just environment, nor a world of energy or economics. It’s a symbiotic relationship and they tie...
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Enbridge Energy runs public relations campaign around...
Enbridge Energy has a bit of a bad reputation in Michigan. In 2010, one of the company’s pipelines burst near Marshall. More than a million gallons of oil have been cleaned up so far from the Kalamazoo River. Last winter there was a small leak near Sterling in the northeast part of the state.But Enbridge is planning for growth. They’re replacing the pipeline that burst - Line 6B - and they’re building some new sections as well. The company hopes to double the amount of oil they can move from...
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Plan to store lower-level nuclear waste near Lake Huron
The Bruce Nuclear Power Plant sits on the Ontario side of Lake Huron. It’s across the lake from Michigan’s Thumb region. Ontario Power Generation owns the plant.The company wants to store the lower level nuclear waste from all of their plants underground, near the Bruce plant.They’re proposing to dig almost a half mile underground to build the facility. It would be a little more than half a mile away from the shore of Lake Huron.It’s called a deep geologic repository. It would store low and...
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Army Corps projects record low water levels for Lakes...
Lake Michigan and Lake Huron could hit record low water levels in the next six months. That’s according to a projection by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are functionally one body of water – they’re connected at the Straits of Mackinac. They’ve been below their long-term average for more than a decade.John Allis is the Chief of the Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office with the Army Corp’s Detroit District, and he talked with me about this for today's...
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Stateside: The renewable energy question
Continuing our examination of the six proposals on Michigan's ballot, we turn to Proposal 3: The renewable energy question.Michigan Radio's Rebecca Williams, host of "The Environment Report," spoke with Cyndy about how the proposal would affect the state if passed.Listen to the segment above.
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Stateside: A fungus threatening Michigan's bats
There is a disruption in our caves. Hibernating bats across the United States are suffering from white-nose syndrome. Named after the white fungus that grows on bats’ muzzles, the disease has killed millions of bats across North America.Allen Kurta, a biology professor at Eastern Michigan University, spoke with Stateside’s Cyndy Canty about the future of Michigan’s bat population.“We are dealing with a disease that is potentially going to wipe out numerous species of bats,” said Kurta.Kurta...
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Proposal 3: 25 x '25 would amend Michigan's Constitution...
This is a story I produced for NPR's Morning Edition. Editors were interested in Proposal 3 in Michigan because, if it passes, it would be the first time a state constitution would be amended for a Renewable Portfolio Standard. We'll be looking at this proposal in more detail in future reports.There are business effects to some of the more than 170 statewide ballot measures to be decided in next month's elections. In California, voters will determine if labels should be required on...
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Stateside: Bad year for apples, good year for grapes
2012 will go down as an "annus horribilis" for most fruit-growers in Michigan. Apples, cherries, pears have been hit hard by the big March warm-up followed by a spring frost, then a hot, dry summer.But if you are a wine producer in Michigan, you might be feeling happier about the weather we've had this year!Eddie O'Keefe is the President of Chateau Grand Traverse Wines on the beautiful Old Mission Peninsula.There was a lot of nail biting amongst growers early in the season said Mr....
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Cleaning up a big, underground mess in Michigan (PHOTOS)
There are around 4,800 gas stations in Michigan, but at one time, there were a lot more. It seemed like just about every corner had a gas station on it.Many of those gas stations are closed now, but taxpayers are often on the hook for what’s been left behind.I visited one of these polluted sites recently with representatives from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). The heavy traffic along State Route 89 near Battle Creek makes it a perfect place for a gas station.And for...
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Stateside: Asian Carp and the Great Lakes
They've become YouTube stars: big fat Asian carp leaping into boats and sometimes breaking bones as they come flailing into the boat of some poor person who just wanted to enjoy some time on the water.The headlines about Asian carp seem to be getting more and more ominous as they make their way up the Mississippi and get closer to the Great Lakes.All week long, Michigan Radio's Rebecca Williams has been taking a closer look at Asian Carp and the potential threat to the Great Lakes on The...
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Asian Carp & the Great Lakes: Separating the Basins...
by Adam Allington for the Environment ReportEarlier this spring, the Obama administration ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to speed up a five-year study of options to block invasive Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. Many biologists say the best solution would be complete separation of the Great Lakes from the Mississippi River watershed. But basin separation comes with its own multi-billion dollar price tag... and it would require re-plumbing the entire City of Chicago.This...
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Stateside: Palisades' dubious distinction
One of the biggest environmental stories in our state this year comes from the West Side of Michigan near South Haven, on the shores of Lake Michigan.That's where you will find the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant which - it seems - just can't stop itself from getting into trouble. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has declared that Palisades is one of the worst performing plants in the entire country. Michigan Radio’s West Michigan reporter Lindsay Smith has been following the Palisades story...
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State lawmakers propose changes to how land is preserved...
by Peter Payette for The Environment ReportFor decades, communities in Michigan have been preserving land with help from the Natural Resources Trust Fund. The Mackinac Headlands, Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area and William Milliken State Park in Detroit were all purchased with the help of these grants. But now some state senators want to change the way the system works. Some of the groups that use the trust fund say the changes are radical.For years, Acme Township has been trying to make...
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Biologists look for answers to pine marten mystery in...
by Bob Allen for the Environment ReportNearly a hundred years ago a small animal that most people have never heard of was wiped out of the northern forest. In the mid-1980’s, wildlife biologists reintroduced the pine marten in two locations in the Lower Peninsula. They thought the population would take off and spread but it hasn’t. And now researchers are trying to find out why.The pine marten is the smallest predator in the northern forest. It’s a member of the weasel family… related to...
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Hedging bets on wine grapes in Northern Michigan
This year was one of the worst harvests for tart cherries in recorded history. Thats a hard hit considering Michigan is the nations largest producer of the fruit.We visited the Leelanau Peninsula where one family-owned cherry farm has transitioned into a vineyard in order to make more money.Good Harbor vineyard is a family run farm that originally only grew cherries. The farm started growing grapes in the 80s because it was more profitable. Sam Simpson is the wine maker and operations...
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Enbridge and the Kalamazoo River: Two years after the...
Its been two years since a busted pipeline spilled more than 800,000 gallons of oil into the Kalamazoo River.Michigan RadiosZoe Clark sat down with reporter Steve Carmody who has covered the spill since July 2010 and spoke about the efforts to clean up with river and how its faring two years on.Zoe Clark: Enbridge has already spent more than $750 million trying to clean up the spill. Where does the clean up effort stand?Steve Carmody: At this point, there is still oil in the river. Most of...
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Coping with a historically low crop in the Cherry Capital
The great loss of cherriesEarlier this month, most of the counties in Michigan were designated disaster areas for agriculture. Michigan is the largest producer of tart cherries in the nation, and this year, the state lost 90 percent of its crop.Ben LaCross is one of the many farmers who is trying to cope in what is known to be the Cherry Capital of the world. He manages 750 acres of cherries in Leelanau County, just outside Traverse City.While walking through his cherry orchard next to his...
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Why we love going 'up north'
A lot of us in Michigan are passionate about going up north.I remember the good old days when my dad would pack us up in the station wagon and head up north. It was 80 acres in the middle of nowhere Im heading to Petoskey on Wednesday and on Thursday or Friday to Whitefish Point and Tahquamenon Falls Tomorrow, Im making my annual pilgrimage to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.Those are comments from Michigan Radios Facebook fans, answering the question, Anyone headed up north this...
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Tracking invasive species in Detroit, one tree at a time
Theres so much to know about whats happening in the world around us, and that information gives us insights into patterns and changes that could have a big impact on our lives.But finding these trends requires a lot of data and somebody has to go out and get it.Chris Kort is one of those people. Hes an ecological surveyor counting trees in Detroit. For every tree he counts, Kortmarks where the tree is, then he adds details like its size, species, and health.Kort does this all day long,...
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Retooling brake pads for salmon
Washington and California recently adopted laws that ban all but traces of copper in automotive brake pads by the year 2021. The two states say the metal gets into watersheds and hurts endangered salmon. The decision could change the way brakes are made around the world.Copper is a great material for brakes. Its durable, and it absorbs heat and noise. But it comes with an environmental price."Each time a driver uses their brakes, a small amount of the material gets worn off, and when it...
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Q & A: Filmmaker talks about a night sky without stars
When was the last time you were someplace so dark that you could look up at the night sky and actually see the stars? Not just a handful, but hundreds or thousands?The Milky Way when it rises here looks like a thunderstorm coming toward you. And you think, oh my god, its going to cloud over and its not, its the Milky Way rising, its the edge of our galaxy coming up.Thats a scene from a new documentary. Its called The City Dark and it airs on PBS stations starting tonight (check your local...
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More tar sands oil in Michigan pipeline?
Enbridge Energy is planning to replace an old pipeline that runs through Michigan.Its called Line 6B. Thats the same line that broke in Marshall nearly two years ago. The Environmental Protection Agency says more than one million gallons of tar sands oil spilled into Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River.Since the spill, Enbridge has been making repairs on that pipeline. Joe Martucci is a spokesperson for Enbridge. He says the new pipeline will cut down on the number of repairs theyll have...
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Bee Palooza showcases backyard bee habitats
Honeybees are responsible for pollinating about one of every three bites of food we eat.Rufus Isaacs is an entomology professor at Michigan State University. He studies pollination of berry crops."Honeybees are, if were talking about commercial agriculture, theyre the most important pollinator. We have tens of thousands of those bees that come into Michigan every spring, and they do the lions share of the work to get our cherry crop, our blueberry crop, our apple crop, our pickling cucumber...
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Changing lights to reduce bird-tower collisions
Communications towers make all kinds of things possible. Emergency responders, TV stations, and wireless networks need them, and of course, when you listen to stories on the radio, they come to you by way of a tower.These towers have lights on them at night so pilots can see them and avoid running into them.But it turns out, some kinds of tower lights can be deadly for migratory birds.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other groups recently looked at bird-tower collisions in the U.S. and...
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Ladies' trash collecting group goes after garbage as a...
When youre driving around southeast Michigan, you might happen to see three women on the side of the road. Theyre all moms, but their kids are grown up. They work part time. They fill their free time by picking up trash... for fun."This is a beautiful area, and yet we have piles of garbage there."Melinda Fons is with her friends Moy Garretson and Karen Rooke in suburban Detroit.Karen: "Wagons roll!"They get plastic grabbers and garbage bags out of the trunk. And they head into a little...
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Palisades nuclear power plant shuts down to fix water...
The Palisades Nuclear Power Plantnear South Havenhas an aluminum water tank thats used in case of emergencies or when the plant needs to be refueled. That water tank has been leaking for several weeks. On Tuesday evening, the Palisades plant was shut down so workers can fix the leak.The shutdown this week was a planned outage so, in other words, the plant operators saw this coming.Mark Savage is a spokesperson for Entergy, the company that owns the Palisades plant. He says this tank has been...
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Engineering students race for the highest mpg in...
They look like one-person bobsleds. They run on lawnmower engines. And they get incredible mileage.Theyre cars that achieve whats called supermileage. College engineering students from as far away as Quebec come to compete in the SAE International Supermileage Competition.Its held every year at the Eaton Corporation Proving Grounds in Marshall, Michigan.When we visited last week, a lot of the students were scrambling to finish last-minute improvements to their vehicles before the moment of...
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Volunteers hunt for moose bones on Isle Royale
Wolves and moose are at the heart of the worlds longest running study of a predator and its prey. The drama unfolds on Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior.But its a big island, almost entirely wilderness.The researchers from Michigan Tech say they cant cover all that ground alone.So they have a program called Moosewatch. Its a backcountry expedition where you pay to help out with the wolf-moose study. But be warned: its no easy little walk in the woods."Were going to trash through the...
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Watching the lives of wolves and moose unfold on Isle...
All this week, were visiting an island archipelago in Lake Superior. Isle Royale National Park is so remote you can only get here by ferry or seaplane. Its mostly wilderness. Cell phones dont work here.Wolves and moose have the run of the island. Its an ideal place for people who study the big mammals."A nine month old calf. It looks like it mightve just fallen down the rocky edge and never got up."Rolf Peterson has come across a moose skeleton. Mourning cloak butterflies are lapping up...
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"Once in a lifetime" transit of Venus viewing parties...
Star gazers in Michigan are preparing for a rare occasion Tuesday night when the path of the planet Venus can be seen crossing the sun.The event is known as the transit of Venus and it only happens, in pairs, every hundred years or so. The next transit of Venus isnt for another 100 years.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nXv9YvkNyAI stumbled across thetransit while gulping down anawesome new beer at one of my favorite spots in Benton Harbor,The Livery Microbrewery.I chose a Venusian Ale for...
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Flame retardant chemical detected in food
A flame retardant chemical thats used in insulation and electrical equipment is showing up in food. Its called hexabromocyclododecane or HBCD.Heres what the Environmental Protection Agency says about the chemical:HBCD is found world-wide in the environment and wildlife. It is also found in human breast milk, adipose tissue, and blood. It bioaccumulates in living organisms and biomagnifies in the food chain. It is persistent in the environment and is transported long distances.HBCD is highly...
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Michigan Senate scraps DEQ permit for beach grooming
Lets say you own a beach house. You might want to pull out some plants or mow them or smooth out the sand to make it look nice.At the moment, if you want to do any of these things, you need a permit from both the state and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.Maggie Cox is with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. She says her department has to make sure everyone can walk on the beaches, and she says sensitive wetlands need to be protected."Your property line is down to the waters...
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25 x '25: Creating a new renewable energy standard for...
The Michigan Energy, Michigan Jobs coalition wants to increase the states renewable energy standard to 25 percent by 2025.That would mean that a quarter of all the energy used in Michigan would come from renewable sources like the wind and sun.The coalition is trying to collect enough signatures to put the issue before voters in November. Theyll need to collect a minimum of 322,609 valid signatures by July 9th, 2012. Organizers say their goal is to turn in 500,000 signatures.And,...
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Neighbors feel pressured by Enbridge's new pipeline plans
Enbridge Energy operates the pipeline that ruptured in Marshall almost two years ago. The Environmental Protection Agency says more than one million gallons of thick tar sands oil spilled into the Kalamazoo River. The oil spill is still being cleaned up.Since the spill, Enbridge has been making repairs on that pipeline. Its known as Line 6B.Now, the company plans to replace the entire pipeline from Griffith, Indiana to Marysville, Michigan.
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Michigan retailers importing cherries
When you scoop up ice cream with cherries in it this summer or add a handful of dried cherries to your salad chances are the fruit wont be from Michigan. Or even from the United States.Extremely unusual weather this spring has crippled the states entire tree fruit industry. The bulk of the nations tart cherry crop is produced here.The official estimate for the size of the cherry crop wont be in for a few more weeks.Even the most optimistic projections for the amount of fruit on the trees...
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Interview: Michigan DEQ on fracking
Hydraulic fracturing or fracking is a method of drilling for natural gas. Drillers use fracking to get to the gas thats trapped in tight shale rock formations below the water table. Fracking pumps a mixture of water, sand and chemicals into a well under high pressure to force open the rock and extract the gas. (You can check out this in-depth series by Michigan Watchs Lester Graham)In Michigan, drillers have used the fracking method for more than 50 years and the state regulates the...
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Michigan DNR puts oil and gas drilling rights on the...
Starting at 9am this morning, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources will hold an auction to lease state-owned drilling rights for oil and natural gas.The state is offering drilling rights on more than 108,000 acres in 23 counties. These auctions are usually held twice a year. The minimum bid is $12 dollars an acre.Mary Uptigrove is the acting manager of the DNRs Minerals Management Section. She says acquiring drilling rights is the first step in exploring for oil and gas.The lease is...
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Invasive species success story: Purple Loosestrife
Purple Loosestrife is a widespread invasive plant. Its taken over wetlands in every state in the US except Florida. But now, scientists consider Purple Loostrife an invasive species success story.Purple Loosestrife are the tall bright purple flowering plants you see mixed in with cattails lining the edge of many lakes and wetlands.A long roadbefore success
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Report: Pipeline laws inadequate to protect Great Lakes
A new report argues that our current laws are not strong enough to protect the Great Lakes from major oil spills.The National Wildlife Federation wanted to look at pipeline oversight after the massive tar sands oil spill in the Kalamazoo River in 2010. The spill was the result of a ruptured pipeline owned by Enbridge Energy. (The official cause of the spill is still under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board)Sara Gosman is an attorney who wrote the report for the...
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Lawmakers debate future of "fracking" in Michigan
Hydraulic fracturing is getting some attention this week in Lansing. Youve probably heard it called fracking. Its a method of drilling for natural gas.Drillers use fracking to get to the gas thats trapped in tight shale rock formations below the water table.Fracking pumps a mixture of water, sand and chemicals into a well under high pressure to force open the rock and extract the gas.In Michigan, drillers have used the fracking method for more than 50 years and the state regulates the...
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Study finds large majority of Americans connect extreme...
Youve probably noticed weve had a strange spring.This March the warm temperatures broke 15,292 weather records across the country. And last year... there were 14 weather-related disasters that each caused $1 billion or more in damages.A new study finds a large majority of Americans are now connecting specific extreme weather events to climate change.The study is part of a long-term project called Climate Change in the American Mind. Its by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and...
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PHOTOS: Tour the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant
The Palisades Nuclear Power Plant, located on the shores of Lake Michigan, now hasone of the worst safety ratings in the country. Thats after the plant had five unplanned shutdowns last year.This year federal regulators are keeping an even closer eye on the plant. Its tucked in between tall sand dunes at the southern edge of Van Buren State Park in Covert Township.Palisades "extremely important" to area economy
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Stopping hitchhikers in ballast tanks
Ships entering the Great Lakes can carry water from foreign ports. That water is held in their ballast tanks. It helps stabilize the ship.Now, anytime you hear the term ballast water... do your eyes glaze over? Maybe you start thinking about what youre going to make for dinner? Okay, so its not the sexiest topic. But it matters because sneaky little invasive species can hide in the ballast water... and catch a ride across the ocean.Invasive species, scientists think, are the worst problem...
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Northern Michigan man clones ancient trees
by Peter Payette for The Environment ReportTheres a new book out today about an unusual conservation project based in northern Michigan. For most of the last two decades, a man from Copemish has been cloning old trees around the world. David Milarch believes the genetics of these trees are superior and could be useful in the era of climate change. The author of the book says he might have a point.Back in the year 2000, an elm tree not far from David Milarchs home was diagnosed with Dutch elm...
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Crews continue to search for oil on the bottom of the...
Were coming up on two years since a pipeline owned by Enbridge Energy ruptured. More than 840,000 gallons of tar sands oil spilled into Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River.The Environmental Protection Agency says most of the oil has been removed from the creek and the river. But theres still oil at the bottom of the Kalamazoo River. This spring, the company, the state and the EPA will be figuring out how much oil is left... and where it is.The pipeline break location was approximately a...
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Hard freeze hurts Michigan cherry crop
by Bob Allen for The Environment ReportA hard freeze has wiped out a big portion of the cherry crop in Northwest Michigan this spring. The area produces more than half the states cherries that end up in desserts, juice and as dried fruit.An historic early warm-up in March left fruit trees vulnerable to frost once the weather turned cooler again.Temperatures broke records for the month of March across the Great Lakes region.Climate researchers say theres never been anything like it going back...
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Designing buildings for a changing climate in the Great...
A group of planners and designers is arguing that we need to rethink the way we make our buildings. The U.S. Green Building Council and the University of Michigan recently put out a report: Green Building and Climate Resilience.It says design teams should start making buildings that are better suited to a changing climate. That could mean redesigning heating and cooling and storm water systems, and it could mean changing the kind of landscaping we do.Larissa Larsen is the lead author of the...
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Tracking city-dwelling coyotes at night
Coyotes have been making themselves at home in cities all over the country. Theyve been showing up in big cities like Chicago and Detroit, and in a lot of suburban areas.But we dont know a whole lot about Michigans urban coyotes.A small research team from Wayne State University is trying to find out as much as they can.But to do this... they have to act like urban coyotes... and become nocturnal. Bill Dodge is a PhD candidate at Wayne State. He heads up the research team.Theyve found in...
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Michigan Sen. Stabenow: We need to move as quickly as...
By now, youve probably heard all about the Asian Carp.The invasive species is making its way up the Mississippi River and theres concern that if the fish are able to get into the Great Lakes that they could drastically change the waters eco-system.Michigan Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow and Michigan Republican Congressman Dave Camp introduced the Stop the Asian Carp Act last year. The legislation required the Army Corps of Engineers to create a plan to permanently separate the...
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A salmon balancing act for Lake Michigan fishery managers
by Peter Payette for The Environment ReportThe people who manage salmon in Lake Michigan will have to decide soon how many fish to put into the lake. The salmon fishery is a manmade industry in the Great Lakes. Its produced by planting millions and millions of fish in the lakes. But keeping the salmon population in balance with the food supply is a challenge these days. And some scientists are raising new questions about the salmons demise in Lake Huron and whether that can be stopped in...
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Small wind project in northern Michigan faces hurdles
by Bob Allen for The Environment ReportBig wind farms generate not just power but a lot of controversy. Theres been quite a debate in northern Michigan recently about the effects on safety, health, property values and the landscape. Smaller scale projects called community wind are designed to avoid those criticisms. But there are still roadblocks.Northport is a picturesque village that sits near the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula. For the past two years, a group of residents there, mostly...
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Preventing cancer by unlocking the secrets in our cells...
There have been breakthroughs in treating cancer, but what about preventing it in the first place?In 1970, the nation launched a War on Cancer. The goal was to cure it in 25 years, but back then, researchers didnt know what we know now. That cancer is a disease of our genes a distorted version of our normal selves as Nobel Prize winner Dr. Harold Varmus said.In the final part of our week-long series, I visited some researchers at the University of Michigans Comprehensive Cancer Center who...
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Our murky understanding of cancer and chemicals (Part 1)
According to the latest numbers from the National Cancer Institute, roughly 41 percent of us will be diagnosed with some type of cancer in our lifetimes.But cancer is not just one type of disease.There are more than 100 different kinds with different personalities and causes. And the causes are not all that well understood.This week, were taking a closer look at cancer and environmental pollutants.Its a subject researchers are trying to learn more about, but the picture of how the chemicals...
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Japanese knotweed: a plant with strange super powers
The photo above shows a knotweed stand getting out of control in the Upper Peninsula/Photo by Vern Stephens.Vern Stephens and Sue Tangora work for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. They happen to be married to each other. And they have a common enemy.This is on my radar of being a 10 on a scale of one out of 10.That thing they hate? Its a plant. An invasive plant called Japanese knotweed. Its sometimes also called Mexican bamboo. I met up with Vern and Sue at a busy intersection...
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Climbing melting ice in the Upper Peninsula
The Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore is a special place for Midwestern ice climbing. Every February, hundreds of climbers meet in Munising for Michigan Ice Fest. Thats because the Lake Superior shoreline has one of the highest concentrations of accessible ice climbs in North America.Usually, Bryan DeAugustine is a middle school principal. But this weekend, hes a volunteer instructor at Michigan Ice Fest.Ice climbing is like solving a puzzle and doing gymnastics at the same time. So its a...
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A pig ban gets muddy
Wildlife officials took aggressive action last year to keep pigs from running wild on the landscape. Certain kinds of pigs were declared an invasive species. But farmers and ranchers say the move was too extreme. Theyre challenging the science of the ban. On todays Environment Report, Peter Payette explains that distinguishing between pigs can be complicated.Peter visited Stuart Kunkle at his small farm south of Traverse City. He has ten pigs.We have a mix and some purebreds here. We have...
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Northern Michigan fruit growers brace for a changing...
by Bob Allen for The Environment ReportWarmer temperatures and melting snow are less than ideal for winter sports and outdoor festivals. But the weird weather has northern Michigan fruit growers holding their breath, hoping to avoid disaster.In his more than 20 years as an agricultural extension agent in the Traverse City area, Duke Elsner says this is the most bizarre winter weather hes ever seen.The ups and downs have just been remarkable. The inability to hang on to a cold period for any...
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Living with Michigan's wolves
Gray wolves in the western Great Lakes were recently taken off the endangered species list. Now, the state of Michigan is responsible for managing the wolf population.Michael Nelson is a professor of environmental ethics at Michigan State University. Hes an author of a new report on peoples attitudes about wolves in Michigan. His report is based on a statewide telephone survey conducted in 2010.Nelson says they asked people throughout the state how they felt about the following four...
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EPA misses deadline to issue dioxin health assessment
The Environmental Protection Agency has missed its own deadline to release a major report on the health effects of dioxins. Dioxins are a class of toxic chemicals.The EPA says dioxins are likely to cause cancer in humans. Since the mid-1980s, the EPA has been working to define just how toxic dioxins are. Over the years, the agency has released drafts of the report. These drafts have been picked apart by scientists and industry. Then, the EPA goes back to working on it.Last year, the EPA...
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Report: Time to sever ties between the Great Lakes and...
Asian carp have been making their way up the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers toward the Great Lakes for decades.A coalition of U.S. and Canadian mayors says the solution is to physically separate the Great Lakes basin from the Mississippi River system forever. In other words... they want to completely stop the flow of water between the two systems to permanently block carp from swimming up into Lake Michigan... and stop any kind of invaders from moving between the basins.A new report out...
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Breaking through to climate change skeptics
Anthony Leiserowitz directs the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. He says the vast majority of scientists agree that climate change is real. Its mostly caused by people. And its serious.We know through multiple studies that over 95% of scientists agree about this.But... he says his studies and others show the number of Americans who believe climate change is happening has declined.Leiserowitz says there are a lot of reasons for that. A tough economy... declining media...
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Asian carp could find a good home in Lake Erie
Asian carp have been making their way up the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers toward the Great Lakes for decades. Bighead and silver carp are the species people are the most concerned about.Theres been a lot of focus on keeping carp out of Lake Michigan.But a new study finds carp might do well in Lake Erie and some of the rivers that feed the lake.Patrick Kocovsky is a research fishery biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. He says its believed Asian carp need specific conditions to make...
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Dow Chemical Co. ranked second-largest toxic waste...
The Dow Chemical Company is the second-largest producer of toxic chemical waste in the nation. Thats according to a new report by the Environmental Protection Agency.The report shows that Dow produced more than 600 million pounds of toxic chemical waste in the reporting year 2010.Ben Morlock is a spokesperson for Dow.Morlock says 97% of that toxic chemical waste was treated, recycled or reused.We have on-site wastewater treatment plants, we have air pollution control equipment that...
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NRC issues violation notice to Palisades nuclear power...
The Palisades nuclear power plant is six miles south of South Haven on the shore of Lake Michigan.The plant had five unplanned shutdowns last year. Four of those were unplanned reactor shutdowns. The fifth was a problem with the plants water pumps that did not affect the reactor.Viktoria Mitlyng is a spokesperson with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. She says the Palisades plant is under scrutiny.There are so many issues in one year that have come up, you know, theres certainly a...
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Michigan homeowners improve on energy efficiency
by Tanya Ott for The Environment ReportIts cold outside and maybe inside, if your house isnt properly insulated. Home energy efficiency is a big issue and a new study gives Michigan kudos for making it a priority.Randy Rice has lived in his Southgate, Michigan house for 13 years. Hes lived there and often shivers thereCertainly believe that the air was leaking upstairs. We could feel some breezes. I just saw dollars flying out the window.Rice replaced the windows five years ago and it helped...
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