Great Lakes in Peril: Invasives, pollution, climate change
When you visit one of the Great Lakes, whether it’s a sandy beach or a rocky coastline, it’s hard to imagine how something so big could be a...
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The Environment Report
The Environment Report, hosted by Lester Graham and other Michigan Radio reporters, explores the relationship between the natural world and the everyday lives of people in Michigan.
Episodes
20 episodes"Water is life" is the theme of Day 1 of protests to shut down Enbridge Line 5
On Thursday, environmental groups and Native Americans plan to present Enbridge Energy with symbolic eviction notices. They want Enbridge to...
On eve of Line 5 shutdown deadline, Enbridge vows to defy Michigan order
Enbridge Energy technically has one more day to shut down the Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac, but even the pipeline’s most vocal...
Plastic debris is getting into the Great Lakes, our drinking water, and our food
There’s been a lot of news about the amount of plastic debris in the oceans. But plastic pollution is also affecting the Great Lakes. A stud...
Scientists concerned about the bottom of the food web in the Great Lakes
Right now, scientists are on a ship taking samples and measurements of the Great Lakes. They’re trying to determine how the lakes will fare...
Is the Line 5 tunnel a bridge to Michigan's energy future or a bad deal?
As Canadian officials lobbied a Michigan Senate committee in March to keep the Line 5 pipeline open, Sen. Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) gre...
Some cities are turning to natural infrastructure to deal with extreme rain events
Climate change in the Great Lakes region means more intense storms. Already some towns are finding they’re flooding where they never have be...
Wetlands can help prevent property damage and save lives during floods
Midland and other cities were hit hard by a flood caused by heavy rains and the failure of a weak dam.
Climate change is affecting the kind of fish you can catch in Michigan's inland lakes
Climate change is altering lakes so that some fish species could be lost. Ice coverage is declining over the decades.
Water could make Michigan a climate refuge. Are we prepared?
Intrigued by warming winters, researchers from the University of Michigan set out in 1989 to formally measure changes in the geographical di...
Michigan rivers changing due to climate disruption
It’s freezing outside and Larry Scheer is in neoprene chest waders kicking up sediment in Boyden Creek near Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The future of Lake Superior with climate disruption
The downtown office for the Sault Sainte Marie Tribe of the Chippewa Indians Fisheries Management Program is a simple, small two-story brick...
Enbridge now inspects freighters to avoid another anchor strike on Line 5
The Canadian pipeline company Enbridge Energy has been eager to show news media its new Enbridge Straits Maritime Operations Center in Macki...
Did the Midland flood stir up contaminants that could hurt wildlife?
The flood that was caused by heavy rains and the failure of two dams near Midland caused property damage far downstream. But the long term d...
You only have a limited "right to know" under Right To Know laws
The two dams that broke near Midland caused a massive flood that swept away bridges, roads, and damaged a lot of property. Because Midland i...
Bill would eliminate most township regulation of gravel pits
Tom and Michelle Joliat's lovely home in Metamora, Michigan is situated high on a hill with a stunning view of the woods below.
Rat poisons take care of rodent problems, but also kill wildlife and pets
Wildlife are being poisoned and much of the time people using the poisons are not even aware of the danger. One Michigan resident is on a cr...
No-till farming could cut greenhouse gases significantly
We know that burning fossil fuels releases a lot of greenhouse gases. But there are other human-caused sources that contribute to climate ch...
HONK! Talking to geese
You can hear a flock of geese calling, but there’s not a single goose. It’s a bunch of humans, warming up for the goose call contest at the...
Unpopular bait ban will only slow spread of CWD. What could stop it is even more controversial.
To help combat chronic wasting disease, Michigan is banning deer baiting and feeding across big parts of the state. It’s highly unpopular wi...