The forests, lakes and rivers of northern Wisconsin are popular with many
outdoors enthusiasts. People enjoy everything from hunting and fishing to
hiking and biking. But playing outdoors has its downsides.
The most notable would be the dreaded tick. While most people think the
blood-sucking bugs are creepy, one town has decided to accept them. And
even have a little fun. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Todd Witter has
the story:
Author: Todd Witter
Herbal Remedies Moving Mainstream
There are thousands of herbal products on the market today.
They generate over 4 billion dollars in sales a year. And many doctors
are taking more notice. Some physicians see a need for more credible
research on herbs and minerals. And they want other doctors to
communicate more with patients that are considering using these
products. Now one doctor has designed some guidelines on herbal
treatments. He hopes this will initiate more discussion and research
about these dietary supplements. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
Todd Witter has more.
Shipwrecks Hit the Web
Lake Superior is home to hundreds of shipwrecks. They’ve been preserved
there for well over a century. And they’re the destination of many
divers, hoping to explore their remains and learn their history.
Now, some of these sunken vessels can be explored without ever getting
wet. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Todd Witter reports:
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Plutonium Hits the Road
World leaders have agreed to help the U.S. and Russia find and test
methods of disposing excess nuclear warhead material. One option is to
create what’s called MOX (MOCKS) fuel to be burned in a nuclear
reactor. MOX fuel is created when uranium oxide is mixed with
weapons-grade plutonium. There are plans to test MOX fuel in Canadian
nuclear reactors this spring. But shipping the material to Canada
worries people on both sides of the border. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Todd Witter reports:
Forest Service to Stabilize Payments
The U.S. Forest Service gives 25% of its forest revenues back to the states.
These revenues primarily come from timber harvest sales. But now the Forest
Service wants to change the way it makes these payments. And that could
mean a loss of revenue for some Great Lakes states. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Todd Witter has more:
Scientists Improve Tree Inbreeding
The timber industry specially breeds trees to increase their value.
Trees are worth more when they grow straight, tall and fast. Inbreeding
trees within the same family can increase the frequency of these traits,
but now a new study shows it can also be fatal. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Todd Witter has more:
Rethinking the Subdivision Design
Big homes on big lawns on long winding roads. That’s how many
residential subdivisions have been designed for decades. Now, some
people are trying to change these traditional methods and make
development less damaging to the environment. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Todd Witter visits one site:
Pesticide Links to Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease has been in the news a lot recently ever since
actor Michael J. Fox announced that he’s a victim of the disease.
Scientist have been studying Parkinson’s for years, but still haven’t
determined what causes the tremors and other symptoms. But now, one
researcher thinks he may know the answer…and beginning this January,
he’ll begin to test his theory. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Todd
Witter has more:
Crafting the Perfect Canoe
Jet skis have quickly grown in popularity. But paddling a canoe isstill a favorite with many outdoors enthusiats. While there are severalmodern materials canoes are made of, there’s one man who prefers morenatural canoes. And he prefers to build them himself. The Great LakesRadio Consortium’s Todd Witter has the story:
New Technology Curtails Airport Runoff
Recent studies have shown that the use of ethylene glycol to ridairplanes of ice and frost is costly to both airlines and theenvironment. While efforts are underway to gather up more and more ofthis toxic liquid so that it can be recycled, another airport isimplementing an entirely new technology to drastically reduce the use ofglycol even in the most extreme conditions. The Great Lakes RadioConsortium’s Todd Witter reports: