Soul of a Luddite

When the season of giving and getting is over, households across the
country are left to sort through the empty boxes and wonder how they
ever got along without their new toys. But Great Lakes Radio Consortium
commentator, Julia King, worries what all those new toys really mean-for
our daily lives, for our fellow humans and for the planet:

Computer Recycling

Personal computers are quickly becoming as common in American households
as TVs and telephones. But unlike those appliances, computers become
obsolete at a much faster rate. And while many computer owners abandon
their machines after just a few years of use, others think they still
have a lot of value. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkel
reports:

Organ Donation Transplants Grief

Every year, thousands of families across the country are forced to make
a difficult decision. A loved one has died, and their organs could be
used for transplant. As the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Karen Kelly
reports, an innovative group in Albany, New York is using volunteer
donor mothers to help families through the process:

Global Worming

Remember when you were a kid, how you’d spend hours poking around,
looking for creepy crawly things? If one woman has her way, a lot more
of us will rediscover that joy…And as adults, also appreciate some
practical benefits. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson
explains:

Light Pollution – A &Quot;Glowing" Problem

We’re all familiar with water and air pollution. More recently, noise
pollution became an accepted concept. And now there’s another sensory
pollutant on the scene: it’s light pollution. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Wendy Nelson explains:

Not So Poisonous Poinsettias

The poinsettia is a popular symbol of the holiday
season. But the colorful plants have been stigmatized as highly toxic.
And for years, people have been warned to keep them away from children
and pets. But this season, you may be able to rest easy, unafraid of
your poinsettia plants. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson
explains:

Battle Over the Humbug Marsh

Environmentalists and housing developers are engaged in a battle
over a 400 acre piece of land. Humbug Marsh is one of the last
undeveloped sites on the Detroit River – the international border
between the U.S. and Canada, and a river recently designated as an
American Heritage River. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Marisa
Helms reports:

Canada Forces Ships to Pay for Ice Breaking

Canada will begin charging ships for ice breaking this week (December
21, 1998), the first time a fee has been levied for this service on the
Great Lakes. Maritime industry officials fear the next move will be the
U-S Coast Guard reviving its proposal to charge for breaking ice. The
Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike Simonson has more: