Lead poisoning has been called the number one environmental health hazard for children. While low-income families are most affected, lead poisoning can happen to anyone. And the damage it does is permanent. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson recently met a family that’s been forever changed because of lead:
Author: Wendy Nelson
Unique Treatment Program Makes Progress
When a child is lead-poisoned, the damage is irreversible. But treatment is essential to help prevent further harm. Because lead poisoning touches so many aspects of a familys life, some clinics are adopting a new approach to treatment. In part four of our series on lead poisoning, the Great Lakes Radio Consortiums Wendy Nelson visited one such clinic and has this report:
Veggie Pyramid
Most of us grew up learning the four food groups as a guide to a balanced, healthy diet. But that idea was replaced by the food guide pyramid. The lay-out is simple: foods to be eaten most often are at the bottom, or largest, part of the chart. And foods to be consumed in small quantities make up the tip of the pyramid. But not everyone follows the typical American diet, so nutrition scientists have drawn up a vegetarian variation of the pyramid. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson reports:
Pet Diet Pill
It’s not news that Americans are obsessed with weight. And anytime a new product comes along, promising to take off pounds with little effort, chances are, it’s going to make money. And just such a product has hit the store shelves. But it’s not for people. It’s for pets. And it made the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson wonder: How far are we willing to go to get our animals slim and trim?
Synthetic Wine Corks Popping Up All Over
The art of wine-making is thousands of years old, and the practice of closing the bottles with cork has been the industry standard for at least three hundred years. But corks can crumble or leak and for years, wine-makers have been looking for alternatives. Now, they may have one. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson has the story:
Endangered Foghorns
Foghorns along the Great Lakes serve a dual purpose: each has a distinctive pattern of sound and silence that, with the help of a chart, tells boaters where they are. And in fog, the horns help lead them safely into harbor. But now the Coast Guard is questioning whether the horns are really necessary. Soon the melancholy wail of a distant foghorn may become just a memory to the people along much of Lake Michigan’s shoreline. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson has this report:
There Could Be an Oil Tank Buried in Your Yard
There’s a danger lurking underground… and it may be in your own yard. Most homeowners don’t even know their old fuel tanks present an environmental risk. But in some places, the law says if the tank isn’t being used, it has to be removed. And as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson found out, sometimes an environmental story is right in your own backyard:
Digging Up the Region’s Past
The Great Lakes Region is rich in many ways: with its vast beauty, unique ecosystems, and unparalleled waterways. But it’s also a place of historical significance, and an archeological team is working to uncover the region’s history, digging it up layer by layer. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson visited one site and has this report:
Compost Man
When it comes to educating kids about the environment, one man is making a difference just by working in his yard and talking to the neighborhood children. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson has more:
Inland Shrimp Farmer Grows Up
In the middle of a state surrounded by fresh water, there’s an entrepreneur who has a dream: he thinks he may have the key to make Michigan — or in fact, any state — a major shrimp supplier. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson explains: