Commentary – A Laundry Solution?

Millions of Americans use a microwave on a daily basis…but how many of us actually understand how the thing works? As technology becomes more complex, there are times when science looks a bit like magic. Great Lakes Radio Consortium Commentator Julia King worries that today’s "High Science" has us so used to functioning without answers that we’re forgetting to ask questions:

Twig Sculptures Bring Nature to Campus

As the warm weather arrives, birds are hard at work constructing nests out of twigs and other materials they can rustle up in our backyards. There’s a sculptor from North Carolina who’s making his way around the Great Lakes Region doing something similar. He creates artwork out of sticks. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tamar Charney visited him at one of his recent creations:

Diesel Exhaust Goes Unchecked

The 1990 Federal Clean Air Act set limits on how much air pollution is safe. But currently, more than fifty urban areas nationwide violate that law. Much of that pollution is caused by vehicle exhaust. To combat the problem, cars are routinely checked and required to meet certain emissions standards. But diesel trucks have escaped much of that scrutiny. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkel explains why:

D-D-E May Degrade Naturally

The notorious pesticide D-D-T was banned in the United States in the 1970’s. But D-D-T left behind several toxic byproducts. One of those is D-D-E. However, a new study published in this month’s Science magazine suggests that D-D-E may be decaying naturally. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkel reports:

Commentary – Nuke Plant for Sale: On-Line

Maine’s Yankee Rowe is the one of the first decommissioned nuclear plants to be dismantled and sold off. And as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Suzanne Elston discovered, all parties are welcome:

Commentary – Polluter Pays

The Federal Clean Air Act requires businesses that emit certain air pollutants to cover the costs of regulating that pollution at the state level. It’s designed to be a market-based approach which theoretically, should give polluters a fiscal incentive to reduce their emissions. But Great Lakes Radio Consortium Commentator Lana Pollack says that not all businesses are paying their fair share:

Annual Sturgeon Spawn

Northeast Wisconsin is home to one of North America’s largest sturgeon populations. Every Spring, those sturgeon swim north from Lake Winnebago to spawn. The fish are huge, prehistoric-looking creatures. Some of them are more than six feet long and weigh a hundred pounds. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Nick Van Der Puy was there and has this report: