Month: February 1999

Building Healthy Homes

Homeowners are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of building
energy-efficient homes. But there’s a more recent movement to build
healthier houses as well. And it turns out – often these two features
can go hand-in-hand. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson
reports:

State Commits to Farmland Preservation

This spring the state of Ohio begins a program to preserve farmland
that’s facing development pressures. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
Lester Graham reports… it’s one of the first statewide efforts in the
Midwest to control urban sprawl:

Leeches Stuck in Sport Fishing Battle

Another skirmish is erupting in the ongoing battle between Ontario and
Minnesota over sport fishing. Ontario recently banned the importation
of leeches without a permit. The reason – the Province says it doesn’t
want to risk exotic species piggy-backing on the popular bait. But as
the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Stephanie Hemphill reports, experts
on controlling exotic species say the reasoning is faulty:

U-V Light May Be Viral Catalyst

Ultraviolet light, which some scientists say may be the culprit behind
the Great Lake’s epidemic of mutated frogs, is now part of an
investigation into a smaller but equally important part of the
environmental web. Scientists in Duluth are looking into the viruses
that infect bacteria in the Great Lakes, and how increasing amounts of
U-V light might affect that relationship. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Stephanie Hemphill reports:

A Backyard Encounter

Covering the wilderness experience during the cold winter months has
taken Knight-Ridder outdoors writer Sam Cook on snow-shoeing and camping
trips throughout the Great Lakes region. But in a
sampling from his latest book "Friendship Fires", Cook points out that
it’s not necessary go any farther than your own backyard to share a
winter encounter:

Sailors Find Refuge at Mariner Centers

Every day, thousands of ships dock at American ports. They arrive with
a crew of sailors who don’t know anyone and often don’t speak the
language. At many ports, volunteers run mariner’s centers. They provide
food, clothing, and most importantly, a connection to home. The Great
Lakes Radio Consortium’s Karen Kelly visited one of these centers and
has this report:

A Revolution Among Plant Scientists

Scientists are discovering new genetic information about plants is
upsetting the natural order of things. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Lester Graham reports that they’re also finding a whole new
world of possibilities for using plants for medicines and products:

Voluntary Effort Targets Mercury Emissions

Minnesota is setting a goal to reduce mercury emissions 70-percent by 2005.
An advisory group of industry representatives, environmentalists, and
government agencies came up with the plan. As the Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Stephanie Hemphill reports, it’s all supposed to happen through
voluntary efforts:

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: