Time to Scrap Kyoto

Since signing of the Kyoto Agreement in 1997, governments around the world
have struggled to reach carbon dioxide reduction targets. But as Great Lakes
Radio Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston points out, targets and quotas
leave most consumers out in the cold:

Writers Explore Everyday Nature

The written word is how many of us form opinions about the natural world.
But many readers and writers alike tend to think nature writing is about
grand descriptions of the world’s majestic mountains, waterfalls, and
redwoods. Recently, nature writers from around the world gathered at an
unlikely spot to learn how to experience nature of a different sort. The
Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tamar Charney has the story:

An Unusual Northwoods Celebration

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:

Artificial Reefs: A Help or a Hindrance?

Artificial reefs are being built in the Great Lakes to attract fish.
Sport fishing groups like them because the reefs make it easier to catch
fish. However…the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports
some conservationists are concerned the artificial reefs could destroy
natural habitat:

Wolf Killed by Government Order

A timber wolf has been shot by a federal officer in Wisconsin. For the
past twenty-five years the wolf has been listed on the federal
endangered species list. But now the wolf’s status is being changed from
endangered to threatened making it easier to use lethal force on problem
wolves. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Nick Van Der Puy has more:

B-T Corn Research Heads Into Field

In a recent issue of the journal, Nature, Cornell researchers released a
report claiming that pollen from a genetically engineered, or BT, corn
has a deadly effect on the monarch butterfly. But industry
representatives criticized the results, saying the lab-work didn’t
duplicate a real-life scenario. So now, Cornell scientists are heading
into the field for more research. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
David Hammond has more:

Pesticide Problem

It’s that time of year again. The weed warriors are out there enmasse
– fertilizing, treating and trimming – all to create the perfect
lawn. But Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston
wonders if the price isn’t a little too high:

Problem Geese Headed for Soup Kitchens

Canadian geese can easily be found alongside roadways or in suburban
neighborhoods at numbers far greater than a decade ago. Each year
millions of the birds migrate north through the Mississippi Fly-Way
settling in the Great Lakes region, leaving states grappling with ways
to control hordes of geese. In Ohio, a new plan is underway to use
so-called problem geese as food for soup kitchens. The Great Lakes
Radio Consortium’s Natalie Walston reports:

Tumors Found on Zooplankton

  • Large tumors have been found on zooplankton in Lake Michigan. Scientists don't know the cause and don't know what the growths will mean to the food chain. (Photo courtesy of University of Michigan and NOAA/ Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory)

Scientists are alarmed at the discovery of tumors on tiny animals at
the base of the food chain in one of the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes
Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports… no one seems sure what this
will mean to life in the lakes:

Controlling Feral Cat Populations

Across the country, there’s a homeless population you may not have
heard a lot about. It’s not people…but cats. And as the Great Lakes
Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson reports, there’s a growing movement
underway to help them: