One airport in the region is considering turning some of its unused land into a playground for dogs and their owners. (Photo by Kat Shurtz)
Large expanses of open land often surround airport buildings and runways as noise buffers. Now, at one airport in the region, there’s a plan to put that land to use. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley reports:
Transcript
Large expanses of open land often surround airport buildings and runways as noise buffers. Now, at one airport in the region, there’s a plan to put that land to use. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley reports:
When Ryan Mccue was a city official in Milwaukee, he says he took call after call from residents complaining that animals were running loose in area parks. The problem was dog owners weren’t keeping their pets on leashes. Now Mccue thinks he’s come up with a solution: set up a dog exercise area on land unlikely to be used for anything else.
“The airport has a lot of land that’s vacant. And it’s a great spot for it. There aren’t very many neighbors around the airport so the dogs barking won’t disturb any neighbors.”
If aproved, the exercise area would be established on land owned by Mitchell International Airport near Milwaukee. He says the 27 acres would be fenced in and kept separate from the airport
facilities. Mccue says, so far, the airport and the FAA are supportive of the plan. And if it’s approved, he says it could be used as an example of how other airports can make use of their open space.
For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Christina Shockley.
Deer hunters try their best to prevent deer from sensing their presence - from hiding atop platforms to wearing camouflage clothing. (Photo by Alan Mead)
...to making their breath smell like pine? The idea of "Gum-O-Flage" is something to chew on. (Photo by Nara Vieira de Silva)
In much of the region, deer hunting season is in full swing. Hunters are taking to the woods doing their darndest to keep deer from spotting them. Now, an avid deer hunter has taken camouflage to another level. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley explains:
Transcript
In much of the region, deer hunting season is in full swing. Hunters are taking to the
woods doing their darndest to keep deer from spotting them. Now, an avid deer hunter has
taken camouflage to another level. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley
explains:
Neil Brentl says hunters know when a deer smells you.
“They make a very, very distinct like, huff sound, and you know. Every hunter knows
the sound. When you hear it, you almost wanna get out of your tree because you’re done.”
Brentl says that powerful sense of smell is a deer’s first line of defense. A few years
ago, Brentl’s brother suggested that perhaps the deer were sensing Brentl’s breath. The
idea for “gum-o-flage” was born.
“I took, like a regular gum, actually, like Bubble Yum, and chewed all the flavor out of
it, and added pine needles to it believe it or not. And I found that it was working.”
Brentl says the gum isn’t scientifically proven to work. But he says he hopes to have some
tests done soon. He says so far, “gum-o-flage” has been a hit with hunters in Upper Wisconsin.
For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Christina Shockley.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration may soon take a step that could help the ozone layer. Health officials say they might phase out certain types of asthma inhalers that use chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley has more:
Transcript
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration may soon take a step that could
help the ozone layer. Health officials say they might phase-out certain
types of asthma inhalers that use chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs. The Great
Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley has more:
Since the early 1990’s, CFCs were banned from use in things such as car
air conditioners and aerosol cans. But they were still allowed to be used in
devices deemed medically necessary.
These include some types of asthma inhalers that contain very small
amounts of CFC gas to propel medicine into the lungs.
Now, health officials say there might be an alternative to the ozone-
depleting gas. They say hydrofluoroalkane, or HFA, gas works just as
well.
Doctor Robert Meyer evaluates drugs for the FDA. He says the new ban
may seem like a small step, but the overall picture matters most.
“We’re not really in the business of questioning whether this individual use
is in and of itself impacting much on the environment, we’re really looking
at the overall picture, and this action is a part of that picture.”
The FDA is asking the public for feedback on the possible phase-out.
For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Christina Shockley.
Mute swans are federally protected, but the non-native bird could be harming the comeback of their larger, native cousins – the Trumpeter swan. Wildlife officials are supporting a bill that would allow mute swans to be killed. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley reports:
Transcript
Mute swans are federally protected, but the non-native
bird could be harming the comeback of their larger, native
cousins – the Trumpeter swan. Wildlife officials are
supporting a bill that would allow mute swans to be killed.
The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley
reports:]]
Mute swans are large, elegant white birds with bright
orange beaks. People brought them here from Europe and
Asia to adorn public parks and private ponds. Now living
in the wild, they’re competing with native birds, like the
trumpeter swan.
Tami Ryan is a wildlife biologist in Wisconsin, where the
trumpeter is endangered. She says the mute swan could be
impeding work done to bring back the trumpeter
population.
“They could have a detrimental effect on trumpeter swan
pairs that are trying to set up breeding territories, or
trumpeter swan families in trying to have feeding
territories. If there’s mute swans in the area, there’s
definitely going to be some competition.”
A bill before Congress would allow mute swans to be
killed, or their eggs destroyed.
For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Christina
Shockley.
Environmental groups often send mailers, hold fundraisers, and organize protests to raise awareness for a cause. But a Minnesota group tried a more unusual approach. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley reports:
Transcript
Environmental groups often send mailers, hold fundraisers, and
organize protests to raise awareness for a cause. But a Minnesota group
tried a more unusual approach. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley reports.
Near the obituary section of the St. Paul newspaper, readers recently came
across this. Lake Patricia, age 12,830, dies after a grueling battle with
contaminated run-off. The ad in the form of a death announcement is part of
a fall campaign from the group Metro Watershed Partners. They’re hoping to
get people to rake their leaves. Ron Struss is with the University of
Minnesota extension service, and took part in the campaign. He says leaves
contain phosphorus, which causes harmful algae blooms if leaves wash into
lakes and streams. Struss says the obit hit home in the land of 10,000
lakes.
“Lakes are very dear to people in the state, and folks that have a
life-long association, and even through generations, loss of water quality
in a lake is taken as a loss of something that’s personal to them that’s
gone.”
Struss says the campaign has been successful. He says more people are
raking their leaves and telling their neighbors about the run-off problem.
For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Christina Shockley.
Russ Adams mows his lawn with an electric lawnmower. He does so to reduce local air pollution such as ozone. (Photo by Christina Shockley)
Summer can be a perfect time for barbeques, weekend trips, and yard work. But those very things contribute to a summertime health hazard. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley reports:
Transcript
Summer can be a perfect time for barbeques, weekend trips, and yard
work. But those very things contribute to a summertime health hazard. The
Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley reports:
(sound of gasoline-powered lawn mower)
This time of year, it takes just a short walk along pretty much any residential
street to find someone mowing their lawn.
(crossfade, gas-powered lawn mower sound out, electric mower sound up)
But if you walk past the Minneapolis home of Russ Adams, you might take a
second look.
“My neighbors came over… they were a little bashful ’cause they
weren’t sure how to pose the question. But they wanted to know what I was
doing in my yard and what that machine was. They thought it was some kind of
new-fangled mulcher or something.”
That mulcher is actually an electric lawnmower. The mower is a sleek red and
black. It’s about the same size as a gasoline mower. There’s no cord running
to it. It runs on a battery. There’s a plug on the back of the main unit
that’s used to charge it.
(sound of garage door opening)
“Okay, so this is the garage. Just plug it in
right here, and really it doesn’t take long for it to juice up. And you just
leave it plugged in, and as soon as it’s fully charged it stops drawing on the
electricity, so it’s energy-efficient even in the recharging mode.”
Adams says the main reason he uses the electric mower is that it’s just one way
he can help improve air quality in his city. And as small a step as that
seems, emissions from small engines such as lawnmowers do cause air quality
problems.
Rebecca Helgesen is with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. She says one
major summertime problem is ozone. Helgesen says human activity creates the
ingredients in ozone.
“Certainly motor vehicle exhaust and chemical solvents are major
sources. Also, industrial emissions and gasoline vapors.”
The chemicals stew and combine with hot, humid conditions to increase ground
level ozone.
“When the air is stagnant – not moving very much, and it’s hot and
sunny, that’s when you see the chemical reaction that creates ozone.
Helgesen says the Environmental Protection Agency forecasts ozone, so people
will know ahead of time when not to mow their lawns or to stay indoors. The
forecast is called an Air Quality Index. It uses color codes. On a “yellow”
day, the air is dangerous for sensitive people. On a “red” day, everyone is
encouraged to limit outdoor activity. Ground level ozone can cause lung
damage. Helgesen says breathing ozone isn’t good for anyone, especially those
with asthma.
“You’re coughing more, you may find you have some tightness in your
chest, or uncomfortable. You may find that you’re tired more easily.. all of
those mean that there has been some compromising of your lungs.”
Ozone levels start to fall in the evening as people stop driving, as the sun
sets and the air cools. Helgesen says the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
encourages people to wait to pump gas, drive, and mow their lawns until 7 or 8
at night.
Getting people to do these things is where the organization, Clean Air
Minnesota, comes in. Its members include an unusual mix of business groups,
environmental groups and others.
Bill Droessler is the group’s program director. He says Minneapolis-St. Paul doesn’t
have a big ozone problem, like some other cities… yet. Clean Air Minnesota wants to keep it that
way. If levels go up, the federal government could impose restrictive – and
costly – regulations. Droessler says his group holds on-site training programs
at participating businesses to get people to take action.
“Postpone landscaping things, use of internal combustion engines as late as
possible on those days. Avoiding backyard recreational fires.”
He says even using newer gas cans that don’t let vapors escape as easily helps
reduce ozone. Droessler says he hopes people will take the time to make just one change to
help reduce ozone levels.
Russ Adams sees his electric mower as his one small action. He concedes that
the electric mower does use electricity. But while coal-burning power plants
do pollute, his electric mower is better for air quality than a gas-powered
mower.
“My argument is that if everybody had an electric mower, then we’d be cutting
down on the air quality problem. Wouldn’t solve it, but we’d be making a good dent.
I mean, I talk to my friends all the time about how fun it is to use this
mower.”
Shockley: “So I press it down… and pull back…”
Adams: “There you go.”
Shockley: “Oh, it’s very easy!”
(sound of electric mower)
Adams: “Now what I want you to do, is do this part of the yard in the back. I’ll go in and
have some tea, maybe some orange juice, and then we can tackle the front yard
after you’re done back here.”
Shockley: “Okay, that sounds great.” (laughter)
For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Christina Shockley.
According to a new study, property next to a clear lake is worth more than property next to a murkier lake. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley has more:
Transcript
According to a new study, property next to a clear lake is worth
more than property next to a murkier lake. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley
reports:
Researchers from Bemidji State University looked at 37 lakes in upper
Minnesota. They collected sale prices on homes, and compared them to
pre-existing water clarity levels. Patrick Welle is a professor of
Economics and Environmental Studies at Bemidji State. He co-authored the
study.
“So we ran the model not only over the twelve hundred and five sales, but
we also ran it by the six different regions separately, and in each case water
quality is one of the most significant predictors of the sale price of the lakeshore
property.”
So, the clearer the lake water, the higher the property value. Researchers say
landscaping, clearing vegetation up to the shore, and fertilizing can decrease
water clarity. They say a manicured lawn can boost property value right away,
but in the long run, it could be a detriment.
For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Christina Shockley.
The state legislature in Minnesota is looking at a bill that would restrict phosphorus levels in automatic-dishwashing detergents. Supporters say it would reduce harmful algae blooms in lakes and streams. If the bill passes, it would be the first state to make such restrictions. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley reports:
Transcript
The state legislature in Minnesota is looking at a bill that would restrict phosphorus levels in
automatic-dishwashing detergents. Supporters say it would reduce harmful algae blooms in lakes
and streams. If the bill passes, it would be the first state to make such restrictions. The Great
Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley reports:
Phosphorus in detergents helps to clean dishes, but when the mineral ends up in lakes and
streams, it promotes algae blooms. Large algae blooms can kill fish and restrict sunlight to
bottom-rooting plants. In the 1970s, phosphorus was restricted in other types of detergents.
David Mulla is a professor in the soil, water, and climate department at the University of
Minnesota. He says that legislation did make a difference.
“We had a very large reduction in the amount of phosphorus that was being emitted to our waste
water treatment plants as a result.”
However, Mulla says dishwashing detergents are not one of the primary sources of phosphorus in
lakes and streams today. Detergent manufacturers say if they don’t use phosphorus, their
detergents might not meet some health standards. They also say a reduction won’t have any
environmental benefits. The bill is currently being discussed in the state legislature.
For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Christina Shockley.
Bio-diesel has been available in Europe for about twenty years. Proponents want to see it as part of the mainstream in the United States. Bio-diesel is an alternative fuel made at least in part from fat or vegetable oil, which could benefit the environment and farmers. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley has more:
Transcript
Bio-diesel has been available in Europe for about twenty years. Proponents want to see it as part of the mainstream in the United States. Bio-diesel is an alternative fuel made at least in part from fat or vegetable oil, which could benefit the environment and farmers. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley has more:
Soy-based bio-diesel is simply soybean oil minus the glycerin, says Jenna Higgins from the National Bio-diesel board. It’s burned in its pure form or after it’s mixed with petroleum. About twenty-five U.S. retailers offer soy-based bio-diesel in a number of states, and Higgins says it’s used now by more than 100 fleets nationwide, from organizations like school districts, national parks, and government agencies.
“Fleets that have vehicles that go home to the same garage every night, they have their own fueling stations.”
The fuel is renewable, cleaner than diesel, and works well in diesel engines. But it’s expensive. Soon, the government could provide tax incentives for bio-diesel, which could make the cost comparable to that of diesel. For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Christina Shockley.
Seismologists are blaming a deep-injection well once used for disposal of liquid waste for recent earthquakes in Northeastern Ohio. They say the area had no history of earthquakes before the well was drilled. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Christina Shockley reports:
One airport in the region is considering turning some of its unused land into a playground for dogs and their owners. (Photo by Kat Shurtz)
