According to a new report from the Environmental Protection Agency, Buffalo’s air quality has improved greatly over the last decade, but other Great Lakes cities have not met the same success. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike McKay has more:
Category: News Spots
Illinois Pressured to Rejoin Regional Funder
Five years ago, Illinois discontinued payments to the Great Lakes Protection Fund. The Fund is a regional endowment which supports environmental projects. The state’s failure to pay has meant that no Illinois groups have received any of the five million dollars in annual grants. Now, a group of state lawmakers is asking Governor Jim Edgar to resume payments. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Bill Wheelhouse reports:
Bright Future for Wind Power
As concern over climate change grows, so does interest in clean energy sources like wind power. Currently, windmills generate less than one percent of America’s electricity. But that’s slowly beginning to change. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkel reports:
Tuberculosis Spreading Through Deer Populations
Despite efforts by Michigan officials to curb the spread of Tuberculosis-infected white-tail deer, the disease is spreading. Farmers fear the TB-infected deer may threaten their livestock and are asking officials to take stronger measures to control the disease. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Michelle Corum reports:
Mining Moratorium Law
Environmental groups in Wisconsin are calling on Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson to move quickly to sign tough new mining regulations into law. But the Governor says he wants to talk to industry leaders and local residents before signing it. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Gil Halsted reports:
National Environmental Scorecard
Each year, the League of Conservation Voters ranks members of Congress on their environmental voting record. It publishes those findings in a report called the National Environmental Scorecard. Today (Tuesday), the group released its 1998 Scorecard. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s David Hammond reports:
Energy Efficiency and Utility Deregulation
States around the nation are beginning to embrace electricity deregulation. Last November, the Illinois’ State Legislature passed its own deregulation bill. But environmentalists complained that it did little to promote clean and efficient energy use. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkel reports on a new proposal to improve Illinois’ deregulation law:
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:
Turning Sludge Into Snow
Harbor Springs, Michigan has a problem. The town and surrounding area is growing fast, and soon will be too big for their sewage management system. But instead of spending lots of money to enlarge the system, they’re testing an innovative way to handle more waste. They’re turning it into snow. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Roger Wight reports:
Ford Halts Powder Paint Process
Environmentalists and the Environmental Protection Agency are protesting a decision by Ford Motor Company to scrap a pollution-free paint process at its new plant in Dearborn, Michigan. They’re questioning why Ford abandoned a promising technology that the Big Three auto makers worked together to develop. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Julie Edelson Halpert reports: