Keeping the Holidays Simple

The holiday season is a time of giving. It’s also a time of rushing,
shopping, and waste. But the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester
Graham reports that some people are trying to keep the holidays more
simple:

Bringing Clean Cars to the U-S Market

Two Japanese auto manufacturers soon will unveil a new,
cleaner type of car for the U-S market. It’s called a hybrid. Hybrids
rely
on gasoline, but use an electric engine to double the fuel efficiency
and
emit fewer pollutants. So far, no domestic automaker has come forward
with a hybrid car. And that’s troubling environmentalists. They’re
worried
that the U-S could fall behind its foreign competitors. The Great Lakes
Radio Consortium’s Julie Edelson Halpert has the story:

Golf Course Erodes Support (Part 1)

The Great Lakes boast some of the finest beaches in the country…
and
more and more developers are snapping up lake shore property to build
everything from condominiums to golf courses. But coastline development
presents some challenges and potential risks to the lakes. In the first
of a two part series, the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson
reports on one small community that’s struggling with change:

Golf Course Drives Legislation (Part 2)

A controversy over lake shore development on the coast of Lake Michigan
is creating a heated debate over how to handle erosion. In the second of
a two part series, the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson
reports that how this case is resolved may have implications throughout
the Great Lakes:

Honey Bees Face Another Threat

A new threat to honey bees that had been isolated to four southern
states has just been spotted in the Great Lakes region……and
agriculture officials are warning beekeepers to be on the lookout. The
Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Bill Cohen has more:

Corn-To-Ethanol Study

A technology group in upstate New York was recently awarded a
187-thousand dollar grant to study the feasibility of opening a
corn-to-ethanol facility. The study will determine the economic
potential of producing ethanol at a long-vacant grain processing plant
in the region. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Elizabeth Christensen
reports on what could be a boon to corn farmers in the Great Lakes
region:

Landfill Bioremediation Shows Promise

A new method for dealing with old landfills may mean good news
for the environment… and for local governments’ bottom lines. The Great
Lakes Radio Consortium’s John Roberts reports:

The Cost of Alternative Fuels

While many motorists have enjoyed the lower gasoline and diesel fuel
prices the last couple of years… those lower prices have made
alternative fuels such as natural gas relatively more expensive. The
Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports… the managers of
one bus fleet are wondering if running less polluting buses is worth the
cost:

Amway in the Utilities Business

Now that states have started deregulating the sale of natural gas and
electricity, companies are busy vying for customers. But it’s unlikely
to create the same feeding frenzy unleashed by the deregulation of the
telephone industry. That’s because there’s not as high a profit margin
for natural gas and electricity – so most companies are concentrating on
signing up high-volume users, like big business. Still, home owners and
small businesses probably won’t escape the sales pitches. The Great
Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson reports: