Commentary – Keep the Home Fires Burning

While the Great Ice Storm of ’98 is safely behind us, it has left some lasting memories, and not all of them bad. As Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston points out, maybe we could all learn a little something from the Storm of ‘98:

Logging Controversy Continues

A 100-acre tract in the Superior National Forest is the latest battleground in the ongoing war over how public lands are managed. It’s been the subject of court rulings, blockades, and protest rallies. As the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Stephanie Hemphill reports, the conflict is stirring up an emotional debate that so far has taken the usual line of jobs versus the environment:

History of Women in the Great Lakes

Many of the rugged explorers, sailors, and travelers of the Great Lakes wrote about their lives. But most of this rich literary history was told by men. Now a new book uncovers another side of Great Lakes’ history: stories by and about women of the Lakes. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson reports:

National Bird Census Begins This Weekend

This weekend (Friday, February 20th-22nd), bird-watchers all across America will get a chance to help make history by joining in the world’s largest bird-watching experiment. Scientists are calling it "The Great Ninety-Eight Backyard Bird Count." The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkel has the story:

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:

Consumption and Cooperation

What does friendship and camaraderie have to do with pollution prevention and waste reduction? According to Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentator Bob Lilienfeld, quite a lot. He says being a good neighbor is good for the environment:

Getting the Lead Out of Home Renovations

Buying a house is part of the American dream. But after the papers are signed, most homeowners discover that the maintenance and remodeling that go with owning a home are expensive. So to save money, many go the do-it-yourself route. But sometimes even the simplest projects are more complicated than they first appear. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson reports:

Federal Policy Spurs Clean-Up

A new batch of federal funding intended to get the lead out of homes is expected to bring big benefits to several Midwestern cities. The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a plan late last year to dole out fifty-million dollars nationally to better educate the public on lead’s dangers and provide cleanup funds for individual homes. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Julie Edelson Halpert has more:

A Mother’s Crusade

Lead poisoning has been called the number one environmental health hazard for children. While low-income families are most affected, lead poisoning can happen to anyone. And the damage it does is permanent. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson recently met a family that’s been forever changed because of lead:

Unique Treatment Program Makes Progress

When a child is lead-poisoned, the damage is irreversible. But treatment is essential to help prevent further harm. Because lead poisoning touches so many aspects of a familys life, some clinics are adopting a new approach to treatment. In part four of our series on lead poisoning, the Great Lakes Radio Consortiums Wendy Nelson visited one such clinic and has this report: