Last month (April) the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decided
against regulating ash and sludge from coal-burning power plants as a
toxic hazardous waste. Instead, the EPA will develop voluntary coal-ash
disposal standards. Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentator Suzanne
Elston says the move is a major setback in the war against global
warming:
Month: May 2000
Utilities Prepare for Summer Demand
As summer approaches power companies will brace for rising demands for
electricity. During peak demand periods in past summers, utilities have
been caught short of power. However, deregulation of the electric power
industry has led to some innovative changes. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Lester Graham reports:
‘SPECIES AT RISK ACT’ QUESTIONED
People often associate Canada with wildlife. Beavers, moose and grizzly
bears are among the better-known residents. So it may come as a
surprise that endangered species are not federally protected. The
Canadian government is hoping to change that with a new bill called the
Species at Risk Act. But environmentalists say the plan is too weak.
The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Karen Kelly reports:
Will Legislation Ground Shipping?
Exotic species may claim another victim on the Great Lakes. If
proposed federal legislation passes, shipping industry experts say Great
Lakes commerce could be shutdown. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
Mike Simonson reports:
Cockroach Contraceptive
If you’ve ever had cockroaches, you know how hard it is to get rid
of them. Many people turn to exterminators or pesticide sprays. But
often, roach-killing products are made with neurotoxins that may be
harmful to pets and humans. Now, some scientists have come up with a
different approach: a kind of birth control… for cockroaches. The
Great
Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson explains:
Commentary – Cyber Patrol Blocks Activist Sites
Mattel’s money losing software division, Mattel Interactive, has
recently been put up for sale, in part because of the controversy
surrounding its internet blocking program, Cyber Patrol. Rather than
selling off the company, Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentator
Suzanne Elston wonders if they’re missing a marketing opportunity:
Commentary – The Grass Is Always Greener
With warm weather comes America’s annual lawn competition.
Homeowners spend time and money in an effort to achieve a thick, green
carpet of grass, sometimes hiring professionals to apply herbicides,
pesticides, and fertilizers to their yards. Great Lakes Radio
Consortium
commentator, Julia King, is opting out of what she considers an
unhealthy
practice. For this, she hopes to be rewarded:
REGULATIONS HURT SMALL TOWN ECONOMIES (Shorter Version)
Service stations that went out of business rather than pay for upgrades of underground storage tanks have left some small towns without anyplace in town to buy gasoline. That's affected some small towns' economy.
Some rural communities are struggling because environmental
regulations hurt their economy. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s
Lester Graham reports:
Regulations Hurt Small Town Economies
Service stations that went out of business rather than pay for upgrades of underground storage tanks have left some small towns without anyplace in town to buy gasoline. That's affected some small towns' economy.
Across the nation some small towns are hurting because of
environmental regulations that have led to economic problems. The Great
Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports:
Food Co-Ops Losing Grip on Health Food Market
There was a time when people who ate organic and natural foods
were considered the hippie-fringe. But healthy eating is becoming more
mainstream, and the market for natural and organic foods is growing.
That’s causing some shifts in the food industry. Small mom and pop
stores are no longer the only places to find health foods.
Conventional
supermarkets have organic produce sections and large natural food stores
are opening nationwide. This has many small stores wondering how they
are going to survive. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Julie Grant
reports: