The Great Lakes have the highest concentration of fresh water sand
dunes anywhere in the world. They were created thousands of years ago,
when the glaciers that formed the lakes receded. Wind patterns shaped
the dunes, which often tower hundreds of feet above the lakes. But over
the years, some sand dunes have disappeared. And others are slowly
being chipped away. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson
Reports:
Tag: study
New Method for Counting Deer
When wildlife managers and animal rights groups clash over whether to
kill deer, one of the big disputes is whether the herd has been counted
correctly. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports on
a new method that more accurately counts deer in the forest:
Midwest Kids Struggle With Obesity
The report card on fitness is in – and it concludes that there’s a lotof room for improvement. The federal government has been keeping trackof Americans’ heights and weights for more than 30 years now. And eachtime the survey is taken, it shows that the population is heavier. TheUpper Midwest is the heaviest region in the country. The Great LakesRadio Consortium’s Joan Siefert-Rose reports on the theories behind thisdramatic increase in obesity … and the special problems faced bychildren:
Are Today’s Kids Less Active?
The U-S Surgeon General recently declared childhood obesity as aproblem of epidemic proportion in this country. Over the last 30 years,children have been getting heavier, relative to their height. Today,one in five children is at least 20 percent above an optimal weight.The problem may not be so much what kids are eating … as it is what theyare doing. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Joan Siefert-Rose hasthis report:
U-V Light May Be Viral Catalyst
Ultraviolet light, which some scientists say may be the culprit behind
the Great Lake’s epidemic of mutated frogs, is now part of an
investigation into a smaller but equally important part of the
environmental web. Scientists in Duluth are looking into the viruses
that infect bacteria in the Great Lakes, and how increasing amounts of
U-V light might affect that relationship. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Stephanie Hemphill reports:
Scientists Improve Tree Inbreeding
The timber industry specially breeds trees to increase their value.
Trees are worth more when they grow straight, tall and fast. Inbreeding
trees within the same family can increase the frequency of these traits,
but now a new study shows it can also be fatal. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Todd Witter has more:
Boomers Spend Less Time on Water
A new study has found that baby-boomers are spending less time on the
water. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike Simonson reports:
Pesticide Links to Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease has been in the news a lot recently ever since
actor Michael J. Fox announced that he’s a victim of the disease.
Scientist have been studying Parkinson’s for years, but still haven’t
determined what causes the tremors and other symptoms. But now, one
researcher thinks he may know the answer…and beginning this January,
he’ll begin to test his theory. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Todd
Witter has more:
African-American Hypertension Study
High blood pressure is called ‘the silent killer’ because – if leftuntreated – it can lead to heart attack or stroke.The condition is also linked to kidney disease…and African-Americansare at a very high risk. Now, a study is underway to figure out thebest way to manage high blood pressure and kidney disease in thisparticularly sensitive group. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s JoanSiefert Rose reports:
Old Mercury Resurfacing
A study to be published this month shows mercury, deposited in riversas long as forty years ago, is still getting into the food chain andcausing environmental and human health problems. The Great Lakes RadioConsortium’s Stephanie Hemphill explains: