The Environment Report
The Environment Report
Lester Graham
The Environment Report, hosted by Lester Graham and other Michigan Radio reporters, explores the relationship between the natural world and the everyday lives of people in Michigan.
Great Lakes in Peril: Invasives, pollution, climate change
When you visit one of the Great Lakes, whether it’s a sandy beach or a rocky coastline, it’s hard to imagine how something so big could be affected so profoundly by alien invasive species, or pollution, or climate change.
Aug 6, 2021
49 min
"Water is life" is the theme of Day 1 of protests to shut down Enbridge Line 5
On Thursday, environmental groups and Native Americans plan to present Enbridge Energy with symbolic eviction notices. They want Enbridge to abide by Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s order to shut down Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac.
May 13, 2021
4 min
On eve of Line 5 shutdown deadline, Enbridge vows to defy Michigan order
Enbridge Energy technically has one more day to shut down the Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac, but even the pipeline’s most vocal opponents acknowledge slim odds that the oil actually stops flowing right away.
May 11, 2021
4 min
Plastic debris is getting into the Great Lakes, our drinking water, and our food
There’s been a lot of news about the amount of plastic debris in the oceans. But plastic pollution is also affecting the Great Lakes. A study out of the Rochester Institute of Technology estimates 22 million pounds of plastic debris enters the Great Lakes from the U.S. and Canada each year.
May 6, 2021
4 min
Scientists concerned about the bottom of the food web in the Great Lakes
Right now, scientists are on a ship taking samples and measurements of the Great Lakes. They’re trying to determine how the lakes will fare this year and watching for trends.
Apr 14, 2021
4 min
Is the Line 5 tunnel a bridge to Michigan's energy future or a bad deal?
As Canadian officials lobbied a Michigan Senate committee in March to keep the Line 5 pipeline open, Sen. Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) grew frustrated with a conversation that, up to that point, had focused mainly on the immediate economic and safety implications of a possible shutdown.
Apr 1, 2021
4 min
Some cities are turning to natural infrastructure to deal with extreme rain events
Climate change in the Great Lakes region means more intense storms. Already some towns are finding they’re flooding where they never have before. One city in Michigan is finding the solution is nature.
Mar 17, 2021
4 min
Wetlands can help prevent property damage and save lives during floods
Midland and other cities were hit hard by a flood caused by heavy rains and the failure of a weak dam.
Mar 16, 2021
4 min
Climate change is affecting the kind of fish you can catch in Michigan's inland lakes
Parts of Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve in Michigan are off limits for much of the year because it’s a waterfowl refuge. But in winter time, if it’s cold enough, you can go ice fishing.
Feb 17, 2021
4 min
Water could make Michigan a climate refuge. Are we prepared?
Intrigued by warming winters, researchers from the University of Michigan set out in 1989 to formally measure changes in the geographical distribution of plants and animals in the dense pine and hardwood forests of northern Michigan.
Feb 16, 2021
17 min
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