Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/tag/current-state/page/13/)
Every Tuesday the Current State public affairs radio program on WKAR in East Lansing runs an environmental story in partnership with Great Lakes Echo. The stories also run on the Echo site and are archived here.
The locavore movement has taken off in the last five years at least. This notion that consuming food that is raised and grown close to where we live was even given a memorable send-up in the hit IFC comedy “Portlandia.” But parody is not the only thing the locavore movement has spawned. Over the last five years, food hubs have become an increasingly popular way to scale the local food movement affordably and efficiently.
According to the Pew Clean Energy Program, global energy consumption is expected to increase 35% over the next 25 years, with much of that from growing electricity use and expanding vehicle fleets. Phyllis Cuttino is director of the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Clean Energy Program. She addresses energy consumption in relation to clean energy. Energy by Great Lakes Echo
Ontario Power Generation plans to store radioactive waste in an underground cavern near Lake Huron.
The storage site’s proximity to the lake has raised concern across the Great Lakes basin.
Each month Echo commentator Gary Wilson recaps news from around the basin.
This week, Gary reflects on Great Lakes Week, the International Joint Commission’s recommendations to fight algal blooms and water use in fracking.
Architect-futurist: Think locally, act locally by Great Lakes Echo
For more than 30-years, Andrés Duany has sought to end suburban sprawl and urban disinvestment, both in American cities and around the world. Duany is credited with advancing the design aesthetic known as “New Urbanism.” The New Urbansim movement urges people to move beyond 20th century thinking, focusing on ideas that don’t cost money. Another important aspect of Duany’s aesthetic is climate change. He says that there is no evidence that the world will “beat” climate change and because of this western society will enter into a period of demoralization. Duany believes the way to avoid this depressing state is to act locally.
There is a plan to restore to better health Detroit’s Rouge River. It will take money and cooperation to get the job done. But some of that work is already underway.
Detroit’s Rouge River is one of the Great Lakes’ most polluted waterways. Generations of air and water pollution from heavy industry near the mouth of the river contaminated its sediments and made the fish unsafe to eat.
This summer a coalition of Detroit based organization released the Detroit Environmental Agenda. The two-year project addresses improving quality of life through improving the environment. Guy Williams, President of Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice joins Current State to discuss the report his organization helped compile. Tackling environmental issues crucial for Detroit’s success by Great Lakes Echo
Detroit is known for a lot of things, but one of the most surprising is walleye fishing. Contributor Judi Smelser takes us fishing on the river with Lance Valentine.
Texas-based Whole Foods recently announced plans to open a new store on Grand River Avenue in Meridian Township in 2015. This location will put the new organic food store in very close proximity to several similar stores, including Foods for Living and the East Lansing Food Co-op. General Manager of ELFCO Dave Finet joins Current State to discuss what implications the new store may have in the area.
How Whole Foods might affect similar local businesses by Great Lakes Echo