Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/tag/current-state/page/8/)
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.
If you live in Michigan it seems like every summer is a time to complain about the mosquitoes being really bad this year, but how bad are they, really? Current State talked with Ned Walker about this year’s mosquito crop and some of the issues connected to mosquito-borne illness. He’s a professor in MSU’s Department of Entomology and the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics.
Bill Schneider grows native Michigan plants and also designs ecologically focused projects such as prairie and wetland mitigation, and storm water recovery works.
Environmentalist says city needs better preparation for larger spills.
Since his college years, Doc Fletcher has been canoeing and kayaking the countless waterways in the Midwest. One of his favorite places to paddle is on the Pere Marquette River in Michigan.
Michigan may authorize new uses for toxic coal ash by Great Lakes Echo
One of the bills that cleared the Michigan legislature this session was a provision that allows certain bio-waste materials to be re-used for beneficial purposes. These substances include things like cement kiln dust, wood pulp and coal ash. Coal ash is the leftover residue from coal burned by electric power plants. The bill permits coal ash to be used in road construction, but it may also be used in agriculture as a fertilizer supplement, causing some environmental advocates to become concerned. Current State’s Kevin Lavery speaks with Republican State Representative Wayne Schmidt, the bill’s main sponsor, who strongly states that coal ash is completely safe and does not pose any environmental threats.
Most people are aware of the “sexy” greenhouse gas CO-2. Fewer know of its co-culprit nitrous oxide. The third-largest greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide is released in soil during a natural process. However, the increased use of nitrogen fertilizer in agriculture has resulted in harmful nitrous oxide emissions.
Drain Commissioner On Clean Water Challenges, Opportunities WKAR by Great Lakes Echo
Pat Lindemann has served as the Drain Commissioner of Ingham County for 21 years. He’s a Lansing native who’s spent his entire life in the area. As Drain Commissioner, Lindemann’s responsible for the operation of Ingham County storm drains and related issues including lake levels and soil erosion. Lindemann has earned a reputation as an environmental advocate. That’s put him at odds with developers, entrepreneurs and municipal officials eagerly pursuing business development.
About a decade ago, Lake Huron’s fishing was not very abundant because of a steep decline in fish numbers. To see how the lake is doing now, Current State’s Melissa Benmark spoke with David Fielder, Fisheries Research Biologist for the Department of Natural Resources and a doctoral student at Michigan State University. Fielder explained that the decline ten years ago was due to ecological changes after the invasion of zebra mussels, quagga mussels and a higher predator abundance.
Elementary students from mid-Michigan are lobbying for one of three candidates proposed for designation as the state amphibian.