great lakes

The federal administration has laid off hundreds of staff from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the impact is already being felt locally and in region. Moving forward, there is the potential NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab in Ann Arbor could be shut down. WEMU's David Fair spoke with Nicole Rice about where it stands now and where it may be headed. Rice is among those already fired from the lab in Ann Arbor.

Advocates say proposed funding cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) could bring devastating consequences to the Great Lakes. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

It would be a great relief to be independent of worry about oil spills that could contaminate the Great Lakes. But those worries exist among environmentalists and many in our Great Lakes state. Enbridge Energy is moving forward with plans to build a tunnel around its Line 5 pipeline that runs through the Straits of Mackinac. The new director of the University of Michigan Water Center is Dr. Mike Shriberg. He joined WEMU's David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak, to discuss the implications.

The U.S. Supreme Court is taking up a case concerning a lawsuit over the Line 5 oil pipeline that runs through the Straits of Mackinac. Colin Jackson has more.

You may have noticed there have been some changes in the nature of our weather. Climate change is cited as the reason for some notable changes in precipitation patterns in our corner of the world. What does that tell us about the near- and longer-term future in Washtenaw County? WEMU's David Fair discussed this with Dr. Drew Gronewold, Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability.

Paper or plastic? We’ve all answered that question in the checkout line at the grocery store or supermarket. While reusable bags are growing in popularity, plastic bags remain ubiquitous in retail shopping. A movement to start banning plastic bags, or at least charge money for choosing them at the store, was thwarted in 2016 when the state Legislature banned local governments from passing such environmental measures. Now, Democratic State Representative Morgan Foreman of Ann Arbor is working to lift that ban. She joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the legislation and what it aims to accomplish.

A globally recognized climate researcher with the University of Michigan says the U.S. lags behind countries that have embraced solar and renewable energy over fossil fuels. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor reports.

Scientists, almost unanimously, cite climate change as an existential threat. There are differing opinions as to when we will reach a tipping point of no return. With the new federal administration attempting to roll back climate policies and funding for programs and research, what will happen next? WEMU's David Fair and Michigan Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak find out in their conversation with Julia Cole, Chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences in the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

The Michigan House of Representatives is meeting again this week after a few weeks off for spring break. Colin Jackson has more on what leadership says to expect.

Among the agencies being hit by federal funding cuts, changes in administration priorities and employee buyouts is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory is in Ann Arbor, and some changes have already taken place. Deborah Lee who, up until her recent retirement, served as director of the lab. She discussed the changes with WEMU's David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak.