89.1 WEMU: Issues of the Environment

Most of us will agree; when you combine environmental education with urban forestry and seasonal ecology, and part of the reward is a sweet, sticky, natural treat, you have a winning combination! Making syrup at the neighborhood level: that's the subject of this week's "Issues of the Environment" conversation between Jennie Williams and WEMU's David Fair. Williams is from the Pear Street Collectiv...

Just about 40 miles from our WEMU studios sits a 440-acre lake plain prairie. It’s called the Sibley Prairie, and you’ll find it in Brownstown Township. It is the largest and highest quality lake plain prairie in Michigan. As such, work is underway to try and permanently preserve this rare ecosystem. Jeff Vornhagen is Director-at-Large of the Huron Valley Chapter of the Michigan Botanical Society....

The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced that the Gelman Sciences 1,4 Dioxane plume has been added to the federal Superfund National Priorities List. After years of effort toward that end, it seemed as though the designation came suddenly and without notice. With a little time behind us now, we’re looking ahead to what’s next in the slow process of cleanup and accountability in a con...

While we work on big, community environmental initiatives and goals, we have to remember that sometimes it’s the small, everyday choices we make at home that add up to a big difference. Washtenaw County has robust reuse and recycle programs. With the growing amount of electronics in our lives, we are often left with decisions to make about how best to get rid of those items. WEMU's David Fair talk...

The picture of our present-day energy use comes from a sort of all-of-the-above menu. We use oil, gas, natural gas, nuclear, wind and solar. Research is underway to determine if the use of hydrogen can be used to significant scale as part of the energy diet. Ann Arbor has become central to the research and discussion on that matter. On this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair was...

The race to eliminate waste is on, and the University of Michigan is working to win! The Campus Race to Zero Waste is the nation’s leading collegiate waste-reduction competition. Michigan won the competition in 2024 but fell short last year. The 2026 competition is underway and runs through the end of March. WEMU's David Fair spoke with U-M Sustainability Program Manager Alison Richardson about th...

As we continue the process of mapping out our energy future, there are a number of issues to address, from energy generation and storage to how our electric grids are developed, secured and controlled. State Senator Jeff Irwin is a proponent of virtual power plants as a part of the comprehensive solution. It would divert control of the grids away from the major, centralized utilities. The 15th Dis...