Under a new state law, large stores and retail or grocery store chains in New York will have to provide collection bins for used carry out bags.
Lots of supermarkets encourage shoppers to carry re-usable bags. The new law goes further, to try to make sure those plastic bags still in use are recycled. Julie Grant reports.
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NCPR News: The Environment Report from GLRC
In 1993, a diverse group of public radio outlets began planning
for an environmental news service to help redefine environmental
reporting in the Great Lakes region. National Public Radio's
Living on Earth, Michigan Public Radio, the Superior
Radio Network, and 29 non-commercial radio stations worked
together to develop the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium (GLRC). In 2006, The GLRC changed its name to The Environment Report and broadened its scope to better place regional environmental issues within a national context. Today, the GLRC is carried by more than 130 stations in 18 states and one province and reaches an annual audience approaching 36 million listeners. As a GLRC member, North Country Public Radio contibutes stories to the system as well as carrying the Consortium's stories in its own news programs. As Consortium reporters, the voices of the NCPR news team are heard throughout the Northeast and Midwest U.S. and in Canada. GLRC Features on NCPR News
Most of us assume the government is keeping track of environmental issues such as pollution in water. In reality, most pollution problems are first detected by citizens. Lester Graham reports in some parts of the nation, volunteers step in to make sure their local streams and lakes are clean.
Most cities discourage you from throwing your Christmas tree away. Rebecca Williams takes a look at what you can do with your tree.
A lead detector finds over 5000 parts per million of lead in this toy. (Photo by Lisa Ann Pinkerton)
Millions of toys were recalled last year because of lead contamination. There were about half as many recalls this year, but lead in toys is still a problem. Rebecca Williams reports there's a new law that will limit the amount of lead in any toy or children's product, but it won't go into effect until after the holidays.
Northeastern states are up in arms about a policy change in favor of older power plants. In one of its many late-term rules, the Bush administrations would allow older power plants to add on without buying new pollution control equipment. Mark Brush has more.
On this Thanksgiving, a consumer expert says you can avoid wasting a lot of food with just a little planning. Lester Graham reports.
In many households today is the day to prep the big turkey. But, some people will be eating Tofurky instead. It's a meat substitute made out of tofu. Rebecca Williams got a cooking lesson from a devoted Tofurky fan and her meat-eating boyfriend.
President-elect Barack Obama says America will open a new chapter in dealing with climate change. Lester Graham reports the Senator confirmed he will work toward the plan he outlined during the presidential Campaign.
Linda Nellet brought a few of her birds to a backyard-chicken seminar in Chicago.
(click image to enlarge)
Maybe it's easy to imagine chickens cooing and clucking on American farms, but how about in big-city backyards? Well, keeping chickens is legal in the nation's three largest cities, but in one of them, chicken-lovers nearly lost that right. Shawn Allee tells how some urban chicken-keepers were nearly caught off guard, and how they plan to keep their chickens in the coop.
Researchers have more evidence that a weed killer is causing frogs to be deformed. Lester Graham reports the herbicide is used on farms across the country.
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