Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the obesity epidemic in America continues to get worse. In nine states - all in the South or Midwest - a third of the population is obese. Not a single state had a rate of adult obesity below 15 percent, the goal set by federal government’s Healthy People program.
The Northeast is slimmer than other parts of the country. But, still, a quarter of all New Yorkers are obese.
Jeffrey Levi of the Trust for America’s Health calls obesity “one of the biggest public health challenges the country has ever faced.”
Some people say the government is partly to blame for America’s obesity problem - because of the federal dietary guidelines. Julie Grant reports on efforts to improve how the government offers nutritional advice. More...
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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
Saving rainforests helps farmers
06/02/10
A new report says stopping deforestation in the rainforests will benefit farms in the U.S. Mark Brush reports, it calls for money to be set aside to pay for rainforest conservation.
New smokestack rules
06/01/10
This week, the U-S Environmental Protection Agency will release much-anticipated new rules limiting sulfur dioxide in the air. As Tanya Ott reports, it's almost certain to result in years of legal battles.
A filmmaker's food waste story
05/24/10
Jeremy Seifert produced the Dive!, a film about food waste and how much of it is actually useful. (Photo courtesy of Dive! The Film)
A film about food waste is catching attention and awards at independent film festivals across the country.
The film is called Dive!, and reviewers are shocked by the film's statistics about how much edible food that grocery stores toss into dumpsters. Shawn Allee reports the reviewers are also enthralled by the filmmaker's personal story about diving after that food. More...
Subsidies for solar power
05/21/10
Sources of renewable energy like wind, solar, and hydroelectric are still just tiny players in a world powered by fossil fuels. Most of the power for your light switch comes from burning coal and natural gas. Mark Brush reports the government is trying to change that. There are state and federal programs that will pay you to put solar panels on your house.
Tough times in the cafeteria
05/18/10
These are challenging times for people who run school lunch programs. A national TV show this spring took on the school food system.
Leaders in Washington are debating how much money the country should spend on childhood nutrition. And new concerns about nutrition are an eerie echo of the origins of the public school lunch. Julie Grant reports. More...
Hurricane season starts soon. Experts predict an active season with four "major" hurricanes. What happens if a storm hits while there's still an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico? Tanya Ott reports. More...
Fixing the organic label
05/07/10
They cost more, but sales of organic foods are rising. Even in this down economy, organic food sales are going up three times faster than other foods. As Julie Grant reports, that's happening as the government is working to make sure everything that's labeled organic actually is organic. More...
H1N1 flu still around
04/26/10
You might think the flu season is over, but H1N1 flu is still around. Rebecca Williams reports health officials still want you to get vaccinated against the virus. More...
A long-awaited climate change bill will come up in the U.S. Senate next week. Among other measures, it includes a national renewable electricity standard, requiring more power to come from sources other than fossil fuel such as coal. It has bi-partisan authorship, and support on both sides of the aisle as well. But a prominent Republican says the bill won’t pass. Lester Graham reports. More...
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