Food & Home on The Green Room
February 26, 2016: How Green is your cup of Joe?
Eighty percent of Americans drink coffee, and global consumption is projected to rise by 25% in the next five years. What is the eco-footprint? Many factors contribute. In this installment of WEMU’s “The Green Room,” Barbara Lucas explores what’s happening locally and beyond to green up America’s favorite morning drink.
August 28, 2015: Shades Of Grey In Green Agriculture
Americans spend less of their household budget on food than do citizens of any other country. Should we spend more, to reduce long-term impacts to the planet? How do we decide what products are most "green?"
June 26, 2015: Breast Milk - Nature's Most Perfect Food?
Some consider breastfeeding to be one of the best ways to promote both human and environmental health. In this installment, Barbara Lucas explores the benefits and challenges of ensuring that all babies have access to breast milk.
April 24, 2015: Michigan's Sugarbush - Environmental considerations of the Maple Sugar Industry
Early spring in Michigan brings the cold nights and warm days that make tree sap flow: It’s Maple Sugar time! In this installment of WEMU’s “The Green Room,” Barbara Lucas explores the environmental considerations of this growing local industry.
November 28, 2014: Bountiful Harvest - Local Folks See Benefit in Raising Own Food
In today’s world, most of our food comes in packages from the grocery store, and few of us have a real connection to how it got there. From schoolyard gardens to addiction treatment centers, growing plants and raising livestock can have many benefits.
September 27, 2013: Local Access to Local Foods
As "food miles" have increased, finding fresh, locally-grown food often means driving a distance to get it. But Washtenaw County is seeing a surge of interest in locally-sourced food that is available nearby.
January 22, 2013: Food Waste
On any given day, we waste a lot of food-about half of what we throw away is food. What should we do with it all? Sending it to the landfill has environmental impacts, so cities are looking into alternatives.
September 29, 2017: Starlight, Streetlight, What Can I See Tonight? Preventing Light Pollution
No matter who we are or where we live, all human being have one thing in common: we all have the night sky above us. But can we actually see it? Studies say nowadays only 20% of the world’s population lives somewhere dark enough to see the heavens untouched by light pollution. Luckily, this is one form of pollution that can be reversed.
February 24, 2017: Urban Living Density - A Negative Or A Positive?
Every parcel slated for development comes with a host of environmental considerations, from stormwater control to cleanup of soil contamination. Two of the considerations most hotly debated in the Ann Arbor area are greenspace and density.
March 27, 2015: Learning Without Walls - Local Programs Where The Outdoors Rules
Are today's children spending too much time indoors and online? Might a year-round, outdoors education serve them well?
June 27, 2014: Sound Matters: Noise and its Impacts
Approximately 15% of Americans under age 70 have preventable noise-related hearing loss. New research is showing that seemingly benign levels of noise can have impacts, and the effects can go far beyond just hearing loss.