Gypsy moth caterpillars have completely stripped the leaves of trees in portions of Chelsea and caused significant defoliation in portions of Ann Arbor. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair talks about the infestation with Bob Bricault, horticulture educator for Michigan State University Extension in Washtenaw County.

Last month, due to high levels of PFAS in fish, the state of Michigan issued a "Do Not Eat Fish" advisory for parts of the Huron River. After further testing, that advisory has been expanded to the entire river. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair revisits this situation with Huron River Watershed Council executive director Laura Rubin .

The state of Michigan this month issued, then expanded, a “Do Not Eat Fish” advisory for portions of the Huron River. It cited unusually high levels of PFAS in the fish it tested. PFAS are a compound of chemicals known to cause cancer and other medical issues. In this week’s “Issues of the Environment,” Huron River Watershed Council executive director Laura Rubin dispels some misconceptions about the advisory and discusses the concerns the contamination raises for the present and future health

The impacts of exposure to lead are costly to both public health and Michigan's bottom line. While the Flint Water Crisis brought greater awareness of lead exposure hazards, lead-based paints continue to damage children throughout the state. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair speaks with Rebecca Meuninck, Deputy Director of the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, to discuss new EPA standards for the amount of lead permitted in household paint, dust, and soil.

It began as a quest for knowledge and understanding of the issues surrounding the controversial Enbridge 'Line 5' that runs through the Straits of Mackinac. With the release of the 2nd part of his documentary on the subject, Ann Arbor's Barton Bund contends that a cause for concern has become a need for alarm. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," Bund discusses 'Line 5-Part 2: Violation of Public Trust."

Chemicals known as PFAs have found their way in Washtenaw County's drinking water, and that can lead to numerous health and environmental problems. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair talks about this situation with Dr. Rita Loch-Caruso , toxicologist and Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Michigan.

There are more than 11-thousand inland lakes in Michigan. The greatest threat to the health of these water-bodies is a loss of nearshore habitat. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair talks to Julia Kirkwood, chair of the Michigan Natural Shoreline Partnership, about the ongoing efforts to increase protections.

Industrialized agriculture has resulted in the loss of numerous plant and animal species, but there is an organization looking to change that trend. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair talks with Lauren Moscoe, board member of Slow Food of Huron Valley and member of Midwest Ark of Taste Committee, about what has been done to increase diversity in agriculture.

The heat wave continues in Washtenaw County, Southeast Michigan, and a majority of the country. While every summer brings its hot spells, you can expect greater periods of unpredictable and potentially more destructive weather events. In this week’s edition of "Issues of the Environment," WEMU’s David Fair and University of Michigan professor Dr. Richard Rood explore the adaptive attitudes and actions necessary for our future.

Algal blooms are common in the Great Lakes in the summertime, but they may be more dangerous than originally believed. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair talks with Dr. Andrew Ault , assistant professor at the University of Michigan's departments of environmental health sciences and chemistry, about a study that determined that algal blooms can become airborne, and, therefore, become a public hazard.