The Environment Report

A pesky insect that loves to invade fruit has found its way to northern Michigan's cherry orchards. Scientists have had their eye on spotted wing drosophila since it arrived in the U.S. from Asia in 2008. The bug has quickly spread across the country after wreaking havoc on cherries in California. Now northern Michigan cherry growers are trying to mobilize against the pest before it's too late.

The Flint water crisis has uncovered all kinds of details about how cities test the safety of their drinking water. In particular, critics say the state is giving bad advice on testing drinking water for lead.

Researchers at Michigan State University have been testing out ways to attract sea lampreys into traps in a river near Mackinac City. And we'll hear about a tree-killing bug that federal officials want you to keep an eye open for.

Since the 1930s, Sargent Sand Company has held a permit to mine sand from its property inside Ludington State Park. For years, the 400 acre mine was dormant as the company negotiated to sell its land to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. That sale fell through. Last year, the mine cranked back up again, and the neighbors aren't too happy about it.

The case of the leaking septic tanks.

Honey bees pollinate about a third of the crops in the U.S—that's about $15 billion of the agricultural economy. But honeybees have had a tough time lately: a combination of diseases, stress, parasites and pesticides have all hurt the honey bee population. Scientists are starting to look at how other species of bees could help pick up the slack.

We'll hear what people are doing to try to prevent a drinking water crisis like last year's in Toledo from happening again.

In his State of the State address this week, Governor Snyder said we need a long-term energy policy to tackle all the changes coming down the pipe.

Residents of northern Michigan got a surprise last summer. They found out some drilling for oil and gas can be done confidentially. That unnerved some people in Emmet County, who now want their local government to do something about it.

Many Michigan fruit farmers lost their crops three years ago after spring came early, and then a frost wiped them out. We’ll hear about a researcher who’s testing out a way to delay the spring bloom in a warm year. 

We'll hear how automakers are marketing hybrid and electric vehicles in this time of low gas prices.

Scientists from Michigan Tech are getting ready to hang out in the bitter cold on Isle Royale to study wolves and moose.  It’s the 57th year of Winter Study. 

State officials have loosened the rules on an invasive crayfish.  Now, you can catch rusty crayfish to eat them. 

Some scientists are turning to crowdfunding to raise money for their research.  We’ll hear why this practice raises new questions.

Federal regulators are proposing new rules to cut carbon dioxide emissions, and it looks like one community in west Michigan has a decent head start.