The Environment Report

The cost of electricity could jump dramatically next month in the Upper Peninsula.Residents there might have to start paying to keep a coal plant open that isn't entirely needed anymore. The increase will be a harsh blow to a region that struggles economically.

There’s a bacterial infection that’s deadly to honeybees.  Researchers have found a natural way to fight back… using a kind of virus.  Using nature to fight nature… and help bees.

Drilling for oil and gas is on the decline in Michigan.That might sound surprising since there has been so much excitement and controversy over “fracking” in recent years.But not many wells were actually drilled and the company that led the recent fracking boom has left Michigan.That leaves the industry and its watchdogs wondering where new action will come from.

More Michigan cities and townships make changes to their master plans to adapt to a changing climate, and we'll hear why scientists want you to walk in the woods and look for trees that survived the attack of the emerald ash borer.

We tackle a question from our M I Curious project: Have there ever been pirates on the Great Lakes?We’ll give you the answer… but let’s just say if there were… they probably wore sweaters.

We look into the status of Enbridge's Line 5.

There have been 353 fatal drownings in the Great Lakes since 2010 and Lake Michigan's shoreline is especially dangerous. We'll look at why there’s an increase in fatal drownings in the Great Lakes and what we can do about it.

Beekeepers have to protect their bees from a lot of things… including hungry bears.  We'll hear what some Michigan lawmakers want to do to keep bears away from beehives.

The tick boom continues this year in Michigan. We'll hear what you need to know about the risk of Lyme disease.

The Obama Administration has released a plan to cut carbon emissions from power plants.  We'll hear what the proposed regulations could mean for Michigan.

The creators of "Sharknado" have a new TV movie out, about killer lampreys terrorizing a fictional Michigan town. We'll talk with a lamprey expert to put the behavior of these movie villains to the test.

35 miles of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is now protected as wilderness. The move is popular with locals, but it took years to convince Congress.  We’ll go behind the scenes of the Sleeping Bear decision.

Energy giants Encana Oil and Gas USA and Chesapeake Energy were arraigned this week on conspiracy and anti-trust violations.  Both companies are adamant they did not break any laws. Michigan Radio's Lindsey Smith has the details.

A concrete company wants to mine sand and gravel on a site near Chelsea.  We’ll hear about a state law that limits the ability of township officials to say no to the mine.

President Obama’s 2015 budget proposes some cuts to Great Lakes programs… including a huge restoration project that’s been underway for a few years.  We’ll talk about how much restoration money could flow to the Great Lakes.