Microplastics are everywhere. They’re in the air we breathe, the clothes we wear, even the food we eat. Scientists are still trying to understand what these tiny particles are doing to the environment and our bodies. But an accidental discovery at the University of Michigan in 2019 – involving baby diapers and rubber tires – has broken ground on an idea for how to get them out of our water. (This episode comes to us from the podcast Points North at Interlochen Public Radio.)
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Kayakers vs. river pollution
For decades, the world’s longest prairie river was treated as a convenient dumping ground by cities and industries. Government regulation dramatically improved water quality here and around the country. Today the Kansas River is a place to scope out beavers and bald eagles. But decades-old garbage and other pollution still plague the river, so a motley crew of kayakers took it upon itself to dig out the trash.
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Say no to skyglow: Smarter lighting can help save the stars
We have inadvertently filled our world with poorly designed outdoor lighting. The price? We’re losing our starry skies, hurting our health, killing pollinators, wasting billions of dollars and releasing millions of tons of avoidable carbon dioxide. Now people in a Missouri college town and a state park are proving that picking the right bulbs and fixtures can curb light pollution and its harms.
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Less lawn, more wildlife! Here’s how to ditch turf for native plants
So you’ve been thinking about getting rid of your lawn, or at least having less. You’ll attract birds and bees and you won’t have to mow as much. Nice! But where to start? Master gardener Paula Diaz gives us the scoop on how to kill grass, where to look for the right native plant species to replace it, and how to start laying out your flower beds. Come learn from someone who’s been winning over her neighbors to give native plants a shot.
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Those soil health products may be a waste of money
Symbiotic fungi are all the rage right now. Farmers want them in their fields, gardeners want them in veggie patches and flowerbeds. The excitement has given rise to a billion-dollar mycorrhizae market, but many products don’t deliver on their promises. Come visit the world’s biggest collection of these fungi to learn what makes them so great — and why you should think twice before buying them.
Humans broke the environment — but we can heal it, too. Up From Dust is a podcast about the price of trying to shape the world around our needs, as seen from the Great Plains and the Midwest. Host Celia Llopis-Jepsen wanders across prairies, farm fields and suburbia to find the folks who are fixing our generational mistakes. From the NPR Network, KCUR Studios, and the Kansas News Service.
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