David Fair

Mosquito Season has arrived, and, in some areas, it is hitting with a vengeance.  Unfortunately, sometimes there is more to a mosquito bite than just minor swelling and itching.  Mosquito-borne illnesses are on the increase in Michigan.  On this week’s "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair will talk with Washtenaw County Public Health Epidemiologist Laura Bauman about the West Nile, Zika, and other viruses from which you should take precautions.

According to recent Michigan Department of Natural Resources inventory data, more than 173 million hemlock trees grow in Michigan.  An invasive insect is now threatening the tree species.  In this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair talks with Forest Health Monitoring Program Manager, Roger Mech about the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid and what you can do to help protect our trees and forests. 

Legislators, policymakers, business leaders and a variety of advocates have been meeting on Mackinac Island this week. Among the attendees, are environmental advocates, two of whom join David Fair for a conversation in this month's edition of '1st Friday Focus on the Environment.'  Larry Bell is founder and owner of Bells Brewery and Lisa Wozniak is executive director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. 

The 2017 Cinetopia Film Festival officially starts today!  In this week's "Cinema Chat," WEMU's David Fair talks with Michigan Theater executive director Russ Collins about what to expect from Cinetopia this year.  Plus, learn about the new movies coming to your local theater this weekend.

The city of Ann Arbor continues its push to remain an environmental leader.  There are ongoing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and better remediate a 1,4 dioxane plume.  Many of the environmental initiatives and local opportunities will be highlighted in the upcoming 17th Annual Mayor’s Green Fair.  David Fair covers these topics with Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor in this week’s edition of "Issues of the Environment." 

Because natural burial has environmental benefits over conventional burial, it is often favored by those who like to “go green.”  But it also can appeal for other, more conservative reasons.  It’s the choice of some independently-minded rural folks, and to many religious traditionalists.  Additionally, it can help out the local businesses that serve the growing demand.  In this installment episode of WEMU’s “The Green Room,” Barbara Lucas looks at natural burial benefits that go “beyond green.” 

In this week's "Cinema Chat," WEMU's David Fair catches up with Michigan Theater executive director Russ Collins and covers all the movies you can check out this Memorial Day weekend.  Plus, you'll get the latest on the Cinetopia Film Festival, which is only a week away!

Did you know the summer of 2016 was the first in which Lyme disease is thought to have originated in Washtenaw County?  It was.  Now, 2017 is predicted to be a particularly bad year for ticks.  In this week’s edition of WEMU’s "Issues of the Environment," David Fair explores why that is and what you can do about it with a medical entomologist from Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

In this week's "Cinema Chat," WEMU's David Fair speaks to Michigan Theater executive director Russ Collins about the movie business and all of the films you can check out at your local theater this weekend.  Plus, get the latest details on this year's Cinetopia Film Festival.

Eastern Michigan University recently sent a contingent to China to build stronger partnerships and opportunities for students and faculty. It is part of a larger strategic plan to expand the school's global presence and draw more students to campus. WEMU's David Fair sat down with two of the people who made the trip to China, EMU President James Smith and EMU Vice President for Enrollment Management Kevin Kucera. 

In this week's "Cinema Chat," WEMU's David Fair talks to Michigan Theater executive director Russ Collins about all the movies returning and making their debut this weekend.  Plus, they give the latest news on the upcoming Cinetopia Film Festival!

Proposals in both Lansing and Washington would make available publicly held lands for private enterprise. environmentalists are fighting regulatory rollbacks and cuts to funding health and sustainability programs. Those are among the topics David Fair addresses with Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak, in this month's edition of WEMU's  "1st Friday Focus on the Environment," 

In this week's "Cinema Chat," WEMU's David Fair talks to Michigan Theater executive director Russ Collins about the movie business and all the films hitting the big screen this weekend.  Plus, they have a huge update on what to expect for this year's Cinetopia Film Festival!

Anytime a governmental unit authorizes lethal measures as a way to control animal population, there are those in the human population that get upset.  Such is the case of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources management plan for Mute Swans in Michigan.  On last week’s “Issues of the Environment,” David Fair discussed the state action plan with Holly Vaughn of the Michigan DNR.  This week, he talks with John Griffin, Director of Urban Wildlife at The Humane Society of the United States, for an alternative viewpoint.  

Many of our most cherished North American songbirds are in trouble.  It’s primarily due to habitat loss—whether through development, agriculture, or climate change.  But, cats and glass, i.e. collisions with buildings, are also huge problems for birds.  Although there are definite challenges to reducing these threats, there also are solutions. 

In this week's "Cinema Chat," WEMU's David Fair speaks to Michigan Theater executive director Russ Collins about the new movies hitting the area this weekend.  Additionally, they pay tribute to the late, great film director,  Jonathan Demme.

It is "Denim Day" around the world and Sexual Assault Awareness Month  in the US.  Sexual assault is a societal, public health and economic issue. It is a deeply personal issue for victims, often with life-long consequences. WEMU's David Fair explores the issues with Barbara Neiss-May, executive director of Safehouse Center in Ann Arbor. 

Swans on a lake are typically a beautiful sight, but one breed of swan has been disrupting Michigan's ecosystem.  In this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair talks to Holly Vaughn, Wildlife Communications Coordinator for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, about the management of invasive mute swans.

In this week's "Cinema Chat," WEMU's David Fair talks to Michigan Theater executive director Russ Collins about the movies available to you over the weekend. Additionally, they look back at Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns's return to Ann Arbor. 

Coal remains an important component of Michigan’s energy mix.  That is changing and, in the foreseeable future, the use of coal is likely to become obsolete.  In this week’s "Issues of the Environment," WEMU’s David Fair explores the energy future in a two-part conversation with DTE Energy chairman and CEO Gerry Anderson.

In this week's "Cinema Chat," WEMU's David Fair talks to Michigan Theater executive director Russ Collins about some new and returning films available to you over the holiday weekend.

As the federal and state government continuing ironing out their budget priorities, environmentalists are expressing concern over proposed funding and regulatory rollbacks. In this month's edition of WEMU's 1st Friday Focus on the Environment, David Fair discusses some of those concerns with Charlotte Jameson, Government Affairs Director at the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. 

In this week's "Cinema Chat," WEMU's David Fair talks to Michigan Theater executive director Russ Collins about the movie business and all of the flicks heading to your local movie house this weekend.