Lester Graham
Reporter, The Environment ReportLester Graham reports for The Environment Report. He has reported on public policy, politics, and issues regarding race and gender inequity. He was previously with The Environment Report at Michigan Public from 1998-2010.
He has been a journalist since 1985. Graham has served as a board member of the Public Radio News Directors Inc., and also served as President of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association. He is a member of the Radio-Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), Society of Professional Journalists and other professional groups.
Lester has received 17 first-place national awards for journalism excellence and more than 100 additional awards at the national, regional, and state levels.
He is also an avid wildlife photographer.
Contact Lester: graham@michiganpublic.org
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Environmental groups concerned about drilling a tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac want Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, EGLE, to deny a Water Resources Permit that would allow the project to go forward. -
Each summer, Lake Erie is plagued by toxic cyanobacterial blooms fed by phosphorus runoff from farm fields. Michigan is struggling to reduce the pollution by 40%. -
The U.S. Supreme court wants lower courts and agencies to restrict the kinds of environmental issues should be used in permitting infrastructure. -
A new study shows the Great Lakes are vulnerable to more extreme temperature highs and lows over the decades due to climate change. -
The new lock at the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie is in the third phase of construction. The megaproject is over budget and funds to finish the lock are uncertain. A federal report found if the current lock for large ships fails, it could cause a deep recession, leading to as many as 11 million people to be unemployed. -
Federal budget cuts proposed by the Trump administration could cause significant disruption in the efforts to restore and sustain fish populations in the Great Lakes. -
A map of urban tree cover was published by the Washington Post. Michigan metro areas vary in tree cover, ranging from 26% to 48%. Tree cover in urban areas is important because it reduces the heat island effect. -
Prairie fires were a natural part of the landscape before European settlement. Most prairies were eventually turned into farmland. Because they're vital habitat to pollinators and other wildlife, plus are beautiful in their own right, prairies are being restored. Occasionally, they need to be burned to survive. -
Michigan has far to go to meet net zero carbon emissions, but progress is being made. Researchers say we need to look farther ahead and prepare now for the technical challenges that must be overcome. -
The transition to cleaner energy in Michigan could get an assist through transmission lines to renewable energy from solar and wind in the Great Plains states.