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READY — WEATHER OR NOT!

Knox County, Mo, 2003. Photo provided by St. Louis National Weather Service.

Knox County, Mo, 2003. Photo provided by St. Louis National Weather Service.

Tornadoes get people’s attention in a way that a discussion of global warming just cannot do. However, what if a hotter climate means more energy in the atmosphere and more violent weather as a result? Like tornadic storms? This is one of the topics I was able to discuss with scientists at the National Weather Service in October. The visit was part of the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ) Conference and inspired this column in the Webster-Kirkwood Times and South County Times.

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Posted on November 15, 2015 in Environment, Home, Outdoor/Nature

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The Long Road To Results

Pictured: Patricia Schuba. Photo provided by Patricia Schuba.

Pictured: Patricia Schuba. Photo provided by Patricia Schuba.

This week, Don Corrigan speaks with Patricia Schuba, president of the Labadie Environmental Organization, on “Behind the Editor’s Curtain.” Their conversation talks about the hazards of coal ash from coal-fired electricity plants, about the organization’s beginnings from a local women’s book club, the long process of getting results for environmental concerns, and the importance of community collaboration.

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Posted on November 13, 2015 in Environment, Home, Podcasts

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Eddy Harris: One Man, One Canoe, Twice On The Mississippi River

Eddy Harris l

Pictured Above: Eddy Harris

By Don Corrigan
Outdoor author Eddy Harris was in town recently and we broke bread and discussed his upcoming work and documentary on paddling the Mississippi River. We have a mutual interest in encouraging more people of color to get into the outdoors and to enlist in the environmental movement. Harris wrote a great piece in Outside Magazine a few years ago about black people’s reservations about outdoor activities in America. I plan to draw from his work in a presentation I will give in March before the American Culture Association/Popular Culture Association. This column on Harris has drawn a lot of feedback from Kirkwood, Mo. residents who remember his growing up in their town.

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Posted on November 9, 2015 in Home, Outdoor/Nature

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Two Local Mothers Work To Keep A Community From Losing Hope

Pictured above: Dawn Chapman (Left) and Karen Nickel, co-founders of Just Moms STL. Picture provided by Just Moms STL.

Pictured above: Dawn Chapman (Left) and Karen Nickel, co-founders of Just Moms STL. Picture provided by Just Moms STL.

Don Corrigan interviews Dawn Chapman and Karen Nickel, co-founders of Just Moms STL, in this edition of “Behind The Editor’s Curtain.” The duo shares their insight, research, perspectives, updates, and history about the issues surrounding the West Lake Landfill and their struggle to protect their kids, their family, and their community.

“The hardest thing is not getting people to action, but getting people not to lose hope,” Just Moms STL said. “The bureaucracy in this issue is huge and it’s so disgusting that people lose heart and say that nobody is going to come in and save us.”

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Posted on November 5, 2015 in Environment, Home, Podcasts

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Corrigan’s Insight: Media’s Coverage Of The West Lake Landfill Issues

 

Don Corrigan’s new article in the Gateway Journalism Review has hit the newsstand!

A podcast featuring  Dawn Chapman and Karen Nickel, the founders of Just Moms STL, will be posted on Environmental Echo soon – be sure to check back for this exciting interview by Don Corrigan.

Corrigan’s article is entitled, “Media Cover — And Uncover — Environmental Problems in St. Louis.”  The article takes a close look at news media coverage of the dangers of radioactive waste at the West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton, Missouri, west of Lambert International Airport for St. Louis.

Corrigan spent time with Just Moms STL as part of his study and the community group’s interactions with the news media. Corrigan found that national coverage of the contaminated site has often exceeded the amount of local media attention to what some scientists view as a potential radioactive threat to a large area of the St. Louis region.

To read the article CLICK HERE.

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Posted on November 4, 2015 in Environment, Home

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Local Event

Local Event: Don Corrigan talks about his book, “Environmental Missouri” Wednesday, November 4, 2015.  

Webster Groves Nature Study Society will host Don Corrigan on Wednesday evening, Nov. 4, as part of the regular meeting of WGNSS. Corrigan will speak on his book, “Environmental Missouri.” For details, go to the website, WGNSS.org or contact Rich Thoma at: <thomarkas4@sbcglobal.net>

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Posted on November 3, 2015 in Home, Local Events

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Nearly Four Decades of Protecting Missouri’s Natural Resources

Above: Angel Kruzen (left), Ken Midkiff (center), and Tom Kruzen (right). Photo provided by Tom Kurzen.

Above: Angel Kruzen (left), Ken Midkiff (center), and Tom Kruzen (right). Photo provided by Tom Kruzen.

Don Corrigan talks with Tom Kruzen, recipient of the 2015 Lewis C. Green Environmental Service Award, in this edition of “Behind the Editors Curtain.” Kruzen shares some of his experiences about working to protect Missouri’s natural resources for nearly four decades.

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Posted on October 29, 2015 in Environment, Home, Podcasts

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Explore The Outdoors In The St. Louis Region

Pictured: John Vogel. Photo provided by John Vogel.

Pictured: John Vogel. Photo provided by John Vogel.

Don Corrigan talks with John Vogel, the wildlife regional supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation, in this edition of “Behind the Editors Curtain.” The conversation includes information about the St. Louis area’s many outdoor activities, organizations that help protect our outdoor environment, and the October 24, 2015, event, Explore the Outdoors: St. Louis.

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Posted on October 19, 2015 in Home, Local Events, Outdoor/Nature, Podcasts

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The Meramec Coal-Fired Power Plant Continues To Cause Concern

Meramec Coal-Burning Power Plant. Photo: South County Times

Meramec Coal-Burning Power Plant. Photo: South County Times

Don Corrigan’s new South County Times article covers the continued concern over pollution from the Meramec coal-burning power plant, which is scheduled to close in 2022.

To read the article CLICK HERE.

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Posted on October 17, 2015 in Environment, Home

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Franciscan Sisters: On The Path To Sustainability

Sister Renita Brummer (left) and Sister Norma Pimentel. All photos provided by Sister Renita Brummer.

Sister Renita Brummer (left) and Sister Norma Pimentel. All photos provided by Sister Renita Brummer.

In this edition of “Behind the Editor’s Curtain” with Don Corrigan, the spotlight is on  involvement by the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in local environmental issues and their thoughts about the recent visit by Pope Francis to the U.S.

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Posted on October 8, 2015 in Environment, Home, Podcasts