Hello and welcome to Eco Report.

In the third part of their interview, Max Jancich and Ashton Harper with Dr. Tommy Butts of Purdue University, transition from future weeding technology to monitoring agricultural runoff.

And now for your environmental reports:

• With 70% of the Indiana’s rivers and streams unsafe for swimming, the Hoosier state has the worst water pollution problem in the nation. A comprehensive report from the Hoosier Environmental Council reveals that over 24,000 miles of Indiana waterways are polluted—more than any other state. These pollutants come from agricultural runoff, industrial discharges, city stormwater, and emerging contaminants like poly-fluoro-alkyl substances and microplastics. PFAS chemicals were found in 100% of the fish sampled, while microplastics have been discovered in central Indiana’s White River.
• Ground control, the young Earthlings of Terre Haute are becoming stars themselves! This group of youth ages 7–16 from Vigo County Schools is Nickelodeon’s latest feature in a series about young climate changemakers.
• There is a Prairie catalog for restoring native species. Illinois has lost 99.9% of its native tallgrass prairie, but scientists have created a powerful new tool to help bring these vital ecosystems back. Prairies are environmental powerhouses. Their deep root systems, some reaching 8 feet down, store massive amounts of carbon, prevent soil erosion, and create incredibly resilient ecosystems that support hundreds of plant, insect, and animal species.
• Researchers at the University of Illinois just launched RELIX, a database that catalogs plant species from 353 surviving prairie remnants across the Midwest. These remnants are akin to postage stamps—tiny patches of original grassland that survived because they couldn’t be farmed. Commercial seed mixes are often missing many native species and this database can change that. Now restoration projects can use seed mixes that truly match what grew here naturally, creating stronger, more diverse prairies that can better withstand droughts, floods, and invasive species.
• A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration can proceed with terminating more than $16 billion in climate grants to nonprofit organizations. The grants, awarded under Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to fight climate change, had been frozen by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin who cited concerns about fraud and misalignment with the agency’s updated priorities.
• More than 85 climate scientists have issued a scathing rebuttal to a new Department of Energy report, calling it full of climate science misrepresentations and outright errors. The scientists found that Energy Secretary Chris Wright handpicked the team of five climate skeptics who cherry-picked their data and ignored critical climate impacts while writing this report. Environmental groups have sued the Trump administration, alleging the report was created illegally in secret with only one viewpoint represented.
• Schools in Paris are creating greening opportunities for increased wilderness, right in their very own backyards. A groundbreaking study examined 16 schools in a large-scale initiative to renature Paris’s schoolyards from asphalt to green spaces by 2050. The study found that arthropod communities, like insects, spiders, and other small creatures, thrived in the green schoolyards at levels similar to nearby parks. These transformed urban spaces, originally designed as “cool islands,” also combat the urban heat island effect.
• According to a recent study published in Nature, the effects of rampant carbon pollution have the potential to wreak havoc across India. And as sea levels continue to rise, a number of the country’s most prominent coastal cities are facing increased threats of flooding.
• Trump Says America’s Oil Industry Is Cleaner Than Other Countries’. New Data Shows Massive Emissions From Texas Wells. The oil industry touts Texas as a success story in controlling climate-warming methane emissions. The state’s regulator, however, grants nearly every request to burn or vent gas into the atmosphere.

Feature Report:

Photo courtesy: Joshua Clark/PURDUE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTUREAnd now, in Part 3, lets listen to Dr. Thomas Butts from Purdue University talk about future weed technology and monitoring agricultural runoff.

And now for some upcoming events:

• An Arboretum Party in the Park sponsored by Bloomington Branches will celebrate Bryan Park which is officially Indiana’s first city park to earn accredited arboretum status. Celebrate on Saturday, September 6th, from 3 to 6 pm at Bryan Park.
• Enjoy Arts, Blues, and BBQ at McCormick’s Creek State Park on Saturday, September 6th, from 11 am to 6 pm. Bring a lawn chair to enjoy the live blues music while you enjoy fresh BBQ.
  A Full Moon Hike is scheduled at Brown County State Park on Saturday, September 6th, from 8:30 to 10 pm. Hike around Lake Ogle as you learn the history and folklore of the Harvest Full Moon.
• There will be a Live Snake Program at the Paynetown State Recreation Area at Monroe Lake on Saturday, September 13th, beginning at 6:30 pm in the Activity Center Amphitheater. Learn how snakes experience the world through their senses and get to touch a snake.
• Bug Fest takes place on Saturday, September 13th, from 10 am to 2 pm at the Karst Farm Park. Learn about insects, hands on and up close!

Credits:

This week’s headlines were written by Carrie Albright and Norm Holy.
Today’s news feature was produced by Max Jancich and Ashton Harper.
Julianna Dailey assembled the script which was edited by the EcoReport team and produced the upcoming events.
Rich Benak is our engineer.