By Rob South, WKAR News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-925458.mp3
EAST LANSING, MI –
A grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will help Michigan State University researchers find ways to for communities to adapt to climate change. WKAR's Rob South has this report.
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The $4.2 million grant will be used to help Great Lakes communities understand what effects warmer temperatures will have, and how to best deal with the changes. Thomas Dietz is an environmental researcher at MSU. He says global warming is well documented, but it's still unclear what needs to be done about it.
"We will work very closely with decision makers in business and government in communities around the state to help provide the kinds of information they need to make better decisions," he says.
Dietz says the Great Lakes region has seen a two-degree increase in average temperatures since 1980. He says future changes could include lower lake levels, longer growing seasons and more heat waves.