Lester Graham returned to the environment beat six years ago. He was previously with The Environment Report at Michigan Publicfrom 1998-2010. In the interim period, he reported on public policy, politics, and issues regarding race and gender inequity.

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).

Graham has received 17 first place national awards for journalism excellence and more than 100 other awards at the national, regional, and state levels.

Climate change is causing a wide range of impacts on the daily lives of the entire world population. Most of Michigan has recentlyexperienced the warmest winters ever recorded. Not only does this simply mean less snow and more rain, it means some significant and concerning changes and other challenges for agriculture, wildlife, and humans.

Lester will present some of the aspects of those changes and discuss projections of what could happen. He says while the government has a role to play, the private sector is beginning to make changes regardless of the latest government policies because many of those changes are economical and consumer pressure demanding those changes is growing.