Karen Schaefer

Karen Schaefer is a freelance journalist and independent public radio producer.

Karen Schaefer is a freelance journalist and independent public radio producer based in northern Ohio. She focuses on environmental issues related to the Great Lakes. Schaefer is a 20-year veteran of public media reporting, including work for NPR, APM, the BBC and the CBC.

Cyanobacteria, or "green slime," is wreaking havoc with Lake Erie's water supplies and fishing industries. The outbreaks are caused largely by runoff of fertilizers and other nutrients from farms, and they're a growing problem in the Great Lakes and aroun

In the fight against green slime on Lake Erie, farmers try to clean up their act

October 24, 2014Environment

Nasty green slime poisoned water in Ohio last summer, and it’s becoming a regular thing in the region — and around the world. The problem is agricultural pollution, but some Ontario farmers are trying to try to cut back on the pollution that leads to the slime.