Breathing diesel exhaust is unhealthy, and it does more harm than simply irritate organs. According to a new study, it is increasing the risk of cancer at an alarming rate.

Stormwater clogs wastewater treatment systems, causing overflows that contaminate beaches and drinking water. It also washes roads, parking lots, and other surfaces of oils, sediment, chemicals and debris that end up in rivers, oceans, lakes and wetlands.
Trees can help.
A search with the Arbor Day Foundation’s National Tree Benefit Calculator shows how. Type in your zip code and get a list of tree species native to it.
Trees take a bite out of runoff by storing rainwater or intercepting it before it hits the ground which reduces erosion.
For example, a newly planted …

Thought to have been a lost genetic strain of native fish, the reef cisco has reappeared in Lake Michigan in increasing numbers after 20 to 30 years out of biologists’ view.

On-site farm markets are becoming more common and were recently added to the Michigan Right to Farm Act.
The law includes roadside stands or farm markets but doesn’t define them or describe marketing.

Great Lakes Echo may be a young news service – it celebrated its second birthday this past March – but the twos aren’t always terrible.
And second in the nation ain’t bad either.
Echo reporters Alice Rossignol and Rachael Gleason were dubbed runner ups for their work on the Great Lakes SmackDown! this past fall.  The series earned second place in the country for the Online Commentary and Opinion category of the Society of Professional Journalists National Mark of Excellence Awards.
The contest recognizes exemplary journalism work of students across the country.
The four-week …

Feral pigs wreaking havoc on fields and farms have made enough enemies for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to propose a ban on ownership of wild boars.

More than 100 Michigan communities have been honored under the Tree City USA program that promotes the economic, health and aesthetic benefits of trees on public property.

Michigan cities that won the designation include: Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Allegan, Brighton, Charlevoix, Big Rapids, Ionia and Rockford.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is awarding almost $300,000 in its latest round of grants to counties and businesses to clean up 17 scrap tire sites and hold community events where people can bring tires for disposal.

By YANAN CHEN
LANSING— Several Michigan colleges and universities have made a national list of 311 green campuses.
The list includes Grand Valley State University, Western Michigan University, Aquinas College, University of Michigan and Kalamazoo College.
And according to the guide, when students chose colleges or universities, they look not only into academic levels but also consider whether the schools are committed to going green.
The roster was compiled by Princeton Review, an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The guide was based on factors such as whether students have a campus …