Land

Photo Friday: Land distribution around railroad supply town

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By Evan KreagerGreat Lakes EchoThe small town of Reese, just south of the crease of Michigan’s Thumb, was once a bustling supply center at the crossroads of two railways. This true-color image, taken by NASA’s Earth Observing — 1 satellite on May 21, 2012, shows the town at their intersection. The green and white square plots of land also gives insight into some of the area’s history, according to a description of the image produced by NASA. In the late 18th century, the Continental Congress decided how to govern the newly settled lands west of the Appalachian Mountains, according to the NASA description. The Ordinance of 1785 divided the land into townships, and then again into individual square mile plots, creating the colorful collage seen here.

Waste

Green gavel: Illinois man loses appeal in asbestos case

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By Eric FreedmanGreat Lakes EchoA federal appeals court has upheld a 10-year prison term for an Illinois sprinkler contractor who hired untrained workers to illegally remove asbestos without protective equipment and then arranged to dump the contaminated material. Prosecutors presented sufficient evidence to the jury that Duane “Butch” O’Malley knowingly violated the Clean Air Act by removing, transporting and dumping insulation containing asbestos, the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled. Researchers have linked asbestos to such serious health risks as asbestosis, nonmalignant lung disorders, lung cancer and mesothelioma. According to legal documents, real estate developer Michael Pinski bought a Kankakee, Ill., warehouse that contained asbestos-containing insulationwrapped around pipes. Kankakee is about 60 miles south of Chicago.

Water

Clean, Green Breweries: Lakefront Brewery, Inc.

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The abundant freshwater of the Great Lakes region is increasingly used for craft beer brewing. Breweries compete for customers with an eclectic array of beers and a raft of sustainable efforts. Some companies recycle used grain, others use recycled packaging. Some run delivery trucks on vegetable oil or harness wind and solar power. Some even donate proceeds to watershed projects.

Land

Big Ten’s Eco Efforts: University of Nebraska

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In the spirit of our “Green Gridirons” series (but just in case college football wasn’t your thing), the “Big Ten’s Eco Efforts” series highlights creative off-the-field sustainability efforts. Nebraska is the only state in the country that recognizes the last Friday in April as a civic holiday known as Arbor Day. Every year, businesses across the “The Tree Planter State” close down to allow folks to do just that–plant trees. The campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has been marking the holiday for 40 years with a tree planting ceremony on campus where hundreds of trees are planted by students and faculty. The ceremony is part of Focus Nebraska, a week-long event that promotes environmental sustainability, awareness, engagement and activism, said Richard Sutton, professor of agronomy, horticulture and landscape architecture.

Wildlife

Landscope: Backpacks trace birds to Bahamas

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Endangered Kirtland’s warblers spend the summer nesting only in certain areas of Michigan, Wisconsin and Ontario.

They winter in the Bahamas. Researchers are using tiny light sensors to track how the birds travel between those areas.

Advances in technology help researchers track the birds to get a better understanding of their migration route to the Bahamas.