Great Lakes Echo (http://greatlakesecho.org/author/admin/page/3/)
At the end of each month Current State check in with Great Lakes commentator and journalist Gary Wilson for updates on environmental stories from around the basin. Today’s Great Lakes Month in Review, focuses on Governor Snyder’s environmental efforts and algae blooms.
Back in 2010, Echo reported on John Hantz’s plans to build the world’s largest urban farm in Detroit.
After cutting through red tape and shifting plans to center on building an urban tree farm, the project is starting to unfold.
In an effort to increase the U.S.’s renewable energy portfolio, the wind industry has grown tremendously. Michigan is now home to just under 700 turbines, but not everyone is happy about the growing wind farm industry.
Lansing, Mich. and Madison, Wis. are two of three capital cities who will receive Green Design Assistance from the EPA. With the grant, Lansing plans to develop a park on the state capitol complex .
An important debate over urban farming in Michigan continues today in Lansing. Officials from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and others will discuss proposed rule changes governing farm animals in developed, residential areas.
A baby moose has moved into Lansing’s Potter Park Zoo. Willow the moose was orphaned in Alaska when her mother died after being hit by a car. When that sort of thing happens, wildlife officials in Alaska arrange to send the orphaned animal to a zoo. Lansing has been hoping to get a baby moose for about a year, and when the call came in, the zoo was ready to act.
You’ve probably seen the pictures of the Chinese smog problem, including shots from Shanghai or Beijing that show buildings disappearing in what appears to be a thick, brown, fog. There are a number of things that cause smog, but one of them is the increasing numbers of cars and that has implications for U. S. automakers like General Motors, which counts China as its biggest market.
How green is the 2014 North American International Auto Show? We’ll it’s not greenest.
A new conservative group is hoping to open up the conversation about renewable energy. The Michigan Conservative Energy Forum is working to increase the state’s investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.
Michigan is one of only two states that have the authority to regulate wetlands.
Recently the Environmental Protection Agency held a hearing to determine if Michigan’s environmental standards for wetland management meet federal benchmarks.