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Great Lakes Echo - Environmental news of the Great Lakes region

Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/)

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Green Gavel logo - which features a gavel and a field with hills in the background

Company pays $500,000 fine for asbestos safety violations

By Eric Freedman and Great Lakes Echo | 9 hours ago

By Eric Freedman 

A company that illegally handled material containing asbestos at an abandoned automotive brake system component plant in Saginaw, Michigan, has been fined $500,000 and placed on probation for two years.

Project uses community input to guide tree planting in disadvantaged areas

Sunshine peeking through tree leaves

By Demonte Thomas

Shade, cooler temperatures and improved air quality are among the reasons Lansing, Michigan’s “Restoring Roots” project is targeting disadvantaged neighborhoods that have historically had less tree cover and greater exposure to heat.

Researchers working to increase algae growth for use in products

Tubes with different shades of green liquid

By Anna Barnes

Researchers at Michigan State University say they’ve developed a way to more evenly distribute sunlight in algae cultivation systems, which leads to more algae growth that can be used for sustainable products.

Warning: Leave threatened venomous snake alone

A snake curled up

By Anna Barnes

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is asking the public to stop harassing the threatened eastern massasauga rattlesnake – the only native venomous snake in the state.

More Headlines

Conservancy group plans new public trail in Ionia Natural Area
Researchers release parasitoid wasps to combat invasive beetles
Illinois governor signs landmark plastic pollution bill

Climate

  • Purple lightning
    Ohio weather is full of surprises. Climate change isn’t

    By Elizabeth McGowan Across the Midwest, precipitation is increasing and falling in heavier bursts, a trend scientists link to a warming atmosphere that can hold more moisture.

More climate

Wildlife

  • Ava Landgraf installs a nest camera in wetlands
    Michigan budget adds $2 million to wetlands conservation efforts

    By Akia Thrower Michigan’s annual budget includes $2 million for wetland conservation efforts by the state Department of Natural Resources, funding critical work for endangered bird species.

More wildlife

Energy

  • Landscape photo of power plant
    Michigan AG challenges the US Department of Energy again over coal plant’s forced operation

    By Anna Barnes Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel plans to file another request for rehearing with the U.S. Department of Energy over a coal-fired power plant near Lake Michigan operated by Consumers Energy.

More energy

Nearshore

  • A black and white photo of pilots posing in front of a WWII-era plane.
    Tuskegee wreckage found in the Great Lakes provides a unique opportunity to uncover untold stories

    By Joshua Kim. Wreckage of aircraft recovered from Lake Huron and the St Clair River is uncovering untold stories of the Tuskegee Airmen, predominantly African-American fighter and bomber pilots and crew who fought in World War II.

More nearshore

Waste

  • Students and staff sort waste at Michigan State University.
    Takeout trash piling up at universities

    By Isabella Figueroa Nogueira    As takeout containers pile up across college campuses, universities are struggling to balance sustainability goals with a growing culture of convenience.

More waste

Recreation

  • O'Hara in a red jacket in a canoe on icy water
    New book explores life of legendary Minnesota canoeist Bob O’Hara

    By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva “Where the Green Light Shines: A Fifty-Year Odyssey from the Boundary Waters to the Far North” features legendary canoeist Bob O'Hara and his adventures from the Boundary Waters to remote rivers of the Canadian Far North.

More recreation

Solutions

  • A firefighter conducts a prescribed burn.
    Setting fires on purpose to cut risk of catastrophic wildfires

    By Victoria Witke Wildfire risk is predicted to stay elevated in the Upper Midwest from drought and high winds. That’s risky for the region’s pristine inland lakes, but land managers are working to reduce wildfire risk in the Northwoods with controlled burns.

Agriculture

  • A researcher gently restrains a fluffy white kestrel chick in one hand and measures a wing with calipers.
    Kestrels help farmers protect crops and improve food safety, study finds

    By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva Pest birds are a nuisance for cherry orchards. A recent study found a possible solution: attracting kestrels to nest nearby.

Water

  • Algal bloom
    How scientists predict Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms months before they appear

    By Julia Roeder Scientists can begin predicting algal blooms weeks before they become visible in the spring.

Cities & Suburbs

  • A sign reading "Gary united shows love"
    City officials in Northwest Indiana call for improved utility infrastructure

    By Akia Thrower Residents and city officials in Gary, Indiana, have called for improved utility infrastructure and accountability after an extended power outage.

About Great Lakes Echo

Environmental news of the Great Lakes region from the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State University.

Recent Articles

  • Sunlight through trees with a green canopy
    Historical forest biodiversity changes conservation efforts
    By Akia Thrower and Great Lakes Echo
  • Two eagles with bands on their legs
    Bald eagles help scientists map ‘forever chemicals’ in the Great Lakes region
    By Great Lakes Echo
  • Algal mats on water near a boat launch
    Project to remove thick mats of algae on Lake St. Clair begins this fall
    By Anna Barnes and Great Lakes Echo
  • Wildfire smoke over trees
    How wildfire smoke impacts pets, wildlife
    By Great Lakes Echo
  • Diagram of a whitefish
    Michigan fisheries get one-time funding for whitefish restoration
    By Anna Barnes and Great Lakes Echo
  • Two people canoeing
    After federal protections fall, Boundary Waters advocates prepare for next phase of mining fight
    By Great Lakes Echo
  • A drawing of a small, slim creature with tiny legs. A much larger adult looms in the background.
    Fossils found in Illinois challenge scientists’ assumptions about early land animals
    By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva
  • A medium-sized red car parked and plugged into a charger.
    Michigan expands EV infrastructure, but access remains unequal, study finds
    By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva
  • A woman releases a small bird of prey next to a lake.
    Relocating merlins may reduce threats to endangered Great Lakes piping plovers, study finds
    By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva
  • Students, faculty sit in the forest while examining plants.
    Study finds one of Michigan’s healthiest forests in Grand Rapids
    By Great Lakes Echo
  • Great Lakes Echo

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