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Limits to ballast rules fail in court; lawmakers debate similar action

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Attempts to limit state authority over ballast water rules fell flat last Friday, but the legal tug-of-war continues this week as lawmakers consider the nation’s environmental spending. Last week’s decision by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit supported states in regulating water used in balancing shipping vessels more strongly than federal rules. This week the U.S. House of Representatives votes on a spending bill that includes an amendment penalizing states with stronger protections by withholding Environmental Protection Agency funding of any kind. That means states like New York, which have strong ballast water rules, would lose Great Lakes restoration funding, according the Natural Resources Defense Council. Ballast water containing invasive species has had devastating impacts on the Great Lakes and inland waterway systems, said Thom Cmar, an attorney with the council’s Chicago office.

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See emerald ash borers in action; states still battling the bug

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Now is the best time to see the destructive, tree-eating emerald ash borer up close and personal. The inch-long green metallic beetles are most numerous from late June to mid July, according to the Emerald Ash Borer Information Network. But don’t be fooled by lookalikes. Here’s a guide for proper identification of the nasty nuisance. Officials have banned imported firewood, removed ash trees and even released tiny wasps to prevent them from overwhelming the region with little luck; the beetle has spread to all Great Lakes states over the past decade.

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Michigan museum to screen Knight Center invasive species documentary Wednesday

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At 6 p.m. Wednesday, a St. Joseph, Mich. museum will screen Bad Company, a one-hour documentary examining how humans have altered the ecology and economy of the Great Lakes region. ‘Bad Company’ is Michigan State University’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism’s fourth documentary. Michigan State University instructor and filmmaker Lou D’Aria and co-produer Matt Mikus will be present at screening at the Heritage Museum and Cultural Center, 601 Main Street.

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MASHUP: Climate change ‘Hot Map’ features Great Lakes cities

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Life-threatening heat waves, record snowfalls and lake level drops are just a few climate change catastrophes in store for the Great Lakes region, according to an interactive map recently launched by the Union of Concerned Scientists. Climate Hot Map features current climate change impacts to locations across the globe, including five Great Lakes hot spots. Click on “see detail page” at the bottom of each icon box for more information on impacts to that location. Scientists expect more intense lake-effect snowfall in the Midwest and more precipitation during the winter and spring due to rising temperatures, according to the page for Cleveland, Ohio. And warming summer temperatures in Wyoming County, N.Y. are stressing cows and lowering milk production and birthing rates, according to the map.

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Save the planet, eat an invasive

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The Great Lakes region could save a lot of money by following the “if you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em” motto of a website called Invasivore.org. A handful of biologists, ecologists and doctoral students update the site with news on pesky invaders and recipes, like this Ma-po Garlic Mustard and Tofu dish. Garlic Mustard is an aggravating weed that covers forest floors and dominates root systems throughout the Great Lakes. But when paired with broccoli, tofu and a spicy sauce, it apparently is something to be desired. The eating of invasive species is “reasonable revenge” for the harm these animals, fish and plants inflict on natural environments, according to Invasivore.org.