Land
Deadly piglet virus hits Midwest farms
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Pig farmers in Michigan and around the nation are losing piglets to a virus that is easily spread and almost always lethal to very young animals. So far, it’s killed over six million piglets.
Wildlife
Volunteers guard Michigan’s spawning sturgeon
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From now through early June, volunteers will be standing guard over the Black River in Northern Michigan.
They’ll be on the banks of the river making sure that the lake sturgeon, a rare and threatened species in the state, are able to leave their homes in Black Lake and successfully spawn in the Black River.
Why do the fish need guarding?
Ann Feldhauser, who coordinates the program through the group, Sturgeon for Tomorrow, says the goal is to have a presence on the river 24/7 to prevent illegal taking of the fish.
Wildlife
Turkey love: Even birds need a wingman
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It’s spring and love is in the air for turkeys. The ritual is not an event for two, but three. As Current State’s Melissa Benmark discovered, even turkeys need a wingman to land the lady of their dreams.
Waste
Advocate responds to bolstered Michigan recycling plan
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Earlier this month Gov. Snyder released a plan to increase recycling in the State of Michigan. At 15 percent, the state has one of the worst residential recycling rates in the nation.
Wildlife
Govs sign invasive species pact, but few show at Great Lakes meeting
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For April’s Great Lakes Month in Review Current State focused on the Council of Great Lakes Governors summit, which took place in Chicago this past weekend. Gary Wilson shares more from his one-on-one interview with Gov. Rick Snyder.
Waste
Disclosure stirs Lake Huron nuclear waste worries
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Ongoing concern over a proposed nuclear waste site very near Lake Huron took a new twist recently. A Canadian government review panel is exploring the viability of a new underground storage facility in Kincardine, Ontario. That’s about 111 miles across the water from Port Huron. The facility is almost a half mile underground but little more than a kilometer from the lake. It would hold low to intermediate radioactive waste.
Energy
Recent spill triggers closer look at tar sands shipping on Great Lakes
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Last week, as much as 1,600 gallons of oil spilled into Lake Michigan from the BP refinery in Whiting, Indiana, 20 miles from Chicago. After a week-long cleanup, authorities say they have found no further trace of spilled oil in the area. However, the political ramifications of the spill are likely to remain long after this incident.
Climate
National Geographic editor on photography, climate change, fate of the earth
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While for some media outlets photography is taking a back seat, at National Geographic, it continues to be a central part of the brand.
Wildlife
Grass carp: the overlooked Asian carp
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There are many types of fish that fall under the Asian carp umbrella. Each brings their own unique peril to the Great Lakes basin.
Climate
Models help Detroit plan for climate change
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Determining the impacts of climate change is difficult.
There are hundreds of factors that determine how communities are influenced.
To understand the challenges associated with climate change, scientists use system dynamics models.