Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/author/capital-news-service/page/15/)
What do you do with urban territory that has fallen out of the literal economy?
A University of Michigan architecture professor suggests community gardens flourishing in empty lots, artists using fire-damaged buildings as palettes and neighborhood fairs in alleys.
Despite drought conditions, low water levels and a rash of disease in the white-tailed deer population, fishing and hunting remained a boon to the Michigan economy in 2012.
Budget constraints and a belief that existing legal solutions to the disputes are sufficient nixed an aquifer protection program, but critics of the decision say the program worked well and is needed.
It may soon be possible to use wasted heat from your vehicle’s tailpipe to power electronics in your car. That’s one of many potential uses of a new material based on tetrahedrites, natural minerals found in abundance.
The grounds surrounding Michigan’s oldest surviving lighthouse, the Fort Gratiot Light Station in Port Huron, could see an archaeological excavation as experts work to learn more about the past while preserving it. It was built just north of the site that formerly held Fort Gratiot, a post built in 1814.
Local businesses looking to save on energy costs have an opportunity for low-interest loans through an expanded statewide energy financing program. This initiative comes from Michigan Saves Inc., a nonprofit organization helping businesses to lower their expenses and improve their energy efficiency.
A tiny invasive bug is threatening havoc on Michigan’s biggest-in-the-nation blueberry industry. The spotted wing drosophila is causing an estimated $27 million in damage to this year’s crop, with a more devastating hit predicted for 2013.
Michigan has 10 million acres of farmland, but only 10 percent is in the north.
State farm officials say there is more opportunity and a trend of more acres being farmed in those regions.
A recent report about major forest insect and disease conditions by the U.S. Forest Service said the population of gypsy moths decreased dramatically in Michigan last year.
The muskie production program of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has turned a huge corner by stocking only Great Lakes muskies. The department has raised muskellunge for stocking for decades but had always used northern muskies. This is the second year it produced strictly Great Lakes muskies.