Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/author/capital-news-service/page/30/)
Capital News Service is a wire service at Michigan State University covering state government - issues and personalities.
Miles of coastline, beautiful beaches and spectacular sand dunes. But Michigan’s wines and beers, fresh fruits, fish and other local flavors are attracting visitors as well. On Jan. 10, state organizations meet to promote culinary tourism.
Training for alternative energy jobs is a hot new mission for community colleges.
Eleven schools in Michigan are part of an alternative energy collaborative that helps schools create curriculum and training programs.
As the industry grows, finding qualified instructors is a challenge.
Several years after Michigan and other Great Lakes states imposed tougher regulations on ships, there’s still a call by environmental groups, biologists and shippers for federal rules.
State standards for ballast developed piecemeal, and Carl Lindquist, the executive director of the Superior Watershed Partnership and Land Trust based in Marquette, said they were a step in the right direction. But ballast water is still carrying invasive species, he said.
Train ridership has reached all-time highs and President Barack Obama has proposed a big boost in federal aid to transportation. Advocates want more direct routes, an increase in the frequency of trains and schedules that better accommodate business travelers. They say paying for public transportation is far cheaper than expanding and maintaining highways.
Native American tribes in the Northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula are seeking to develop renewable energy, but a lack of money is impeding many projects, experts say.
Michigan tribes have a potential for wind energy and wood-based biomass, said Roger Taylor, the principal project manager of the Tribal Energy Program.
As rainfall in Michigan gets increasingly severe and erratic, fertilizer prices skyrocket and concern grows over the environmental impact of agricultural run-off, many farmers are returning to an old technique.
Water quality advocates are fighting legislation that would let voter-approved bond money be used for brownfield cleanup rather than water infrastructure improvement.
The money is on hand because Michigan voters in 2002 approved $1 billion in loans to improve water quality.
Despite its reputation for gray skies, clouds and rough winters, Michigan may begin to rely more heavily on solar power to meet its electricity demands, some energy experts say.
A shortage of trained fire officers in Michigan is reducing the capacity to fight and prevent forest fires on state land, according to a state official.
New research from the Department of Agriculture (MDA) and Michigan State University suggests there’s a growing viral threat to blueberry plants in the state: blueberry shock and scorch.