Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/author/great-lakes-echo/)
By Emilio Perez Ibarguen
An Ottawa County legislator, who is also a dairy farmer, says the Environment, Great Lakes and Energy regulations of animal waste are too strict and harm businesses. The Michigan Environmental Council says strict rules are necessary, as does a Lenawee County farmer-activist who provides water testing training to rural communities.
By Finn Mills
here’s a proposal from a West Bloomfield senator to tighten state regulation of pet cemeteries, sparked in part by problems with a Howell pet cemetery that shut down in 2018, leaving pet owners to exhume the remains of their departeds.
By Victoria Witke
Consistent training of dairy farm workers can prevent mastitis, and improve milk quality and employee communication, according to a recent MSU study. The dairy industry contributes $15.7 billion yearly to the state economy. Huron and Clinton counties host the greatest number of dairy cows, and Lenawee, Missaukee and Ionia counties also have lots of them.
By Georgia Hill
Rising temperatures and changing environmental conditions in the Great Lakes contribute to harmful algal blooms. New research suggests that the nearshore regions of Lake Superior could indicate climate change’s effects on the region’s ecosystem.
By Finn Mills
Lawmakers say the state should give scholarships and grants to students committed to work in Michigan’s nuclear and hydrogen. The lead sponsor is from Hazel Park. Cosponsors include legislators from Antrim Township, Negaunee, Grand Rapids, Brownstown and Midland.
By Clara Lincolnhol
Climate change is making it easier for Great Lakes water birds to get sick, according to a recent University of Illinois study. Data from the last 50 years shows an increase in avian disease as climate change worsens, said study co-author Nathan Alexander.
By Emilio Perez Ibarguen
A new MSU study found that a community’s walkability – particularly the density of pedestrian crossings and public transit stops – influences residents’ health outcomes such as blood pressure, cholesterol and depression. Hamtamck ranks as Michigan’s most walkable city.
By Julia Belden
It’s one of Mother Nature’s most spectacular events. Mature chinook salmon, battered from a long and exhausting migration, return to the shallow tributaries of their birthplace to spawn. It’s the final act of the salmon’s short two-to-three-year life: after passing on their genes to the next generation, the fish quickly die.
By Victoria Witke
After the death of tens of millions of Michigan ash trees from the invasive emerald ash borer, a new study done in Clinton, Eaton and Ingham counties shows white ash are more resilient than previously thought. Despite so many dying, they continue to reproduce in forests with the invasive bug.
By Shealyn Paulis
Two Minnesota nature enthusiasts have spent years chasing the state’s most elusive wildflowers. Their journey, filled with adventure and discovery, is now captured in their upcoming book, Chasing Wildflowers: An Adventurous Guide to Finding Minnesota’s Native Flowers in Their Unique Habitats.