Echo

MASHUP: Bioenergy picking up steam in Great Lakes region

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More and more bioenergy plants are fueling sustainable energy efforts in Great Lakes states, according to a National Renewable Energy Laboratory BioFuels interactive map. Biofuels and biopower plants, which produce energy from landfill gas, wood and municipal solid wastes, roughly equal the number of power plants run on wind and water, according to the mashup. More than 50 plants in Wisconsin, Illinois and southern Michigan run on gas produced by microorganisms that break down landfill material. Northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio each have a handful of biopower plants fueled by wood. And about a dozen Minnesota, Michigan and Indiana plants convert municipal solid waste into ethanol.

Group identifies nation’s killer streets; Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul on list

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Detroit walkers beware: Michigan’s largest metropolitan area earned the 12th spot on a recent list of dangerous places for pedestrians compiled by a U.S. transportation advocacy group. Approximately 800 Detroit pedestrians were killed in accidents from 2000 to 2009, according to the list. Transportation for America released on Wednesday its “Dangerous by Design” report containing national and state trends and this fatalities map to shed light on what it calls “an epidemic of preventable pedestrian deaths.”

The number of pedestrians killed each year equals to a jumbo jet full of passengers crashing each month, according to the group. Other Great Lakes cities on the list of 52 most dangerous metropolitan areas are Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

How the Great Lake states got their shapes

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Why do Michigan and Ohio, and especially their sports teams, hate each other? Why is the University of Michigan mascot called the Wolverine? Why does Michigan have an Upper Peninsula? A new History Channel series called “How the States Got Their Shapes” sets out to answer such questions. The show’s host, Brian Unger, journeyed across America to discover the stories behind state lines.

VIDEO: Knight Center for Environmental Journalism presents ‘Bad Company’

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The Great Lakes system of locks and canals opened up the region to more than just economic opportunities; it also paved the way for hundreds of destructive invasive species. Their untold negative impacts on the region’s ecology and economy have lead some to consider them “bad company.”

The Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State University examines the history of Great Lakes invasive species in its fourth documentary: “Bad Company.” Instructor Lou D’Aria and journalism student Matt Mikus co-produced the one-hour documentary with help from associate producer Rachael Gleason and a handful of additional Michigan State  students. A screening of the documentary will take place Monday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. at Michigan State University in the Snyder Hall Residential College of Arts and Humanities theater. Here’s a taste of the one-hour documentary:

Can you pronounce Great Lakes cities better than a Texan?

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If you want to see traces of a region’s native inhabitants, look no farther than the names of its cities. Consider the Lake Superior coastal city Waukesha, Wis., named for the Chippewa or Ojibwe word for “little fox.”

The original Chippewa word most likely sounded like Wau-goosh-sha, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society’s state dictionary. Today, it sounds like Wok-a-shaw. It’s one of many Great Lakes city monikers originating from native languages. It’s also on my personal list of regional words specifically designed to torture Texans like myself.

Blizzard blankets the Great Lakes; send us your snow shots!

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A multi-day blizzard blanketed Great Lakes cities last week with an average of one foot of snow, according to recent National Weather Service figures. Some parts of the region got as much as two feet. Chicago was especially hard hit, according to the weather service. Antioch, Ill., a city about 15 miles from Lake Michigan in the Chicago metropolitan area, reported 27 inches of snow after the blizzard ended – the most in the region. Illinois and Wisconsin cities along the western edge of Lake Michigan got the most snow, according to the figures.

Minnesota earns top honor for recreational trails

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Recreational trail lovers should look to a Great Lakes state for the best network of hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and water routes, according to a national nonprofit promoting pathways. American Trails honored Minnesota with its “Best Trails State” award in late November. The North Star State has more than 30,000 miles of recreational trails, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. That’s the same length as traveling from the west to the east coast of the United States 10 times. “Minnesota’s extensive, scenic trails are a major draw for travelers and a significant asset to the tourism business in our state,” said John Edman, director of Explore Minnesota Tourism, in a press release.

Quagga "The Quagmeister" Mussel. Photo: USGS.

The quagga mussel advances to the SmackDown! finals

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By Alice Rossignol and Rachael Gleason

The quagga mussel and Eurasian watermilfoil proved to be worthy opponents in last week’s semi-finals tussle. At first, it seemed like the two water-cloggers were playing nice. But one of the lake invaders prevailed in the end. Was it the thick and slimy Eurasian Invasion? Or the highly adaptable and shielded Quagmeister?