Echo

Carp creep

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Here’s a nifty animated graphic that plots the spread of Asian carp.

It was produced by the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Wildlife Federation.

Echo

Illinois study shows perennial biofuels give off less nitrogen

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Perennial crops like the tallgrass miscanthus can be turned into ethanol like corn, but give off less nitrogen into the atmosphere, according to a University of Illinois study. Limiting nitrogen is important because it can produce nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that furthers global warming. And nitrate can contaminate drinking sources and leach into lakes where it contributes to lethal dead zones for fish life. Ethanol is added to gasoline to reduce dependence on the fossil fuels that contribute to global warming. But it’s counterproductive to produce ethanol in a way that makes yet another powerful greenhouse gas – nitrous oxide.

Echo

Great Lakes pizzas raise $6,000 for litter reduction, Belle Isle restoration

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DETROIT — Which Great Lake is the most popular? Going strictly by pizza preference, it appears to be Huron and Michigan. They were marginally the most-ordered pizzas in a promotion that raised $6,000 for the Alliance for the Great Lakes. “They were all pretty close,” said Wesley Pikula, vice president of operations at Buddy’s. “They were within about twenty pies of each other.”

Last year, Echo reported that the popular Michigan pizza chain Buddy’s Pizza launched its Great Lakes Pizza Collection with a pledge.

Echo

Where’s the Concern? Week One

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Each week, Great Lakes Echo features a photo story about a different Area of Concern designated by the U.S. or Canadian governments in the Great Lakes basin.

Guess where the area is located, based on the description of the site.

Echo

Are these really the best ski resorts in the Midwest?

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The Midwest’s four best ski resorts are in Great Lakes states, according to Outside Magazine. Here are the publication’s picks:

 

Best Powder: Mount Bohemia, Michigan

Best Terrain Park: Nub’s Nob, Michigan

Best Nightlife: Afton Alps, Minnesota

Best Escape: Devil’s Head Resort, Wisconsin

You can check out Outside’s reasoning. But we’re willing to bet there may be some disagreement out there. How about it?  

 

 

 

Echo

Video: What the Frack?

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This video is among those produced by students at Kent State University’s Stark campus under the direction of biology and journalism faculty.

It is part of a multidisciplinary study of the local environment called OurWaterWebs and based south of Cleveland.

Echo

Wisconsin 4th graders exposed to lead got lower grades

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The more Milwaukee public school fourth graders were exposed to lead, the lower their grades, according to a University of Wisconsin study. Comparing 3,757 students, those who tested higher for lead exposure scored worse on the state’s Knowledge and Concepts Exam, which measures math, reading and other skills, according to the study. Exposure among African American and Hispanic children were roughly double those of white children. Differences in scores ranged from 5.2 in social studies to 9.8 in reading, said Mike Amato, a doctoral candidate in psychology and environmental studies. The differences made up a large chunk of the distinction between “basic” and “proficient” competence in a given subject.