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Dogs, bikes, skis lure tourists north
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New advertising campaign lures fall and winter tourists to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
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Michigan proposal could require land conservancies to pay property tax
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Nonprofit organizations that safeguard land and habitat in Southeast Michigan are worried about a proposal that could tax their preserves.
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Pit bulls still face bad rap, breed defenders say
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Long-held misconceptions about pit bull breeds still have negative effects on adoption rates, but increased awareness and community support have somewhat improved the situation, officials from animal shelters statewide say.
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Runoff harms Duluth’s trout streams, Great Lakes water quality
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Every spring people sweep sidewalks of winter sand and salt and into the streets of Duluth.
Rain carries it to the sewer where it can drain untreated into the city’s many urban streams, and eventually into Lake Superior.
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Two Great Lakes states among top 10 on energy efficiency scorecard
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New York and Minnesota are among the top 10 most energy-efficient states in the nation, according to a national scorecard released Wednesday. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy also cited Michigan and Pennsylvania for significant improvements. Most Great Lakes states either retained or improved their ranking. Every year the council ranks states by how robust and effective their programs are at promoting efficient energy use. It evaluates utilities and public benefits programs, transportation policy, building energy codes, combined heat and power policies, state government-led initiatives and appliance and equipment standards.
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Drought may shorten Great Lakes fall tourism
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Great Lakes fall tourism may take a bit of a hit this year.
The summer’s drought has implications for how fast leaves fall.
The impact varies throughout the region and tourism officials say it is modest as many seasonal activities do not depend on leaf color.
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What is the strangest thing you have found attached to a buoy?
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Hundreds of U.S. Coast Guard fans on Facebook had the opportunity to ask Petty Officer 1st Class William Vaughn about what it’s like tending buoys on the Great Lakes. What is the strangest thing he found attached to a buoy? How does he deal with the smell? Does he still like seafood? Find out here.
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Drought hurts Michigan soybeans; southern counties hit hardest
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Like corn and apples, Michigan’s soybeans have been hit hard by the drought and extreme hot weather.
“We are facing a 60 to 70 percent reduction of soybeans altogether compared to normal years,” said Tim Boring, research director of the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee in Frankenmuth.
According to figures from the committee, Michigan ranks 12th among nation’s 31 soybean-producing states. Nearly 2 million acres are planted annually in Michigan.
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Green building opens at University of Waterloo
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A sustainable building for environmental studies just opened at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario. The building is called Environment 3 because of additions built on top of two prior incarnations. It features a constructed wetland to cleanse wastewater, a system to track utility use and a “living wall” to filter volatile compounds from the air. It opened up Sept. 15 as a part of Doors Open, an annual heritage site and architectural tour in Canadian cities.