Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/category/waste/page/12/)
Everything from litter to nuclear waste.
Mr. Great Lakes (Jeff Kart) reports from Bay City, Michigan’s Delta College Q-90.1 FM.
Feb. 7, 2014 – Mr. Great Lakes (Jeff Kart) – The Environment Report, Q 90.1 FM by jeffkart
This week, Kart discusses a collegiate recycling tournament, research on the consumption of Asian carp and an “almost foolproof” barrier for carp. Text at Mr. Great Lakes
By Eric FreedmanGreat Lakes EchoA federal appeals court has upheld a 10-year prison term for an Illinois sprinkler contractor who hired untrained workers to illegally remove asbestos without protective equipment and then arranged to dump the contaminated material. Prosecutors presented sufficient evidence to the jury that Duane “Butch” O’Malley knowingly violated the Clean Air Act by removing, transporting and dumping insulation containing asbestos, the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled. Researchers have linked asbestos to such serious health risks as asbestosis, nonmalignant lung disorders, lung cancer and mesothelioma. According to legal documents, real estate developer Michael Pinski bought a Kankakee, Ill., warehouse that contained asbestos-containing insulationwrapped around pipes. Kankakee is about 60 miles south of Chicago.
In the spirit of our “Green Gridirons” series (but just in case college football wasn’t your thing), the “Big Ten’s Eco Efforts” series highlights creative off-the-field sustainability efforts. In January, the University of Michigan launched an online certification program to promote sustainable behaviors and culture. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to join the Planet Blue Ambassadors by completing brief modules about energy, food, waste, water and community. “Ambassadors earn points per sustainable pledge they complete on their dashboard and earn badges the more pledges they complete,” said Dana Elger, media relations representative at the Office of Public Affairs. “The program is designed to educate the campus on the various ways they can assist in creating a culture of sustainability and motivate them to act.
A football stadium may have green grass but does it have green habits? Each week, Great Lakes Echo highlights a Big Ten football stadium’s attempts to do the most to impact the environment the least. All schools have information on the stadium’s diversion rate – the amount of waste recycled instead of put in a landfill. Stadium: Spartan Stadium
School: Michigan State University
Built: 1923
Capacity: 75,005
2012 diversion rate: 56.3 percent
Scouting report: Michigan State University has 80 recycling containers inside Spartan Stadium during games. Staff handpicks recyclables from the grounds outside stadium gates and on Sunday mornings from tailgating lots.
In the spirit of our “Green Gridirons” series (but just in case college football wasn’t your thing), the “Big Ten’s Eco Efforts” series highlights creative off-the-field sustainability efforts. Students at the University of Maryland are so passionate about protecting their environment that they’re willing to pay for it. In fact, they volunteered to. In 2010 students created the University Sustainability Fund, a self-imposed $12 fee per student each year. The money is then distributed to environmental projects across campus.
The “green chemistry” movement to make chemical manufacturing more environmentally friendly has gained steam and turned Michigan into a national leader.
A football stadium may have green grass but does it have green habits? Each week, Great Lakes Echo highlights a Big Ten football stadium’s attempts to do the most to impact the environment the least. All schools have information on the stadium’s diversion rate – the amount of waste recycled instead of put in a landfill. Stadium: Michigan Stadium (“The Big House”)
School: University of Michigan
Built: 1927
Capacity: 107,521
2012 diversion rate: 22.7 percent. Scouting report: Recycling efforts at the stadium began almost 20 years ago in 1994, and the University of Michigan currently has the biggest stadium recycling program in the nation.
A football stadium may have green grass but does it have green habits? Each week, Great Lakes Echo highlights a Big Ten football stadium’s attempts to do the most to impact the environment the least. All schools have information on the stadium’s diversion rate – the amount of waste recycled instead of put in a landfill. Stadium: Memorial Stadium
School: University of Nebraska
Built: 1923
Capacity: 81,091
2012 diversion Rate: 95 percent
Scouting report: The school’s athletic department began partnering with Recycling Enterprises of Nebraska during the 2008 season to max out recycling. Recycling bins for paper and plastic are placed near all trash receptacles, said Richard Sutton, professor of Agronomy and Horticulture. The athletic department also asks fans to pick up the surrounding area of their seats during and after games.
A football stadium may have green grass but does it have green habits? Each week, Great Lakes Echo highlights a Big Ten football stadium’s attempts to do the most to impact the environment the least. All schools have information on the stadium’s diversion rate – the amount of waste recycled instead of put in a landfill. Stadium: High Point Solutions Stadium
School: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey*
Built: 1994
Capacity: 52,454
2012 diversion rate: 52.4 percent
Scouting Report: On Oct. 27, 2012, Rutgers achieved a 94.6 percent diversion rate during a game against Kent State University, the fourth highest rate recorded nationwide.