Water

NOAA taps invasive mussels to track Great Lakes pollution

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By Daniel Schoenherr

Zebra and quagga mussels have threatened Great Lakes ecosystems since they arrived in the 1980s. Now the invasive species are acting as unlikely allies in identifying pollution hotspots. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Mussel Watch program is collecting the mollusks at sites across the Great Lakes to measure the concentration of harmful pollutants in their tissue. A report with the results, expected this fall, will serve as an indicator to communities that they may be in need of cleanup, said one of the program’s leaders. Mussel Watch started along the Atlantic coast in 1986 and is the “longest running continuous contaminant-monitoring program of its kind in the United States,” according to NOAA.

Nearshore

Michigan pushes to plug orphan oil wells

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By Donté Smith

Capital News Service

Michigan’s oil industry may not be front and center, but it remains active with over 9,300 wells across the state. The U.S. Energy Information Administration ranks Michigan 18th in the nation in crude oil production. In June 2024, Michigan wells produced 211,000 barrels of crude oil — around 8.8 million gallons, the agency said. Otsego County leads the state in production, followed closely by Jackson, Kalkaska and Manistee counties. However, there’s a growing environmental concern linked to the industry: Michigan has about 230 orphan wells abandoned by their original operators or owners without being properly plugged.

Wildlife

GUEST COMMENTARY: Speak up to stop the spotted lanternfly and other invaders

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By David Strayer

If you’ve driven Michigan’s highways lately, you’ve probably seen the billboards: a big picture of a lanternfly, with the message, “See it. Squish it. Report it.” This is good advice, as far as it goes, but it should go further. The spotted lanternfly is a serious pest that is poised to cause major economic and ecological damage across the Great Lakes region. It was accidently brought into Pennsylvania about 10 years ago, probably in a shipment of landscaping stone from China that was not properly inspected or disinfected.

Energy

Electric bus rollout sparks optimism among schools

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By Donté Smith
Capital News Service

“We’re rolling with the changes,” said Kathy Kochanski, the transportation coordinator for Troy Public Schools, as more school districts across Michigan adopt electric buses to reduce emissions and promote cleaner energy. The Department of Education, in partnership with the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, recently announced the recipients of Clean Bus Energy grants. The initiative will support 29 districts, from Alpena to Grand Rapids, in purchasing 114 “clean” buses, primarily electric, with the possibility of including propane and natural gas models. “Things are still up in the air because it was announced recently, but we’re excited,” Kochanski said. An analysis by the Electric School Bus Initiative indicates that the total cost of ownership for electric school buses can be higher upfront than for diesel buses.

Art

All the world’s a stage: Theater project in Michigan marsh aims to promote conservation

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By Daniel Schoenherr

There’s always drama unfolding at Michigan State University’s Corey Marsh Ecological Research Center: Predators hunt prey, animals show off for potential mates and plants compete for sunlight. Later this month, though, visitors to the marsh will see a different kind of drama: a play, complete with a student cast, hand-crafted sets and a story blending science education with comedy and drama. A group of Michigan State students created the play, “The Link,” with input from experts in conservation and environmental communication. The project is part of a larger trend that blends conservation and the arts to get communities thinking about their natural areas, they say. Performances will begin at 6:30 p.m. Sept.

Echo

National Geographic spotlights ‘lesser known’ Indiana Dunes National Park

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By Grace Jenkins

Indiana Dunes National Park is among the country’s five “lesser known national parks to add to your bucket list,” according to National Geographic. 

With 2.7 million visitors in 2023, the park ranks 36th in attendance among 393 national parks, monuments and historic sites. Credited for its striking plant and bird diversity, the park offers recreational and educational opportunities that many visitors enjoy, according to the National Park Service. In 2019, what was then called the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore became the state’s first national park. Betsy Maher, the executive director of Save the Dunes, an environmental conservation organization based in Michigan City, Indiana, cited the effects that renaming the park has had on its popularity. “The combination of 2020 with the pandemic and the name-change status caused a big boom in visitorship,” Maher said.

Energy

E-bike surge sparks safety concerns amid policy changes

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By Donté Smith

The surge in electric bike (e-bike) sales has been nothing short of “obvious,” according to Rick Teranes, the co-owner of Bikes Blades & Boards in Grosse Pointe, Michigan

“Sales of e-bikes have multiplied in recent years,” Teranes said, highlighting the significant shift in Metro Detroit’s cycling landscape driven by their growing popularity. And that has raised concerns about safety for e-cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. In response to the increasing use of e-bikes, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently implemented a land use change, allowing Class 1 e-bikes on designated non-motorized trails. Class 1 e-bikes provide pedal-assist without a throttle and can reach speeds up to 20 mph. Class 2 e-bikes have the same speed limit but include a throttle, allowing riders to accelerate without pedaling.

Art

Small grants boost businesses, neighborhoods, in cities across the state

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By Katie Finkbeiner

Capital News Service

In Iron Mountain, Michigan, Sandstone Terrace rooftop bar shares an alley with First National Bank and Trust. And hanging over the alley: a sky art installation. In the summer of 2023, the installation consisted of a rainbow assortment of umbrellas. In June 2024, the umbrellas were replaced by rotating miniature hot air balloons. “It’s been a big draw for people to sit along the edge and take their group photos with the hot air balloons in the back,” said Brandy Wentz, the manager of Sandstone Terrace.

Water

Wisconsin officials ask the public to report algal blooms in Lake Superior

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By Anna Barnes

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is banking on public oversight of the largest Great Lake to help gauge the threat of increasingly common algal blooms.

Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, can produce toxins that pose a danger to public health, said Kait Reinl, research coordinator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Lake Superior National Estuarine Reserve in Superior, Wisconsin. Symptoms from exposure include stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, headache, muscle weakness, fever and difficulty breathing, according to the Wisconsin DNR. Pets and children are particularly at risk. “The reason we specifically call out children and pets is because they’re pretty indiscriminate about the water that they’re inhaling or swallowing, and that’s really where the biggest risk lies,” Reinl said. As of Sept.

Energy

Energy transition requires fight against disinformation, expert says

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By Clara Lincolnhol

“Be curious, not judgmental.” This quote from the popular comedy-drama “Ted Lasso” is how a professor of energy law recommends we approach conversations about energy policy and politics. “We can be a force that fights against demonization and the nastiness online and instead ask questions to people who introduce an idea that’s different or contradicts what we believe,” said David Spence, a professor of energy law at the University of Texas Austin and author of the recent book “Climate of Contempt.”

He was speaking at the Michigan State University’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism. “Climate of Contempt” (Columbia University Press, $28) covers the complex political nature of the energy transition in two major parts, with three chapters in each part. The energy transition, or reaching “‘net zero,” is the process of cutting carbon emissions until the carbon released is canceled out by the carbon absorbed. The first part of the book focuses on the history of the energy industry, regulation and policy in the United States.