Echo

Coastal comparison

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The Great Lakes coastline is one of the longest in the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The federal agency compared the total miles of Great Lakes coastline with the total miles of the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coastlines. Here’s how it stacks up against the Atlantic coastal states:

Here’s how the Great Lakes coasts stack up against the Pacific coast states. If it wasn’t for Alaska, the Great Lakes coastline would dominate these states:

And it’s not even a contest when compared to the Gulf Coast states:

More information can be found at the agency’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory website. The laboratory researches the environment to provide information about resource use and sustainability of Great Lakes ecosystems.
 

Echo

Biodiversity and commerce in Michigan

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A proposed bill making its way through the Michigan legislature aims to put tighter limits on the Department of Natural Resources and the Natural Resources Commission. The DNR’s website says the agency promotes bio-diversity on state land by identifying, restoring and managing “those natural places or ecosystems in Michigan that, together, best represent the diversity of Michigan’s biological heritage.” Republican state Sen. Tom Casperson’s bill, SB 78, would prohibit the DNR from implementing its “Biodiversity Stewardship Area” program, which he claims would severely preclude human activity on the land.  He says the measure is supported by sportsmen, businesses and recreational enthusiasts. To sort this out, Current State sat down with Senator Tom Casperson of Escanaba and Ann Woiwode, director of The Sierra Club’s Michigan chapter.

Echo

Great Lakes to receive $19 million for Hurricane Sandy damage

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It’s been almost five months since Hurricane Sandy unleashed destruction in the eastern United States, but the recovery for the Great Lakes region is just getting started. Jo-Ellen Darcy, the Assistant Secretary of the Army, confirmed that the Great Lakes region would receive approximately $19 million. A group of Midwest senators wrote to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in February, petitioning for federal aid to repair Great Lakes ports, harbors and waterways damaged by the hurricane. “While the Great Lakes navigation system is threatened due to underfunding, which has been worsened due to lakes levels that have hit record lows, the system also was damaged by Hurricane Sandy,” the letter read. Michigan Sen. Carl Levin led the efforts, petitioning to Senate Appropriations Chairman Barbara Mikulski for Great Lakes recovery projects.

Echo

Measuring Great Lakes water quality today and a century ago

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Associate Director of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism and editor of Great Lakes Echo, David Poulson, discusses the collaboration between  Echo and Current State. This week’s segment features the 100- year study. It’s been a century since the International Joint Commission conducted a Great Lakes wide bacteriological study.  Scientists are now looking to recreate the 1913 study. The 100 years study will assess how water quality in the Basin has changed over time. Lead researcher, Dr. Joan Rose, is the Nowlin Endowed Chair of Water Research, Co-Director of the Center for Water Sciences, and Co-Director of the Center for Advancing Microbial Risk Assessment at Michigan State University.

Echo

Videographer captures northern Michigan winter

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Snow and Ice: A Northern Michigan Winter from Jason Whalen on Vimeo. Jason Whalen strapped on his snowshoes, loaded his camera equipment onto a sled, and set out for the snow-covered wilds of the north coast of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to capture the icy beauty of its winter months. “I’ve always seen pictures of the frozen waterfalls, and ice caves there, but never had the chance to go myself before,” the Lansing-based videographer said, “I had a free weekend, so I went up there to record them so that others could share in the experience. I think more people respond to video than still photos.”

Whalen’s video odyssey took him to the Eben Ice Caves near Marquette, Mich. and then to Lake Superior’s coast to film ice floating on rolling waves.

Echo

Mr. Great Lakes: Snow, fisheries and Earth Day

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Mr. Great Lakes (Jeff Kart) reports from Bay City, Michigan’s Delta College Q-90.1 FM.  

 

This week Kart discusses lake-effect snow, educational fishery workshops and an Earth Day grant competition. Text at Mr Great Lakes

Water

Urban farm seeks fish funds

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If you live in Detroit, easy access to fresh Great Lakes bluegill and catfish could be closer than you think. Just donate to Food Field’s FISHSTARTER! campaign. Noah Link and his partner, Alex Bryan, created Food Field by transforming an abandoned Detroit school site into a four-acre urban farm. Since their first full growing season in 2011, they’ve expanded to grow organic produce, produce honey, raise chickens and ducks and maintain a fruit orchard.

Echo

Comparing the states: Hazardous waste penalties

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Pennsylvania has the largest total dollar value of fines for facilities violating hazardous waste regulations in 2012 among the Great Lakes states, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Wisconsin has the smallest. The figures come from an EPA map that reports state compliance with regulations. The map’s dashboard allows users to choose different measures and different years. Here is the total dollar value of penalties incurred by large facilities with hazardous waste violations for each state along with the number of large facilities for each state:

Pennsylvania: $542,364; for 1,103 large facilities.

Echo

Plastic pollution not just a problem in oceans, but in Great Lakes

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Scientists have conducted extensive research on the plastic-filled gyres of the ocean. This past summer, however, researchers decided to look inland for the first time and measure plastic pollution in the Great Lakes. Some of the groups’ water samples had concentrations of plastic greater than those found anywhere else. The study has resulted in several other projects. Chemistry professor Dr. Sherri Mason discusses the plastic pollution in the basin.