Echo

Sprawl, climate change, carp control hinder Chicago sewer solution

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When more than two inches of rain falls in the Chicago area, the deluge flowing into storm sewers mixes with the wastewater from homes and businesses.   Often there is more water than the metropolitan area’s treatment plants can handle, so the excess is discharged untreated into the Chicago River and its connected waterways. Such Combined Sewer Overflows — CSOs – are common in Chicago and many other U.S. cities where storm water and municipal wastewater are funneled into the same aging combined sewer pipes. Milwaukee and other cities discharge CSOs into Lake Michigan. The discharges include high levels of bacteria, parasites, viruses, toxic metals including copper and cadmium, nutrient pollutants including phosphorus, and suspended solids.

Energy

Tribes explore renewable energy prospects

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Native American tribes in the Northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula are seeking to develop renewable energy, but a lack of money is impeding many projects, experts say.

Michigan tribes have a potential for wind energy and wood-based biomass, said Roger Taylor, the principal project manager of the Tribal Energy Program.

Echo

Protecting home 2011 challenge for Great Lakes

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The Great Lakes region saw it’s share of diverse environmental challenges in 2010. But they are bound by an attack on a common target – a regional identity that defines a sense of home and that may be the greatest of environmental threats.

Echo

Introducing Great Lakes Echo Photo Friday

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We’re introducing a new feature called Photo Friday. Every Friday in Catch of the Day we will post an image  representative of the Great Lakes environment. You can help by contributing images you have taken. Send submissions to greatlakesecho@gmail.com. Include your name, a short caption and an approximate date that you took the picture. There are no prizes here.

Echo

Egg powder, cayenne pepper and dried blood could help Christmas tree farmers

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A few weeks ago, ScienceDaily reported how North Carolina State researchers are researching inventive repellents to help Christmas tree farmers keep deer away from their trees. According to NC State, egg powder, hair clippings, dried blood and even cayenne pepper  protect the trees from deer. The researchers say these natural products are 85 to 90 percent cheaper than commercially produced products. Commercial deer repellents can cost $18 per pound, while many of the scientist’s suggestions can be less than $2, said researcher Jeff Owens. Fencing is also extremely expensive.

Echo

Study warns of hybrid invasive weeds

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Native weeds are bad enough. Invasive weeds are worse, and invasive hybrid weeds are things of nightmares. As if single invasive species of plants weren’t powerful enough on their own, a recent article from Michigan Farm News makes us aware of the fact that we may need  to worry about invasive hybrids. According to the article, hybrid invasive weeds are two species that breed to create a particularly powerful force that can be even more improbable to get rid of. The article cites a study published in the Invasive Plant Science and Management Journal that focuses specifically on Japanese knotweed and giant knotweed, two invasives prevalent throughout the Great Lakes region.