Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/tag/echo/page/162/)
A bill before Michigan’s Legislature would begin to regulate wind farms in the state’s Great Lakes waters.
Whether lawmakers will approve it before a new governor and legislators take office is uncertain. And offshore wind power faces other hurdles.
Water quality advocates are fighting legislation that would let voter-approved bond money be used for brownfield cleanup rather than water infrastructure improvement.
The money is on hand because Michigan voters in 2002 approved $1 billion in loans to improve water quality.
Two funny-named species of freshwater mussels currently found in rivers of the Great Lake states were recently proposed for Endangered Species Act protection.
The rayed bean and snuffbox mussels were recently proposed to be listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Chemical contaminants, sedimentation, nonpoint source pollution and mining are threats to their habitat’s water quality, according to the service.
The two-year program develops ways to increase green jobs in six regions of the nation.
Metro Chicago and Michigan are targeted in the Great Lakes region.
Regions that were targeted had the greatest potential for green jobs and access to community colleges already working on job training and on greening their campuses.
Despite its reputation for gray skies, clouds and rough winters, Michigan may begin to rely more heavily on solar power to meet its electricity demands, some energy experts say.
A shortage of trained fire officers in Michigan is reducing the capacity to fight and prevent forest fires on state land, according to a state official.
Today is America Recycles Day, and the Great Lakes region is celebrating. This is the 11th year of the day and exists to promote the social, environmental and economic benefits of recycling. Use this website to find celebratory events happening across the U.S. When I entered the code for East Lansing, Michigan (the home of Great Lakes Echo), several events came up. For instance, in Ann Arbor, Mich., University of Michigan Recycling will host a tour of the facility for faculty, students and staff. The Kellogg Corporate Headquarters in Battle Creek, Mich.
Although lead is a known health hazard for wildlife, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently rejected a petition asking for a ban on lead fishing tackle and ammunition.
Alternatives are expensive; most efforts at controlling such exposures are limited to education and outreach.
New York is the only Great Lakes state to take regulatory action, banning the sale of some lead sinkers.
The make up of urban landscapes may throw a curve ball at female northern cardinals looking for a mate with more than just a great personality.
I ran across a website recent that I thought that the many people involved in urban agriculture in the Great Lake states might be interesting in contributing to. City Harvest is a site where people from across the world can collaborate on and document news, publications and projects related to urban agriculture. While the site was created in the UK, it welcomes submissions from across the world. A person who knows of an urban agriculture project can add a project and information to the site. Some people in the United States have already caught on and there are projects in California, New York and Boston.