Land
Environmental, farm, animal rights groups clash over Indiana farm practices bill
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Legislators and environmentalists in Indiana are engaged in a full-on tug-of-war over a bill that would give legal support to farmers.
Waste
Mr. Great Lakes: Recyclemania, “Healthy” Asian carp and the best carp barrier
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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
Wildlife
Record levels of banned insecticide found in Illinois otters
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The concentrations of dieldrin, an insecticide banned in 1978, are the greatest ever found in otters.
Once used on cornfields, the chemical lingers in sediments and accumulates in fish and wildlife.
Six Great Lakes states are among the nation’s top 12 corn producers.
Land
Controversial Michigan bill would remove ban on state-owned land
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Sponsored by Rep. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, the bill would raise the 4.626 million acre cap on land and allow the Department of Natural Resources to acquire more.
Land
Landscope: Grand Rapids growth
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In this installment of our “Landscope” series, get a bird’s eye view of the western Michigan city of Grand Rapids – and its evolution from farming town to one of the most popular cities for young professionals.
Air
Unmanned aircraft program lends students unique opportunities
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The U.S. government isn’t expected to open airspace for civilian unmanned drone flight until 2015.
But Northwestern Michigan College students can fly drones today.
Water
Mr. Great Lakes: Low water levels and a new name for a nature preserve
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Mr. Great Lakes (Jeff Kart) reports from Bay City, Michigan’s Delta College Q-90.1 FM. Jan 24 2014 – The Environment Report – With Jeff Kart – Mr Great Lakes by jeffkart
This week, Kart discusses low water levels in the Great Lakes and a new nickname for Euclid Linear Park. Text at Mr. Great Lakes
Wildlife
Ecologist James Ludwig discusses the “Dismal State of the Great Lakes”
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Ecologist James Ludwig spent his career studying the chemical pollution of the Great Lakes – most notably with the help of his cross-billed cormorant, Cosmos.
Great Lakes Echo recently spoke with Ludwig about his new book, “The Dismal State of the Great Lakes.”
Wildlife
Hunt for crop-eating bears could start early
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In 32 years, there has rarely been a season when Michigan farmer and politician Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, hasn’t found bear damage in his cornfield.
Now, he’s fighting to do something about it.
Land
Big Ten’s Eco Efforts: Purdue University
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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 order to create a “living building,” Purdue University needed a small building with an apartment and classroom for an ecologist-in-residence. They wanted to build it to the standards of the Living Building Challenge, said Michael Gulich, director of sustainability at the school. The Living Building Challenge requires 20 prerequisites for certification, said Gulich. The requirements include net zero energy, which means producing as much energy as it consumes; net zero water, which requires a person’s water use to only come from collected precipitation or reused, purified water; an area for agriculture and an education component explaining how the site was built and how it functions.