News
- MSU International fisheries expert calls for complete hydrological separation to combat Asian carp menace
"There has got to be a way in which we can separate hydrologically these two basins and still allow for transportation, effective movement of goods and services from both basins to benefit all citizens while protecting the ecosystem," says Taylor.
- Kirk Heinze: Why don't more of us recycle?
National studies suggest that even when people have ready access to recycling-either curbside or at a nearby center-most still don't get into the habit. According to Tom Emmerich, President of Kalamazoo-based Schupan Recycling, the key is not necessarily convenience; rather, it is education.
- MSU AgBioResearch: Leading innovation in food, natural resources and energy
Despite deep cuts in state funding (15% for the 2011-12 fiscal year) and the threat of additional cuts in federal revenues, Pueppke remains confident and enthusiastic about the work of the 300+ scientists supported by MSU AgBioResearch.
- Nature Conservancy protects Great Lakes System on all fronts: forests, coasts, watersheds, food web
"In order to ensure the health of the Great Lakes…we have to be sure that our investments and those of other conservation partners and land and water managers are adding up to the health of the whole system," says Taylor.
- EPA Announces New Air Transport Rule; Many Coal-fired Plants Will Be Affected
After a long, drawn out court battle, EPA has finally announced the issuance of a new rule that will regulate the emission of ozone-producing pollutants that cross state lines to create pollution in down-wind states. The Rule, which will take affect on January 1, 2012, will result in significant improvements in air emissions from coal-fired plants, but will also require some of them that cannot be retrofitted with scrubbers to close.
- The Avrie Group is adapting German technology to American sustainability
Chwalibog is bullish on the expansion of green roof technology in the U.S. I, for one, hope he is right. We have a lot of catching up to do when we look at our friends in Europe. But initiatives like the Brownstown Middle School green roof offer more than just hope that we are up to the task.
- Supreme Court rules that states cannot bring nuisance claims for greenhouse gas emissions
The Supreme Court has found that states cannot file nuisance suits against generator of greenhouse gas emissions as the Clean Air Act and EPA's regulation of greenhouse gas emissions displaces any federal common law claims.
- Battle over Transmission Lines in the Thumb
In a chicken and the egg proposition, do you first build wind farms or the transmission lines to take the electricity generated by those farms to markets? In a recent MPSC decision, the Commission rejected challenges to an application to expedite the siting of new transmission lines to take electricity generated by Thumb-area wind farms to populated load centers, opening the door for the development of more wind farms in Michigan.
- New Hydraulic Fracturing Requirements Take Effect on June 22
Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," is commonly used to extract natural gas. As it becomes more commonplace, more scrutiny is placed on the use of thise technique. The State of Michigan recently issued new requirements for reporting on the effects of fracking on water resources.
- Jan Wilford: Taking care of our precious water
A couple easy ways to conserve water, Wilford says, are to turn off the water while you're brushing your teeth, take shorter showers and wash your car on the lawn rather than the driveway because the grass is a nice filter for all the road grit, oil and detergent that washes off the car and helps keep these materials out of our storm drains