Low-Energy Loons, State Forest Plans, and Woody Debris

May 9, 2013 — jeffkart

Mr. Great Lakes, Jeff Kart. As heard in Bay City, Michigan, at 9 a.m. Fridays on Delta College Q-90.1 FM.

1 – The Great Lakes Loons are using less energy.

robot bird loons baseball time

Credit: Steve Bowbrick

The Minor League Baseball Team has set a goal to reduce total energy use by 50 percent by 2020.

The team, along with Dow Diamond and its corporate partners, Dow Chemical and Dow Corning, also plans to cut water use and waste in half by the year 2020.

The sustainability goals were updated this week in a first-quarter report.

Highlights include a new composting program for food waste at Dow Diamond, and the installation of more efficient LED lighting.

The compost program will use the food waste to fertilize the grounds and flower beds at Dow Diamond.

The LED lighting installed in various areas of Dow Diamond is expected to cut energy by about 15,000 kilowatt hours and carbon dioxide emissions by more than 36,000 pounds.

The Great Lakes Loons are a Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

2- Public meetings are planned this month on regional state forest plans.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is hosting the meetings to discuss feedback from an earlier round of meetings that sought comment on draft versions of the plans.

The topics to be discussed at the May sessions include aspen and timber management; wildlife habitat and recreational trails.

The meetings include one on Wednesday, May 22, in Gaylord.

Following the sessions, the DNR will revise plans for each region, including the Northern Lower Peninsula, in preparation for final review at upcoming Natural Resources Commission meetings and approval by the DNR director. Final approval of the plans is expected in November 2013.

The plans are designed to help the DNR manage 4 million acres of state forest land in Michigan. Once finalized, the plans will guide DNR decisions about timber management and other activities on state forest land for years to come.

3 – Trees are making a splash in the Pigeon River.

The first trees have gone into the river as part of an instream habitat diversity project.

Stretches of the Pigeon and Sturgeon rivers are the focus of work planned for this year by Huron Pines, a nonprofit in Gaylord.

Large woody debris – like trees and branches – are placed in the river to improve habitat for fish, protect against streambank erosion, and provide habitat for bugs, turtles, birds and other wildlife.

Sites are selected to provide conservation value without interfering in river navigation.

See also: Flying Trees

-30-

Posted in energy, fish, water. Tags: , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Taking Out Weeds, Taking Back the Tap, and Taking Care of Northern Michigan

March 29, 2013 — jeffkart

Mr. Great Lakes (Jeff Kart). The Environment Report. As heard at 9 a.m. Fridays (Eastern) on Q-90.1 FM, Delta College.

1 - Invasive species are under attack in the Saginaw Bay watershed. 

The first Cooperative Weed Management Area meeting for the watershed was held recently by the Saginaw Conservation District and the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.

The Saginaw Bay watershed is the largest in Michigan, and one of the largest freshwater watersheds in the nation. Several Weed Management Areas have been established in the state and across the United States in recent years.

The Saginaw Bay watershed drains about 15 percent of Michigan, and includes about 8,700 square-miles, more than 175 inland lakes, 7,000 miles of rivers and streams, and 15,000 acres of coastal wetlands.

The objective of the Weed Management Area is to organize treatment of invasive species in the watershed, which includes all or part of 22 counties.

Invasive species that are a problem here include phragmites, an invasive reed that can grow to more than 10 feet tall and choke out native plants.

The first Weed Management Area meeting for the watershed discussed the development of a plan, goals and objectives. Some of the group’s priorities include early detection, rapid response, education and outreach.

The organizers are working with the Michigan Invasive Species Coalition and Midwest Invasive Species Information Network on the weed management efforts.

Funding for the project comes from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Plans include inventory and treatment work, beginning this summer.


2 - Another group at Central Michigan University is working to gradually phase out the sale of water bottles on the campus in Mount Pleasant. 

fiji over lake michigan anderson

Fiji over Lake Michigan, by Seth Anderson

It’s a group of CMU students, and the initiative is called Take Back the Tap.

According to a news release, CMU has responded to the initiative by purchasing about 15,000 fewer units of bottled water for resale between 2011 and 2012.

Last year, CMU installed retrofit kits at more than 40 drinking fountains across campus. The kits make it easier to fill reusable water bottles, and also record the number of water bottles filled over time.

As of February, the kits have helped eliminate the use of more than 400,000 plastic water bottles.

The student group is working to rally the support of other student, faculty and staff organizations on campus.

The hope is that the university will end the sale of bottled water at CMU by 2015.

3 - What’s on the Mega List?

Huron Pines, a nonprofit in Grayling, has a master database of conversation priorities for Northeast MIchigan.

The list is used to rank proposed projects according to their impact across watersheds, and apply for grant funding.

It’s also used to track the progress of fixing problems, and sites are crossed off when they’ve been restored.

The nonprofit is in the midst of a spring cleaning to update its Mega List, and is looking for projects that should be on the radar for the future.

In particular, Huron Pines is updating information on the Au Sable River Watershed, which has new inventory data for road and stream crossings, erosion sites, invasive species locations and small dams.

- – -

Posted in GLRI, invasive species, water. Tags: , , . 1 Comment »

Why is there Spring Snow in the Great Lakes?

March 22, 2013 — jeffkart

The Environment Report, from Mr. Great Lakes (Jeff Kart), for March 22, 2013.

Heard at 9 a.m. Fridays in Bay City, Michigan, on Q-90.1 FM, Delta College.

1 - Is climate change leading to more snow in the Great Lakes region? 

photo figure great lakes lake effect snow climate change paper

A figure from the paper, “Sensitivity of Lake-Effect Snowfall to Lake Ice Cover and Temperature in the Great Lakes Region.”

A new paper from University of Michigan researchers examines the question.

One part of the answer may be lake-effect snow, according to U of M researchers.

They examined the impact of ice cover and water temperatures on lake-effect snow.

They used a high-resolution weather forecast model to see how lake-affect snow would be impacted by: complete ice cover on the Great Lakes, no ice cover, or warmer surface water temperatures.

The results? If there’s a reduction in lake ice, or lake ice starts forming later in the winter season, that can help to increase the area along the lakeshore that experiences snow in a lake-effect snow event.

And, if the lake surface temperature begins to significantly increase above normal values during the winter season, the overall amount of snowfall increases, along with how far inland the snowfall is seen.

And so, areas that normally do not experience lake-effect snow in the Great Lakes could begin to experience more snowfall in the future, the study says.

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation.

2 - The status of the Lake Huron fishery is the topic of three upcoming regional workshops to be held along the Saginaw Bay coastline.

The educational workshops will offer current research and information for anglers, charter captains, resource professionals, and interested members of the public.

The events are being put on by the Michigan Sea Grant and Michigan State University Extension, in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division and other organizations.

The workshops will include information and status updates on: Low water levels, fish population and angler catch data, the resurgence of native species such as walleye, forage fish surveys, results from the Lake Huron predator diet study, and other topics.

Pre-registration is requested.  Evening fishery workshops are planned for April 18 in Ubly, April 24 in Oscoda, and April 25 in Cedarville.

 (To register, contact Val Golding, Michigan Sea Grant/MSU Extension Alpena County Office by email at goldingv@alpenacounty.org or by phone at (989) 354-9870.)

3 - It’s spring, and Earth Day is just around the corner.

The Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network, also known as Saginaw Bay WIN, is holding another Earth Day Grant Contest this year.

Saginaw Bay WIN, headquartered in downtown Bay City, is looking for nonprofit organizations that have ideas to support:

  • Conservation

  • Public Access to Natural Resources

  • Natural Resource-based Recreation or Education, or

  • Energy Efficiency.

To enter the contest, the organization must describe their project in 50 words or less and send it to Saginaw Bay WIN.

Entries will be posted to Saginaw Bay WIN’s website and Facebook page.

The project that receives the most votes online will take home a $1,000 grant to implement their idea.

The deadline for entries is April 5, and voting begins April 10.

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22.

- – -

Posted in Climate change, fish, Lake Huron, water. Tags: , , , . 3 Comments »

Energy Forum at Delta, Dragons in Saginaw, and a Project on the Kawkawlin

February 15, 2013 — jeffkart

Mr. Great Lakes (Jeff Kart). As heard at 9 a.m. Eastern, Fridays on Delta Q-90.1 FM. The Feb. 15, 2013, broadcast:

1 – A public forum on Michigan’s energy future is planned for March 4 at Delta College.

coal chunk

Credit: Jeffrey Beall

 

The forum is one of seven planned for locations throughout the state, and will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, March 4 in the Delta College Lecture Theater.

The public forums are hosted in part by the Michigan Public Service Commission, which regulates major electric utilities in the state.

Gov. Rick Snyder has charged the chairs of the Commission and Michigan Energy Office with overseeing a public input process. The process is meant to assist policymakers as they take a look at future energy needs in the state.

Snyder says he’ll rely on the results of the process when making comprehensive recommendations in December regarding Michigan’s energy future.

The forums come after voters in November 2012 rejected a proposal to increase the amount of wind, solar and other renewable energy generation in the state from 10 percent by 2015 to 25 percent by 2025.

The Snyder administration is spending this year collecting comments and considering proposals for future state energy policy after the 2015 deadline passes.

Comments also are being taken online until April 25. There are specific questions on  renewables, efficiency, and the regulatory structure for electricity.

Bay County is home to the Karn-Weadock complex, which creates electricity by burning coal and is the largest power plant in the Consumers Energy fleet.

- – -  See Appendix A: Governor’s Energy Message (pdf)

2 – A dragon hunter has identified six new species in Saginaw County.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We’re talking about dragonflies, at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge.

Refuge Manage Steven Kahl reports that volunteer Jeff Sommer conducted a dragonfly count last summer.

He found six new species at the refuge, including

  • the Racket-tailed Emerald
  • the Cobra Clubtail
  • the Skillet Clubtail
  • the Dragonhunter
  • the Spot-winged Glider, and
  • the Spatterdock Darner.

These six new species raise the number of dragonfly and similar insects found
on the refuge to 54 species.

The diversity is due in a large part to a variety of wetlands on the refuge.

For those counting, the first day of spring is March 20.

. . .

3 – Bay County Executive Tom Hickner is now a member of the Environmental and Regulatory Affairs Committee of the Michigan Association of Counties (MAC).

Hickner was recently appointed to a two-year term as a voting member of the Committee.

The Environmental and Regulatory Affairs Committee provides recommendations to the board of the Michigan Association of Counties on current issues, legislative activity, and statutes affecting Michigan counties.

In other Bay County news, Drain Commissioner Joseph Rivet has accepted a nearly $1 million grant for water quality improvements on the Kawkawlin River.

The project will focus on best-management practices for agriculture, including erosion control projects. Also, direct livestock access to river will be managed and barriers constructed.

The project also aims to acquire 100 acres of permanent conservation easements, and identify and eliminate failed septic systems along the river. The goal is to reduce phosphorus and sediment inputs to the river.

The Kawkawlin River was flagged for high bacteria levels twice in 2012, and under a contamination advisory or closure for a total of 79 days.

-30-

Posted in air pollution, coal, energy, water. Tags: , , , . 5 Comments »

Native Plants from Prison, and Drugs in our Drinking Water

November 29, 2012 — jeffkart
photo syringe drugs great lakes

Photo by Andres Rueda

As heard Nov. 30, 2012, on Delta Q-90.1 FM, NPR (audio, at 7:00) …
1. Inmates are helping growing native plants for a national wildlife refuge.

Inmates from the Saginaw Correctional Facility in Freeland are helping conserve wildlife habitat at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge in Saginaw County by growing native prairie grass and wildflowers from seed.

The program is modeled after one from Minnesota; that prison has since closed.

The local inmates sow seeds collected from the Saginaw County refuge and tend plants once they’ve germinated.

When the plants are mature, they are trucked to the refuge for transplanting on former cropland.

Last year, 60,000 plants were transplanted.

Freeland prison officials hope to see the program spread to other areas of Michigan, and other states.

This is the program’s third year. Among the species planted this year were swamp milkweed, spotted Joe-Pye weed, common boneset, and wild bergamot. Native plants are good because they provide habitat for birds, attract pollinating insects, and help keep out invasive species.

Funding for the program has been provided by grant from Ducks Unlimited, and the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network.

Recently, 35,000 plants were delivered to the refuge with a market value of $175,000.

2. There’s drugs in our drinking water. And treatment plants are having a tough time dealing with it.

According to reports from Great Lakes Echo and the Alliance for the Great Lakes (document), traces of pharmaceuticals, everyday chemicals, and personal care products in our drinking water are an emerging concern.

Treatment plants can use membrane technology to remove some pharmaceuticals from wastewater. But, they can’t catch all of what’s contributed by humans and animals.

A total of 35 treatment plants in the Great Lakes use membrane technology, including 13 plants on Lake Huron.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is aware of the issue, and officials say various federal research projects are ongoing about pharmaceuticals in water.

The DEQ says pharmaceuticals have been detected in groundwater, lakes and streams in Michigan. The drugs can harm aquatic life. And, as concentrations in our water increase, the presence of these drugs may lead to human health damages.

The federal government doesn’t currently have any requirements about pharmaceuticals in drinking water, but standards are reviewed periodically.

—

( See also – “Great Lakes Syringes” )

Posted in birds, invasive species, water. Tags: , , , , , . 3 Comments »

Creating Clouds Over the Great Lakes, and Insulating Green Homes

November 15, 2012 — jeffkart

As heard at 9 a.m. Eastern, Nov. 16, 2012, on Q-90.1 FM’s Friday Edition (audio) …

photo great lakes cloud types

via NASA

Creating Clouds

Could solar geoengineering help reduce climate change impacts in the Great Lakes?

Harvard University researchers say in a new study that solar geoengineering can be tailored to manage specific risks from climate change.

Solar geoengineering aims to offset global warming caused by greenhouse gases. It involves increasing the concentrations of aerosols in stratosphere or creating low-altitude marine clouds to reflect sunlight away from the Earth’s surface and back into space.

The researchers say such efforts could be tailored by region and need, to maximize the effectiveness of solar radiation management while mitigating its potential side effects and risks.

The research focused on using the technology to counter the loss of Arctic sea ice.

A study co-author tells The Environment Report that solar geoengineering could be used to reduce temperatures and evaporation rates in the Great Lakes.

But any such tinkering would have worldwide effects. Critics of geoengineering have warned that such intervention could result in unforeseen consequences.

Solar engineering projects are still hypothetical at this point. Still, the researchers say their new model could come in handy if engineered solutions need to be implemented to control global warming.

Great Lakes temperatures have increased and ice cover has decreased in recent decades.

Dow Corning @ Greenbuild

Midland-based Dow Corning is introducing its new Vacuum Insulation Panel this week at the U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild 2012 Expo in San Francisco.

The energy-saving product is described as a high-efficiency insulation product featuring five to 10 times better thermal resistance than conventional insulation materials.

The panel also has a thin-profile construction to maximize usable floor space in buildings. The product contains up to 95 percent pre-consumer recycled content in its core and post-consumer recycled content in its packaging.

The Vacuum Insulation Panel has been used in a renovation at the historic University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom.

The Greenbuild Expo is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building.

The U.S. Green Building Council is the developer of the LEED green building certification program. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

-30-

Posted in Climate change, energy, Global warming, solar, water. Tags: , . Leave a Comment »

Great Lakes Futures Project, Student Opportunities and Bay County Green Initiatives

October 18, 2012 — jeffkart

As heard Friday, Oct. 19, 2012, 9 a.m. Eastern on Delta College Q-90.1 FM, NPR …

photo swirling water

Photo by virtually_supine

1. The Great Lakes Futures Project is taking shape, and there are opportunities for students to become involved.

The University of Michigan and 20 other research institutions in the U.S. and Canada are joining forces for the project. Those include Michigan State University, Wayne State University, and Michigan Sea Grant.

The goal is to propose a set of long-term research and policy priorities to help protect and restore the Great Lakes. The project also aims to train the next generation of scientists, attorneys, planners and policy specialists.

The Great Lakes Futures Project was assembled by the Transborder Research University Network.

Researchers say this is a critical time for the project, with the recent release of an amended Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the U.S. and Canada.

Organizers say the collaboration of U.S. and Canadian academics, governments, nongovernment organizations, industry and private citizens for this project is unprecedented.

Project officials plans to recruit graduate students for analysis this fall.

(To learn how your institution can be involved, contact the Great Lakes Futures Project at kiglic2@uwo.ca.)

2. Bay County is showing off Green Initiatives as part of a online dashboard.

photo green dashboard car

Photo by M. Stjerna

 

The Bay County Dashboard is a compilation of information about Bay County government activities like public safety, health and education, shared services, and budget and finance.

Under Green Initiatives, the county lists extensive information on recycling.

That includes information on recycling locations for various items, from antifreeze to vinyl siding, in and around Bay County.

There also are links to curbside recycling programs in various townships.

See baycounty-mi.gov for more information.

-30-

Follow @jeffkart on Twitter

Send me an email

Posted in GLRI, Lake Huron, recycling, water. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »

New Great Lakes Beach Monitoring Tool, and Compact Water Project

August 23, 2012 — jeffkart

As heard Aug. 24, 2012, on Friday Edition, Q-90.1 FM, Delta College, NPR-member station (starts at 4:50) …

1

Measurements of high bacteria levels at Great Lakes beaches aren’t always correct. 

That’s according to a University of Michigan researcher who is helping develop a more accurate forecasting tool.

The new tool could significantly reduce the number of days that Great Lakes beaches are closed due to inaccurate assessments of E. coli bacteria levels, says David Rockwell.

He estimates that almost one of every four beach closings due to high bacteria levels are incorrect on the Great Lakes, due in part to the time it takes to generate results from current testing methods. Rockwell says those mistakes would be corrected with his E. coli forecasting tool.

The new tool is called the Forecast Decision Support System. Testing has shown the tool is more accurate than current beach-monitoring  methods about 70 percent of the time.

The U of M testing method was developed with $140,000 from the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The tool is being tested this summer at five beaches, including the Bay City State Recreation Area in Bay County’s Bangor Township.

photo cool blue rule

Another cool blue measuring tool. By Scott Akerman.

The forecasting tool uses equations to forecast water-quality four times per day. Forecasts are generated using almost 100 environmental variables, including rainfall amounts, cloud cover, wind direction and speed, the direction and speed of currents in the lake, and wave heights.

The forecasts taken this summer will be compared with actual E. coli bacteria levels measured by water samples to further test the accuracy of the tool, officials say.

Other testing is taking place at North Beach Park and Grand Haven State Park in Ottawa County, and Memorial and Metro beaches in Macomb County.

— More U of M Great Lakes research

2

Where does Great Lakes water go, and how does it flow?

Michigan Technological University and Arizona State University are leading a three-year research study to develop a way to track water flows and water use in a watershed.

The Great Lakes provide the foundation for billions of dollars in economic activity and are a direct source of drinking water for tens of millions of people, including residents of the Saginaw Bay region, Michigan Tech researchers note.

The Virtual Water Accounting project is being undertaken to comply with terms of the an international Great Lake-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, which restricts water diversions from the Great Lakes and requires state and provincial management of water resources.

To comply with the Compact, U.S. states and Canadian provinces must determine whether a proposed new withdrawal and consumptive use may have a significant adverse impact to the water resource and whether the proposed use is reasonable considering economic development and environmental protection.

The project will examine how water moves through the watershed, the minimum water levels needed to sustain ecosystems, and how water is used by the region’s economy, researchers say.

-30-

Another Tool

Posted in beaches, GLRI, water. Tags: . Leave a Comment »

Michigan is Top 20 in Wind, Aging Sewers Blamed for Beach Closings

August 16, 2012 — jeffkart

As heard Aug. 17, 2o12, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM …

1. Michigan is a Top 20 state for wind energy. 

But the wind power industry is facing uncertain times, says a new U.S. Department of Energy report.

The Wind Technologies Market Report says 2011 capacity additions have risen from 2010 levels and a further sizable increase is expected this year.

Still, key federal tax incentives for wind energy are set to expire at the end of this year, which could slow new construction in 2013.

The report lists Michigan as 11th in the U.S. when it comes to wind energy capacity. The state has a standard that requires utilities to increase their renewable generation to 10 percent by 2015.

The report also mentions construction of the Thumb Loop Transmission Project, which is ongoing and will provide additional capacity for wind power generation in the state. Several wind projects are operating and under construction in Michigan’s Thumb.

Department of Energy officials say wind power additions Increased in 2011, with roughly 6.8 gigawatts of new capacity added in the U.S., and $14 billion invested.

Wind power also comprised 32 percent of U.S. electric generating capacity additions in 2011, up from 25% in 2010.

2. Aging infrastructure is partly to blame for a rise in Michigan beach advisories and closings.

That’s according to the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, which represents  nearly 600 Michigan companies.

An association spokesman notes that the number of monitored public beaches with advisories or closings has continued to increase each year between 2005 and 2010, according to the most recent formal report available from the Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality.

So far this year, there have been about 100 beach advisories or closings, up from less than 90 in 2011.

This points to the increasing need to fix the state’s aging underground water and sewer systems, the association says.

There are bills moving through the state House and Senate that would provide easier access to funding for municipalities to pay the cost of evaluating and separating their combined storm and sanitary sewer systems. The legislation supports a $1 billion sewer bond program approved by voters in 2002, but there hasn’t been much action on the bills since May, when they were referred to committees.

The association calls the state’s aging underground infrastructure “a hidden menace” that becomes more costly to repair each year that repairs are delayed.

Bay County has seen several contamination advisories or closings at public beaches in the last two months.

-30-

Posted in beaches, water, wind. 1 Comment »

An Ugly Great Lakes Beaches Report and Beautiful Nature Contest

June 28, 2012 — jeffkart
photo great lakes beach sand report

Photo by derekp

AS HEARD June 29, 2012, on Friday Edition, The Environment Report, Q-90.1 FM, Delta College, Michigan:

1 -

Next week is the week of July 4, Independence Day. Time to hit the beach.

That is, unless the beach is closed due to high bacteria levels.

In 2011, America’s beaches saw the third-highest number of closing and advisory days in more than 20 years, according to a report released by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

And things aren’t getting much better: The second-highest number of closing and advisory days occurred the year before, during 2010.

Beach closings and advisories are often blamed on stormwater runoff and sewage pollution.

In the Great Lakes, beaches were hard hit in 2011, with 11 percent of water quality samples exceeding public health standards, and indicating the potential presence of human and animal waste. The national average 3 percent lower.

For the first time this year, the NRDC report includes a map searchable by ZIP code, covering more than 3,000 beaches nationwide (www.nrdc.org/beaches). The data comes from government reports.

Bay County beaches were closed or under advisory for a total of 29 days in 2011.

2 -

Keep your eye out for good nature photos this summer.

And bring your camera.

The Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy, based in Bay City, is holding a 2012 Nature Photography Contest.

Each photo category will feature first, second and third place winners, with cash prizes.

The deadline to submit photos is Sept. 30.

Winners are to be announced in early November.

Photos must be taken within the Saginaw Bay Watershed, which covers 22 counties.

If you’re looking for inspiration, the conservancy owns 10 nature preserves that the open to the public.

The  nonprofit recently moved its offices from The Bay City Times building in downtown Bay City to a spot on East Midland Street.

-30-

Posted in beaches, Saginaw Bay, water. Leave a Comment »
« Older posts
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 46 other followers

%d bloggers like this: