For Friday, Sept. 27, 2019

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1 – Delta College has received national recognition for its sustainability efforts. 

Delta College ranked No. 6 in the community college category in the Top Colleges for Sustainability 2019 Sustainable Campus Index. 

The index is published by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. It recognizes top-performing colleges in 17 distinct aspects of sustainability, and overall. 

Delta received higher-than-national average rankings for all institutions in the categories of Campus Engagement and Buildings.

Delta College has participated in a reporting process since 2008 for colleges and universities to gauge progress toward sustainability.

For more information about sustainability at Delta, or ways you can get involved, visit delta.edu/sustainability. 

2 – The leaves they are a changin’.

The folks at Pure Michigan say Michigan’s fall color display is making a slow but graceful advance across the Upper Peninsula, where peak conditions are two to three weeks away.

In the North East Lower Peninsula, the leaves in Roscommon County are just starting to change colors, and occasional bright red maples can be seen along the roads.    

The Houghton Lake Area, Grayling, Alpena, Oscoda, and the rest of the that area reported less than 25 percent color change this week, with peak conditions estimated to be about two more weeks away.

In the East and West Central Lower Peninsula, some of the treetops are showing bronze and orange colors in Frankenmuth. Midland and Saginaw will see peak conditions in three to four weeks. 

3 –  Michigan’s environmental agency is educating people about the proper care and maintenance of septic systems. 

Michigan has more than 1.3 million septic systems that treat wastewater from homes and businesses. 

These systems can become leaky, broken or outdated, and introduce nitrogen, pharmaceutical compounds, household chemicals, and bacteria into local groundwater, rivers and streams. That can put local drinking water and recreational users at risk.

Ways to be a good septic owner include: 

• Have your septic tank pumped, when necessary, generally every three to five years
• Avoid pouring harsh products such as oils, grease, chemicals, paint and medications down the drain 
• Discard non-degradable products such as floss, disposable wipes and cat litter in the trash instead of flushing them.

 

– Mr. Great Lakes is heard Friday mornings in Bay City, Michigan, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM NPR (now streaming). Follow @jeffkart on Twitter #MrGreatLakes

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