For Friday. Feb. 11, 2022

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1 – Michiganders would be able to lower the cost of purchasing an electric vehicle by $10,000. 

That’s under a proposal from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, included in last month’s State of the State address. 

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The governor says the plan would help Michigan transition into a future of clean energy. 

Every year, thousands more electric vehicles are sold in Michigan, the governor notes. And major automakers have committed to electrifying 100 percent of their fleets over the next 10-15 years. 

Electric vehicles cost half as much to fuel and maintain as gas-powered cars, the governor says. Switching to electric would save families thousands of dollars a year. 

She’s proposing a combined $2,500 electric vehicle rebate for families—$2,000 for the car and $500 for in-home charging equipment. This would build on a $7,500 federal electric vehicle credit.

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2 – Auburn, Roscommon and Garfield Township are among 11 local governments receiving clean water grants from the state. 

Funding through the MI Clean Water plan will help local water suppliers move toward reducing the risks associated with lead in drinking water and make other improvements to better ensure safe, clean tap water for residents. 

The recent grants include about $229,000 to the city of Auburn, almost $184,000 to the village of Roscommon and $1.2 million to Garfield Township. 

3 – Dozens of Great Lakes scientists are on a rare February sampling campaign to study the changing face of winter.

Most scientific sampling of the Great Lakes is done between May and October, when the lakes are free of ice and the water is warmer.

But this month, scientists from U.S. and Canadian institutions are sampling all five Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair in a first-of-its-kind coordinated campaign called the Winter Grab.

Teams will drill through ice to collect water samples, measure light levels at various depths and net tiny zooplankton.

It’s part of a broader effort to better understand the changing face of winter on the Great Lakes. 

University of Michigan officials say climate warming is increasing winter air temperatures, decreasing ice-cover extent and changing precipitation patterns.

The work includes venturing onto the ice of Saginaw Bay, using an all-terrain vehicle to haul a sled loaded with gear. 

– Mr. Great Lakes is heard Friday mornings in Bay City, Michigan, on Delta College Public Radio 90.1 FM (listen live). Follow @jeffkart on Twitter #MrGreatLakes

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