Categories: Environment, Cleanup
Live Asian Carp Found Past Barrier in Lake Calumet Illinois
By djkimmel on Jun 24, 2010 | In Legislation, Environment, MI Dept of Natural Resources, Invasive Species, US Federal Government, Endangered Species | Send feedback »
As reported in the Detroit News 6:12PM June 23, 2010:
Asian carp pass barrier toward Great Lakes
Nathan Hurst / Detroit News Washington Bureau
Washington -- A bighead carp has been found in Illinois' Lake Calumet, about six miles north of an electric barrier set up to stop the invasive fish from entering the Great Lakes.
Officials in Illinois are expected to announce the find late today, and have notified some members of Congress who reacted to the find.
Read entire story from The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100623/METRO/6230424/Asian-carp-pass-barrier-toward-Great-Lakes#ixzz0rn6QDYME
Earth Day: No more burning rivers, but new threats
By djkimmel on Apr 30, 2010 | In Conservation, Environment, Cleanup, US Federal Government | Send feedback »
From Aol News
By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP
WASHINGTON -Pollution before the first Earth Day was not only visible, it was in your face: Cleveland's Cuyahoga River caught fire. An oil spill fouled 30 miles of Southern California beaches. And thick smog choked many cities' skies.
Not anymore.
On Thursday, 40 years after that first Earth Day in 1970, smog levels nationwide have dropped by about a quarter, and lead levels in the air are down more than 90 percent. Formerly fetid lakes and burning rivers are now open to swimmers.
The challenges to the planet today are largely invisible — and therefore tougher to tackle. Read complete article on Aol News
Chicago Suburb Approves Nation's First Offshore Wind Farm
By djkimmel on Apr 17, 2010 | In Conservation, Legislation, Environment | Send feedback »
From HousingWatch.com:
By Megan Mollman Apr 15th 2010 @ 8:00AM
The Chicago area, already known for its green roofs and other eco-initiatives, may have made history earlier this week. In the northern lake suburb of Evanston, the City Council unanimously voted to move forward on a proposal to place 40 wind turbines on Lake Michigan, reports FOX News Chicago, putting the region in the running to have the first offshore wind farm in the United States.
Supporters say that the wind farm would generate enough sustainable energy to power 40,000 homes (more than the number of homes in Evanston today). Eventually the town could reap more benefits by selling power to neighboring communities on Chicago's North Shore. Complete story on HousingWatch.com
UN: Dirty Water Kills More People Than Wars
By djkimmel on Mar 23, 2010 | In Environment, Cleanup | Send feedback »
From Aol News
Michelle Ruiz
Contributor
(March 22) -- Polluted water is killing more people each year than all forms of violence, including war, according to a United Nations report released today, World Water Day.
The report, titled "Sick Water," said that 3.7 percent of all deaths are linked to diseases that stem from 2 billion tons of contaminated water discharged daily across the world, including fertilizer runoff, sewage and industrial waste. Read complete article on Aol News
Yes, Global Warming Could Be Cause of D.C. Snowstorm
By djkimmel on Feb 13, 2010 | In Environment | Send feedback »
From Politics Daily WOMAN UP contributor Ria Misra 2/13/2010:
There's bipartisan agreement on at least one thing in Washington this week: There's a whole lot of snow outside. After two paralyzing storms swept through the District in quick succession, the area was blanketed in almost two and a half feet of snow. Read on Politics Daily
Michigan.gov Web Page Dedicated to the Merger of DNR and DEQ into New DNRE
By djkimmel on Nov 8, 2009 | In Conservation, Environment, MI Dept of Natural Resources | Send feedback »
A new web page has been created on the official Michigan.gov web site dedicated to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Department of Natural Resources (DNR) merger into the new Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (MDNRE).
Governor Granholm Creating New Department of Natural Resources and Environment
By djkimmel on Oct 18, 2009 | In Conservation, Legislation, Environment | Send feedback »
Ongoing streamlining effort abolishes DNR, DEQ; transfers functions to DNRE
LANSING, October 8, 2009 - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today issued Executive Order 2009-45, creating a new Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) to protect and conserve Michigan's air, water and other natural resources. The new department will assume the powers and functions of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), which are abolished by the executive order. The order takes effect January 17, 2010.
"The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is a new department for the 21st century," Granholm said. "Experience has shown us that conserving natural resources and protecting the environment go hand-in-hand. These efforts now will be coordinated under one department."
The new department's mission will be to conserve, manage, protect and promote Michigan's environmental, natural resource, and related economic interests for current and future generations. This includes implementing an ecosystem-based strategy for resource management, effectively using natural resources in a sustainable manner, and providing for continuous improvements in Michigan's air, water and soils while facilitating and encouraging economic growth.
Smelly Algae Kills Dogs, Sickens People
By djkimmel on Sep 28, 2009 | In Environment | Send feedback »
By ROBERT IMRIE, AP
WAUSAU, Wis. (Sept. 27) -- Waterways across the upper Midwest are increasingly plagued with ugly, smelly and potentially deadly blue-green algae, bloomed by drought and fertilizer runoffs from farm fields, that's killed dozens of dogs and sickened many people.
Aquatic biologists say it's a problem that falls somewhere between a human health concern and a nuisance, but will eventually lead to more human poisoning. State officials are telling people who live on algae-covered lakes to close their windows, stop taking walks along the picturesque shorelines and keep their dogs from drinking the rank water. Continue entire article / pictures on AOL News
