Articles on the Environment and Water

Includes climate change, conservation, ecosystems, emissions, fishing, Great Lakes, invasive species, natural resources, preservation, policy, rivers, runoff, shipping, tourism, and wildlife.

Farmers Eager For Right to Kill Attacking Wolves
Associated Press, January 26, 2012

A legal shield that has protected gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region for nearly four decades will disappear Friday when the animal leaves the federal endangered species list. With that milestone, a primal struggle that was waged in this rugged backcountry for more than a century will resume, although in a more restrained fashion.

Jobs vs. Environment Debate Dominates Hearing on Coal Gasification Plant
Evansville Courier Press, January 25, 2012
Stern warnings of environmental harm clashed with appeals to create badly needed jobs Wednesday night at a public hearing about a proposed coal gasification plant in Spencer County.

Gray Wolf Off Endangered Species List Friday
Ashland Current, January 25, 2012
Under the rule published by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in late December, which takes effect Friday, gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes Distinct Population Segment will no longer be considered either endangered or threatened by the federal government. The segment includes the states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota and portions of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota.

New Federal Planting Map Reflects Warming
Time Magazine, January 25, 2012
It's the first time since 1990 that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has updated the map and much has changed. Nearly entire states, such as Ohio, Nebraska and Texas, are in warmer zones.

Coal Plants Dominate List of Chicago's Biggest Polluters
Chicago Tribune, January 22, 2012
Fed by a steady stream of coal barges, the aging power plants that loom over Chicago's Little Village and Pilsen neighborhoods are by far the city's largest industrial sources of climate change pollution.

Australian Company to Harvest Carp From Minn. Waters
Minnesota Public Radio, January 20, 2012
An Australian company that harvests and processes carp for Asian and European food markets will open its first U.S. facility in Wabasha Friday.

Can Water Save Milwaukee?
Atlantic Cities, January 19, 2012
Milwaukee has faced hard times since the industries that long-defined this Midwest city – brewing, tanning and meatpacking – mostly shut down in the 1970s and 1980s. In the last few decades, the city's middle class has shrunk by more than a third.

Minnesota Launches Mississippi River Cleanup Effort
Star Tribune, January 17, 2012
Minnesota will be the nation's first test site for a federal program designed to stem the flow of agricultural pollution strangling some of the country's great bodies of water, including Chesapeake Bay, the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River.

Invasion of the Great Lakes: Quagga Mussels Least Known, Most Dangerous Invader
The Voice, January 17, 2012
The little known quagga mussel is taking over vast stretches of the Great Lakes, dramatically reducing populations of game and commercial fish and presenting a much more immediate danger to lake ecology than its more famous cousin - the zebra mussel - ever did.

Invasive Species Change Minnesota Lakes
Minnesota Public Radio, January 13, 2011
Geological Survey officials say once an exotic species is established, control efforts are very expensive and rarely successful. Just one invasive, the zebra mussel, is expected to cause billions of dollars in economic effects over the next decade.

Dollars Continue to Flow for Asian Carp Control
Northwest Indiana.com, January 12, 2012
Federal and state officials said Thursday that Asian carp control efforts in the Great Lakes would continue this year with congressional commitments to maintain funding similar to the previous fiscal year.

EPA Web Tool Tracks Major Greenhouse Gas Sources
Los Angeles Times, January 11, 2012
The other plants in the top 10 are scattered through the Midwest and South and are owned by Dallas-based Energy Future Holdings Corp. (TXU), Allentown, PA’s PPL Corp. (PPL) and Detroit’s DTE Energy Co. (DTE).

A Green Revolution in Chicago
Atlantic Cities, Janaury 10, 2012
It's only the beginning. Several major projects remain on the city's lakefront docket, aiming to complete the makeover that began nearly a decade ago and create an unbroken, 3-mile stretch of green jewels.

Out of Africa and Into the American Midwest
National Science Foundation, January 6, 2012
Savannas are found throughout the world, but their dominant trees differ. In this lightly forested Midwestern savanna, bur oaks and northern pin oaks take the place of Africa's acacias.

December 2011

Study of Waterways Stirs Debate on Roles in the Region’s Future
New York Times, December 31, 2011
A new Army Corps of Engineers study of Chicago-area waterways has stirred the debate over whether to sever the connection between Lake Michigan and inland waterways that was created by the construction of canals a century ago. The study, released on Dec. 7, is part of the Corps’s nearly decade-long process aimed at preventing invasive species, including voracious Asian carp, from spreading between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River ecosystems.

Underwater Cannon May Help Protect Great Lakes
Times Union, December 30, 2011

Power Plants in Chicago Latino Areas Move to Reduce Pollution
Latin American Herald Tribune, December 29, 2011
The company that owns two coal-fired power plants blamed for pollution in Chicago’s largest Hispanic neighborhoods announced the installation of emission controls to comply with new state and federal environmental regulations.

Michigan Landfills Find Ways to Turn Garbage into Energy
Detroit Free Press, December 27, 2011
At modern landfills, gone are the days when trucks simply backed up and unloaded every item a family or business chose to discard. Gone, too, are the days when government officials were wringing their hands over landfills running out of space. These days, landfill operators are trying to turn trash into gold, not bury it.

Authorities Lift Federal Protections for the Gray Wolf in Parts of Midwest
Kansas City Star, December 22, 2011
A resurgent population has prompted authorities to lift federal protections for the gray wolf in Wisconsin and other parts of the Upper Midwest.

Lake Michigan Beaches Getting Cleaner
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 21, 2011
The Department of Natural Resources is proposing to remove 14 Lake Michigan beaches from its list of impaired waters. The list includes Milwaukee's Bradford, McKinley and Bay View beaches.

Congress OKs $300 Million for Great Lakes Cleanup
Wall Street Journal, December 20, 2011
Congress has approved $300 million to keep a multi-year program going that is aimed at fixing some of the Great Lakes' biggest environmental problems, from invasive species to river bottoms laced with toxic chemicals.

What to Do About Asian Carp? Great Lakes States Can’t Agree
New York Times, December 20, 2011
For at least a decade, people in the Midwest have worried about the arrival of Asian carp. Now, states in the Great Lakes region are in fierce debate regarding what actions should be taken to prevent the spread of Asian carp.

Scientists: OK to Eat Perch Despite Algal Blooms
Sandusky Register, December 20, 2011
The green algal blooms that have been spreading through Lake Erie do produce toxins, but that probably shouldn’t keep you from munching a perch sandwich for lunch.

City’s Costly Water Overhaul
Chicago News Cooperative, December 19, 2011
In the next year, the city aims to rebuild 70 miles of water mains, the first stage in a 10-year effort to replace 900 miles of century-old tubing in the city’s 4,300-mile network.

Are Small Rust Belt Cities the Future of Green?
Atlantic Cities, December 16, 2011
Journalist and historian Catherine Tumber thinks smaller industrial cities, like Syracuse, New York, Flint, Michigan, and Muncie, Indiana, need serious attention and—"don’t laugh," she writes—could be instrumental in moving us toward an economically dynamic, low-carbon future.

Illinois Coal Plants Ahead of EPA Mercury Rule
Bloomberg Businessweek, December 16, 2011
Most Illinois utilities won't miss a beat when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires coal-fired power plants to control mercury emissions for the first time -- a decision environmental and health advocates say will reduce developmental problems in children but some industry groups complain is too restrictive. In fact, the state already is way ahead.

Scientists Say Acid Rain Hurts Great Lakes Maples
Wall Street Journal, December 15, 2011
Acid rain probably will cause a decline in the upper Great Lakes region's maple trees in coming decades, scientists say.

Interview: Michigan's Director of the Office of the Great Lakes Puts Offshore Wind Issue in Governor's Hands
Michigan Live, December 10, 2011
The governor is expected to discuss Michigan's energy future in an address in the first half of 2012, just as Snyder already has tackled taxes, the state budget, transportation, education, government consolidation and employment skills in past policy statements.

Report on Waterway Shipping Decline Fuels Asian Carp Debate
Chicago Tribune, December 7, 2011
Michigan officials, who have joined other states in a lawsuit to have some Chicago-area locks closed, pointed to the findings as evidence that the Great Lakes shipping industry would not be dramatically affected if barriers were erected.

Midwest Companies Helping Military Go Green
Finance and Commerce, December 7, 2011
From biofuels to solar energy and geothermal to electric vehicles, the military is investing big money in renewables, putting $1.2 billion into the green business pipeline last year, an investment only expected to grow, according to a recent report by the Pew Project on National Security, Energy & Climate. Companies in the Midwest are attempting to win contracts in the emerging military market for sustainability solutions.

Even in Midwest, Water for Power Plants a Concern
Midwest Energy News, December 1, 2011
During a 2006 heat wave, the Prairie Island nuclear power plant in Minnesota had to cut its power generation by more than half because the water it draws from the Mississippi River for cooling was too hot. Such occurrences could become increasingly common with climate change and growing power demands, according to a report released Nov. 15 by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

November 2011

Illinois Sequestration Project is First in U.S. for Man-Made CO2
Los Angeles Times, November 30, 2011
A demonstration project in Illinois is the first in the U.S. to begin pumping over a million metric tons of man-made liquid CO2 into permanent underground storage. The Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium announced this week that its project in Decatur, Ill., had begun injecting carbon dioxide into sandstone formations 7,000 feet below ground.

Army Corps to Return Asian Carp Barrier to Higher Voltage After Month-Long Tests
Associated Press, November 28, 2011
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Monday that it is restoring a higher power setting on an electric barrier designed to prevent Asian carp and other fish from using a Chicago-area waterway to migrate between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River systems.

High Crop Prices a Threat to Nature?
Twin Cities Star Tribune, November 28, 2011
Experts say 2012 is likely to be a tipping point for conservation across the Upper Midwest. Some 300,000 acres in Minnesota -- one fifth of the land now set aside through the CRP -- will be up for grabs as federal contracts come up for renewal.

Aurora Recognized for 'Green' Infrastructure Efforts
Beacon-News, November 27, 2011

A national environmental organization is calling Aurora a leader in employing green infrastructure solutions to address water issues. The Natural Resources Defense Council has recognized Aurora as one of 14 U.S. cities across the U.S. that are implementing green design to tackle flooding and water pollution problems.

Ohio Gov. Readies New Plan on Lake Erie Water Use
Associated Press, November 18, 2011
Ohio's governor says his new proposal setting limits on how much water factories can take from Lake Erie without a permit is designed to protect the lake and help businesses.

Midwest Has Potential to Store Hundreds of Years of Carbon Dioxide Emissions
R&D Magazine, November 17, 2011
Geologic capacity exists to permanently store hundreds of years of regional carbon dioxide emissions in nine states stretching from Indiana to New Jersey, according to injection field tests conducted by the Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (MRCSP).

Midwest Tries to Prove Its Worth as a Green Technology Supplier to Pentagon
Midwest Energy News, November 9, 2011
The Midwest's strength in manufacturing, battery storage, solar panel production and biofuel development could make it a top contender for military funds. The Pentagon's continued support of greener energy is a potential game-changer because of its enormity. The military spends more than $400 billion on goods and services every year, a good portion of it on new technology.

WI Farmers: Saving Money and Helping the Environment
Public News Service, November 9, 2011
Increasing numbers of Wisconsin farmers are cutting their power bills and reducing their carbon footprints by switching to alternative sources of energy.

Fishing for a Living in Detroit
Detroit News, November 6, 2011
In the 19th century, fish were abundant in the Great Lakes and fisheries thrived - until they killed their own livelihood.People still cast a rod into the Detroit River today and might pull out a walleye, muskie or bass. But the fish population is a small fraction of what it was in the 19th century, when fisheries flourished all along the river and were considered among the most lucrative in the Great Lakes.

Bill on ballast water would threaten Great Lakes, environmentalists say
Detroit Free Press, November 3, 2011
Environmental groups in the Great Lakes are sounding alarm bells about a bill expected to be voted on Friday in the U.S. House that would prevent states from enacting their own rules to disinfect ballast water on ships, from which originate about two-thirds of the 180 invasive species in the Great Lakes.

City may aid water tech park
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, November 1, 2011
Milwaukee would spend $6.2 million to help transform a former rail yard just south of the Harley-Davidson Museum into a business park for water technology companies, under a new proposal from Mayor Tom Barrett's administration.

October 2011

Workers Try to Turn Asian Carp Into Fertilizer
Associated Press, October 31, 2011
Workers along the Illinois River are hunting for invasive fish to turn into organic fertilizer, fillets and other commercial products.

States Ask High Court to Order Nets on Chicago Waterways to Curb Asian Carp
Chicago Tribune, October 27, 2011
Five Great Lakes states are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to require nets in Chicago area waterways to stop the spread of Asian carp.

Water Use Rising Faster Than World Population
Reuters, October 25, 2011
Water use is predicted to increase by 50 percent between 2007 and 2025 in developing countries and 18 percent in developed ones, with much of the increased use in the poorest countries with more and more people moving from rural areas to cities.

Crop Scientists Now Fret About Heat Not Just Water
Reuters, October 24, 2011
Crop scientists in the United States, the world's largest food exporter, are pondering an odd question: could the danger of global warming really be the heat?

'Wonder fish' Turns into Environmental Piranha: The Battle Against Asian Carp
Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 23, 2011
The Asian carp infesting the major rivers of America didn't sneak into the country in the ballast of ocean freighters, as so many invasive species have. The carp were imported because officials were eager to find a safer way than chemicals to control weeds, algae, sewage and parasites.

Current Efforts to Stop Asian Carp Not Sustainable, Experts Say
Chicago Tribune, October 21, 2011
Amid concerns that current efforts to stop the influx of Asian carp in Illinois may not be sustainable, a coalition of Great Lakes states and cities on Thursday proposed a controversial plan to install metal and concrete barriers to separate the Mississippi River from Lake Michigan, effectively re-reversing the flow of the Chicago River.

Study Predicts Less Severe Great Lakes Water Loss
Associated Press, October 19, 2011
Climate change probably won't reduce Great Lakes water levels as much as experts have predicted and might even cause them to rise slightly, federal scientists said Wednesday.

Reversal of Great Lakes Invasive Species Rules Feared
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 18, 2011
Just a month before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is set to release new rules to protect the Great Lakes from overseas ships carrying in invasive species, legislation is moving through Congress that conservation groups say might roll back those protections.

Report: Farm Runoff Declining Near Great Lakes
Zanesville Times Recorder, October 17, 2011
Farmers are making significant cutbacks in erosion of soil and nutrients into the Great Lakes, where runoff is suspected of being a leading contributor to rampant growth of algae that damages water quality, a new U.S. Department of Agriculture report said.

Environmental Protests on the Rise
Philadelphia Inquirer, October 17, 2011
1,252 people were arrested during a two-week action in front of the White House to protest the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry oil from Canada's tar sands to the Gulf of Mexico. In recent months, eight activists climbed the smoke stack at Chicago's Fisk coal plant and painted "quit coal" in 10-foot-high letters on it. Experts say these events reflect an era of environmental civil disobedience rivaling that of the 1970s.

EPA: Great Lakes Cleanup Planned
Green Bay Press Gazette, October 15, 2011
Nine river mouths and harbors contaminated with industrial toxins will be targeted for accelerated cleanups under an Obama administration program to deal with festering problems in the Great Lakes, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief Lisa Jackson said.

Conservation Program May See Cuts
Omaha World-Herald, October 15, 2011
Habitat on millions of acres of farmland by the voluntary federal Conservation Reserve Program — which pays farmers to take marginal land out of production and return it to grassland — created ring-necked pheasants, quail, ducks, deer and wild turkeys.

Gore Links Climate Change to Great Lakes Problems
Bloomberg Businessweek, October 14, 2011
Former Vice President Al Gore linked climate change to a rash of environmental catastrophes Thursday, from floods in Pakistan to drought in Texas and rampant algae blooms sucking oxygen from Lake Erie.

Groups Developing Options for Blocking Asian Carp
Wall Street Journal, October 14, 2011
Leaders of a privately funded study said Friday they're developing three alternative proposals for placing barriers between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watersheds in the Chicago area to prevent Asian carp and other species from slipping between them.

Chicago Shutting Environment Department, Adding Eco-Friendly Measures to New Budget
Crain's Chicago Business, October 13, 2011
Chicago will disband its Environment Department by yearend and integrate its programs into other departments, aiming to reorganize environmental and sustainability services to help meet the fiscal challenges of a city deep in the red.

Report: Mercury Levels Mostly Down in Great Lakes
Associated Press, October 11, 2011
A newly released report says mercury levels in the Great Lakes region generally have dropped over the past four decades, although concentrations in some fish and bird species have increased more recently.

Zebra Mussels: Not the Ecological Disaster That Was Expected
WTRF Ohio, October 7, 2011
Based on experience with the aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes, the expectation was that the mussels would coat water intakes, outfalls and almost every solid surface under the Ohio, Kanawha and other rivers, causing millions of dollars of damage and lost productivity.

Park, Tribe to Receive EPA Conservation Grants .
Wall Street Journal, October 6, 2011
A national park in northern Michigan and five American Indian tribes will receive a combined $1.7 million in federal funds for environmental projects designed to provide temporary jobs for the unemployed, officials said Thursday.

What You Can Do to Protect the Health of the Great Lakes
Daily Tribune, October 6, 2011
The problems facing the Great Lakes, including critical local links such as the St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair, sometimes seem overwhelming. Recreational boaters sometimes play an unwitting role in spreading invasive species. As such, it is recommended that they always remove any visible mud, plants, fish or animals from boats before transporting it to another body of water.

Great Lakes Proposal Envisions Canadians, Americans Working Together
The Globe and Mail, October 6, 2011
A U.S. architectural firm best known for creating some of the tallest skyscrapers in the world has turned its creative eye to the Great Lakes, advocating for a new economic and environmental vision that spans borders.

Voracious Invasive Quagga Mussels Gobbling Great Lakes' Food Chain
Detroit Free Press, October 3, 2011
They eat as much as 98% of their weight each day, multiply rapidly and could alter the Great Lakes forever. No, they aren't Asian carp. They are the true scourge of the lakes: quagga mussels

U.S.-Canadian Plan for Great Lakes Continues to Draw Fire
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 3, 2011
U.S. and Canadian negotiators are putting the finishing touches on the bi-national Great Lakes water quality agreement even as conservation groups continue to grumble that they are being kept in the dark about the details of a document designed to help both countries manage the world's largest freshwater system.