Spartan Newsroom (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/category/news/environment/)
Every spring, as the Great Lakes region warms, scientists watch for the return of harmful algal blooms. Scientists begin predicting the blooms weeks or even months before they become visible and the forecasts are important not only for beachgoers, but also for anglers and businesses that depend on the Great Lakes. By Julia Roeder.
Rising temperatures are increasing risks to Michigan’s migratory birds, a Michigan Audubon scientist says. Among the affected species are American robins, sandhill cranes and bluebirds. By Naomi Maxwell.
The amount of ice on the Great Lakes has declined rapidly over the past four decades, but a warming climate might not be the only explanation for freezing fluctuations during the last century. A new study by researchers in Ann Arbor says that finding is important because ice cover on large lakes regulates regional weather and aquatic ecosystems,and understanding lake ice responses to climate change is critical for environmental management. By Kyrmyzy Turbayeva.
Parks can help Detroit residents beat summer heat, but not everyone has equal access to them, says a new study from MSU. Even small parks can provide meaningful cooling, but the benefits are not evenly distributed across the city. Researchers examined 249 parks in the city to measure how much the parks mitigated adverse impacts of heat and whether nearby residents could easily walk to them. By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva.
Yellowjacket populations are unusually large this year in Michigan. An Okemos resident relates her experience. A West Bloomfield pest control company and an MSU expert explain why. By Jackson Lukas.
As the Trump administration rolls back federal protections for threatened and endangered species, environmentalists say the state needs to help fill the gap, despite funding constraints. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service recently rolled back some protections under the federal Endangered Species Act. We talk to the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy, in Bath and the Michigan Environmental Council. By Naomi Maxwell.
Chipmunks may be cute but also can be troublesome, with some property owners worried about damage to their houses and gardens. We talk about such conflicts and how to handle them with experts from the DNR and Michigan Wildlife Conservancy in Bath, and we look at what Michigan Facebook groups are talking about. By Olivia O’Neill.
Some environmental experts and activists in Detroit are concerned about a Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy request to the EPA to exclude air pollution data for 21 days with high levels of wildfire smoke. Sources include Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, U.S. Rep. Tlaib, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments and Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice. By Marissa Gonzalez.
A Traverse City man faces a November trial on charges of illegally discharging sewage into Lake Michigan near White Shoal Light, impersonating a federal officer and illegally using Coast Guard insignia. By Eric Freedman.
Most households in Jackson get their water through lead pipes, but the city is making significant progress in changing that. Michigan law requires public water systems to replace all lead service lines by 2041 By Demonte Thomas.
With magnificent sand dunes, sparkling blue-green water and bucolic cherry orchards, Northern Michigan is a paradise for residents and visitors. The temperate climate, buffered by the Great Lakes, also makes it a hotspot for climate migration, a theme explored in “This Magnetic North,” a new book by Tim Mulherin. By Julia Belden.
