Category: Michigan Public
Returnable bottles, vape pens and food waste: what Michiganders throw away
Michigan residents threw away millions of vape pens, $130 million in bottle deposits and literal tons of food waste in 2023. That’s according to a report by the Michigan Sustainable Business Forum.
Railroad ties, logs, and other debris clog Macomb sewer pipe
Logs, railroad ties, tires and other debris created blockage in a Macomb County sewer pipe, causing minor flooding of a road and nearby parking lots. The Teske Drain in Fraser was reduced to a trickle.
EPA report: vehicle fuel efficiency up; CO2 emissions down
This year’s issue of the EPA’s annual report said the average fuel economy went up just over a mile per gallon from the previous year, to 27.1 miles per gallon in 2023.
State authority over siting renewable projects in place, for now
A challenge in court and a planned ballot initiative in 2026 aim to remove the authority given to the Michigan Public Service Commission. The law just went into effect.
Pruning your oak trees now could avoid a killer fungus
Oak trees in Michigan are being killed by oak wilt, a fungal infection that’s spread by a beetle in the spring and summer. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources advises pruning or trimming oaks in the fall and winter.
MSU research suggests some trees have a “built-in buffer” to help withstand climate change
MSU researchers found that birch trees seem to be able to maintain a key chemical process called photorespiration even under the most extreme climate scenarios.
Michigan wants to become a hub for hydrogen
Michigan is part of an effort to build hydrogen infrastructure in the Midwest. The Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen has received $22 million from the Department of Energy to plan several projects.
Michigan has the capacity to store all of its CO2 emissions for centuries, researchers say
Because of its geological formations underground, it’s estimated Michigan has immense capacity for storing carbon dioxide to curb the rate of climate change.
Consumers Energy to add 100 MW of battery storage, stabilize renewable energy-heavy electric system
Consumers Energy says it will have 400 MW of battery energy storage once a new Washtenaw County electric battery storage facility is operational in 2027.
After decades, lake trout restored to sustainable levels in Lake Superior
After the population of Lake Superior’s top predator fish fell by 95%, the lake trout restoration effort has returned it to sustainable levels, researchers say.