Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

3 min read

Great Lakes Echo

By Eric Freedman

Capital News Service

Outbreaks of the waterborne bacteria E. coli can lower local real estate values, at least temporarily, a new study says. Those outbreaks, which have become increasingly common, are a growing concern in coastal and inland communities, particularly in rural counties, according to the study by researchers from Saginaw Valley State University, Cornell University and the University of Rhode Island. “In Michigan, the presence of E. coli has become problematic for many areas where agricultural run-off and ineffective policies have made these outbreaks endemic,” the study said. As for the negative economic impact on homes within one mile of an outbreak, the study found that “proximity to E. coli outbreaks leads to an 8.9% price drop for houses sold during the outbreaks, which is over $13,000 for the average home.”

coli can cause serious illness and death, and is increasingly common due to climate change, especially in the Great Lakes region, it said.

How new charging stations are set to drive Michigan’s EV future

By Donté Smith

Capital News Service

As electric vehicles become more common, Michigan is expanding its charging infrastructure to ensure accessibility for drivers statewide. The state’s Department of Transportation, supported by federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program funds, is accelerating construction of EV charging stations in both urban and rural areas. Currently, there are around 1,660 charging stations across Michigan, 94% of them public.

New marine sanctuary spotlights a ‘submerged museum’ on Lake Ontario 

By Anna Barnes

After seven years of planning, a new marine sanctuary now protects a portion of Lake Ontario rich with history and shipwrecks. The community-driven designation aims to benefit the area through preservation, economic development and conservation. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration designates marine sanctuaries to preserve sites with national significance, such as important archeology, culture or marine life.

Michigan tourism preps for a colder winter

By Victor Wooddell

Capital News Service

The 2023-24 winter was the warmest on record in the U.S. with average temperatures throughout the state above freezing, with close to average precipitation, according to the National Weather Service. Data from the Southeast Regional Climate Center shows that average daily maximum temperatures in the Midwest were several degrees above normal between December 2023 and February 2024. But this year may be different.

More Headlines

Fraudsters face sentencing in fake green energy venture 
Michigan’s winter festivals adapt as warmer winters test traditions
Audit: Michigan must do better monitoring recreational trails

Great Lakes Echo

How new charging stations are set to drive Michigan’s EV future

4 min read

By Donté Smith Capital News Service As electric vehicles become more common, Michigan is expanding its charging infrastructure to ensure accessibility for drivers statewide. The state’s Department of Transportation, supported by federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program funds, is accelerating construction of EV charging stations in both urban and rural areas. Currently, there are around […]

The post How new charging stations are set to drive Michigan’s EV future first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Great Lakes Now Michigan

New Federal Funds Aim to Cut Carbon Emissions and Air Pollution From US Ports

7 min read

New Federal Funds Aim to Cut Carbon Emissions and Air Pollution From US Ports

By Kristoffer Tigue, Inside Climate News

This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here.

Raquel Garcia has been fighting for years to clean up the air in her neighborhood southwest of downtown Detroit.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

London Free Press

Non-profit leader speaks out as city politicians mull cuts to community grants

7 min read

London’s non-profits shouldn’t pay the price for a rubber-stamped bloated police budget that’s raising taxes, a 350-organization network says as it launches a campaign against community grant cuts. Pillar Nonprofit Network is calling on organizations, including the biggest ones with the biggest voices, and all Londoners to push back against a city proposal that could […]

Climate change Great Lakes Now

What Trump can do to reverse US climate policy − and what he probably can’t change

6 min read

What Trump can do to reverse US climate policy − and what he probably can’t change

By Gautam Jain, Columbia University

 is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

As the U.S. prepares for another Trump administration, one area unambiguously in the incoming president’s crosshairs is climate policy.

Although he has not released an official climate agenda, Donald Trump’s playbook from his last stint in the Oval Office and his frequent complaints about clean energy offer some clues to what’s ahead.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.