Michigan has high capacity for producing biodiesel and ethanol. Both fuels can easily be made in Michigan as soy beans for biodiesel and corn for ethanol are two of the state's top five commodities. The production of both fuels provide Michigan farmers with an additional market for profit but an increase in the prices of soy beans and ethanol have hurt many state companies producing biodiesel or ethanol. Farmers and biofuel companies both benefit through the means of selling crops and producing fuel, but what fuel is best for Michigan?
In addition to alternative energy, there are other resources people can take advantage of: white roofs and white roads. Many people have negative feelings towards white roofs because black roofs have been the norm for houses across the country due to the beauty of a house. While white roofs may make some houses and buildings appear ugly, there are several advantages to white roofs which ancient civilizations knew well before us.
Wind turbine companies have the potential to create thousands of new jobs in Michigan while manufacturing and installing a final product that is energy efficient and environmental friendly. Companies in Michigan have been anxious to install their turbines and provide new jobs, but city laws and ordinances are preventing companies from pursuing their goals. Now there is another hurdle companies must face and that is local residents.
Brownfield redevelopment has become an important subject matter among environmentalists and politicians in federal and state governments. The term brownfield redevelopment refers to projects implemented by federal and state governments to redevelop land parcels that are abandoned or sitting idle where industrial and commercial facilities complicate redevelopment due to environmental contamination.
Many people have been anxious to switch to an alternative energy source to save money, but now there is a new hurdle Michiganders must overcome: state, county and city conflicts
Energy and Environment
Research from the Recovery Act
Written by Nicole Jurado
Monday, 21 June 2010 17:35
The industrial boom that occurred in southwest Michigan in the early and mid 19th century had an impact on more than just the Michigan economy. The rise in industry also led to an increase in pollution entering the Great Lakes, and specifically Lake Erie. Decades of pollution led to the eutrophication of Lake Erie, resulting in the lake being declared "dead" in the 1960's. Scientific research into the cause of Lake Erie's eutrophication led to a solution, which was later implemented into legislation, eventually bringing the lake "back to life".
There are many areas in Michigan that include abandoned and devastated buildings. Many of these are the remains of once used manufacturing plants that have now been shut down and left to be used for other sources, such as new businesses or empty land to build future developments. However, without a buyer in these poor economic times, these buildings have simply become eye sores for the communities they reside in. They have also become dangerous to the community due to hazardous substances and pollutants that are potentially present in or near these buildings. It seems having these buildings around Michigan has become a major issue and there is a need for legislation to step in and take care of these abandoned buildings.
1. Problem Summary 40 years ago, Gaylord Nelson, the Senator organized the first Earth Day, to call attention to the dangerous of ignoring our environment. In the past four decades, U.S. made remarkable progress, and the progress continues today. On the 40th Earth Day - April 22nd, 2010, President Obama made the speech of A New Foundation for Energy and the Environment to encourage Americans across the country to take actions in their own homes and their own communities.
House Bill 5558 seeks to amend public law 1994 PA 451, the "Natural resources and environmental protection act." Section 11525a would be amended to set the expiration date for the 7 cent per cubic yard of waste for October 1, 2009 instead of the original date of October 1, 2011. It would also remove "municipal solid waste incinerators" from the operator fees from the first section. The major additions would be the creation of a new Recycling Fund in section 11532a, which would get revenue through a Recycling and Diversion surcharge of a 7.5 cents per ton of solid waste that is disposed of in a landfill. Starting October 1, 2009, landfills and the municipal solid waste incinerator would pay the surcharge quarterly to the Department of Environmental Quality which would in turn go into the new Recycling Fund. Any leftover money in the fund from investments and interest would not go to the General Fund, and thus create a permanent purse for Recycling investment in the state.
In Ludington, Michigan, a city located in close vicinity to Lake Michigan, the city Commissioners are being asked to approve a plan put forth by Scandia Wind Offshore, a wind farm development company. This plan establishes a wind farm made up of 50 to 100 turbines that would be placed along the waters edge in the counties of Mason and Oceana. However, much debate has occurred over the possible implementation of this development and it seems policy may be made by the State of Michigan legislature to control this issue.
The Michigan Policy Network is a student-led public education and research program to report and organize news and information about the political process surrounding Michigan state policy issues. It is run out of the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University, with participation by students from the College of Social Science, the College of Communication, and James Madison College.
The thoughts, opinions, and positions represented herein are solely those of the participating students and in no way represent an official position or policy recommendation of Michigan State University.
Jeffrey Astrein is Energy & Environment policy fellow and correspondent. He is currently a senior at Michigan State University Majoring in Public Policy Studies and anthropology. He currently resides in Huntington Woods, MI and hopes to attend grad school in public policy or public administration.
