Breaking News
MSU environmental activities and accomplishments, from sources on and off-campus. We focus on ESPP-affiliated faculty and students. For additional information on MSU environmental work, see these sources.
Students and Faculty Taking Action
ESPP
10-31-2009
ESPP affiliates and other environmental researchers at MSU are claiming federal stimulus dollars to conduct a variety of projects on topics including climate change, biofuels and pollution cleanup. Among the recipients:
- Alison Cupples (Civil and Environmental Engineering) was awarded $300,000 from the National Science Foundation to study bioremediation of contaminants from leaking underground storage tanks. Her research team will improve knowledge of the microorganisms used to remove contaminants that can migrate into drinking water.
- Andrew Finley (Forestry, Geography) landed $70,506 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to develop models for predicting the health effects of climate change. The project aims to boost public health planning by improving prediction of diseases in specific regions.
- David Hyndman (Geological Sciences) is using a $243,532 NSF grant to model the impacts of climate change and land use on the hydrologic cycle and ecosystem health in the Great Lakes basin. The project will explore the dynamics of interaction between plants and water across land cover types, and will have implications for climate models, biofuel crop development, land use policy and other topics.
- G. Philip Robertson (Crop and Soil Sciences) earned a $1.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to support biofuel sustainability research at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center.
- Randall Schaetzl (Geography) received $185,086 from NSF to use a new method for dating loess deposits, which will generate missing information about glacial and postglacial environments in the Midwest. The work will provide data on loess and sand deposits that have confounded soil scientists and geologic mappers.
- Julie Winkler (Geography) will work to fill gaps in knowledge about northerly and southerly jet streams in the lower atmosphere over the central United States, using a $421,610 NSF grant. The project’s results will be useful both for short- and long-term weather forecasting, in setting a baseline to assess climate disruption, and for assessing wind energy potential. Graduate, undergraduate and high school students will be involved in the research, including underrepresented minorities.
Simple measures can yield big greenhouse gas cuts, Dietz says
University Relations
10-26-2009
New technologies and policies that save energy, remove atmospheric carbon and limit greenhouse gas emissions are needed to fight global climate change – but face daunting technological, economic and political hurdles.
The good news: Basic actions taken by everyday people can yield fast savings at low cost, according to MSU Professor Thomas Dietz and colleagues, writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
See also: The Behavioral Wedge Web site. More»
Miscounting bioenergy benefits may increase greenhouse gas release
University Relations
10-22-2009
A fixable error in the way carbon is counted in current U.S. climate legislation and in the Kyoto Protocol could undermine efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using biofuels, says a premier group of national environmental and land-use scientists.
"The promise of biofuels made from biomass is huge, from both climate mitigation and economic perspectives," said Phil Robertson, MSU professor of crop and soil sciences and one of the authors of the paper "Fixing a Critical Climate Accounting Error" published in the Oct. 23 issue of the journal Science. "But the promise could come up short if we don't pay attention to the details,” Robertson said. More»
Lenski featured in Nature for watching 40,000 generations of evolution (With video)
University Relations
10-19-2009
A 21-year MSU experiment that distills the essence of evolution in laboratory flasks not only demonstrates natural selection at work, but could lead to biotechnology and medical research advances, researchers said.
MSU professor Richard Lenski (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Zoology, and Crop and Soil Sciences) and colleagues document natural selection in their analysis of 40,000 generations of bacteria, published this week in the journal Nature. While Darwin’s theory is supported by other studies, it has never before been studied for so many cycles and in such detail. More»
MSU receives B grade for sustainability
The State News
10-19-2009
The Sustainable Endowments Institute's 2010 college sustainability report card was released Oct. 7 and gave letter grades to schools across the country based on their campus sustainability. MSU received a B, something university officials say adequately reflects MSU. Jennifer Sowa, project coordinator in the Office of the Vice President for Finance and Operations, said she anticipates the grade improving in the future, but is not disheartened by the B. More»
Creature consciousness
Chronicle of Higher Education (paid subscription)
10-18-2009
Spurred on by a shift in consciousness that has been going on for several decades, beginning with the environmental and social-justice movements of the 1960s and 70s, scholars are finding new ways to tackle "the question of the animal" -- or, more accurately, the flock of questions that circle around the term "animal." ... Michigan State University is edging closer. It has had an animal-studies graduate specialization for about a year now. Linda Kalof, professor of sociology, founded and directs the program. "We are the first doctoral specialization in animal studies anywhere in the world," she says. More»
NEPAD-MSU land $10.4 million to improve African agriculture
University Relations
10-15-2009
The New Partnership for Africa’s Development and MSU will use a five-year, $10.4 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to connect African biosafety regulators with advances in technology – an initiative aimed at reducing poverty through improved agricultural practices.
MSU and NEPAD – a program of the African Union – will use grant money to convene workshops and provide regulators with the most current science-based information to regulate biotechnology while protecting farmers, consumers and the environment. Karim Maredia of MSU’s Institute of International Agriculture heads the university’s involvement in the project. More»
Scientists making solar more efficient (With video)
University Relations
10-14-2009
A collaboration of MSU chemists, mathematicians and engineers is driving to improve solar panel technology, backed by a $1.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation.
"For renewable energy to succeed, it has to get to a point where it is economically competitive with current technology," said chemistry Professor James McCusker, the project leader. "This means we need totally transformational technologies."
The group is developing a solar cell based on a design that combines a dye with an inexpensive semiconductor -instead of silicon. Research team members include chemical engineer and ESPP affiliate Lawrence Drzal. More»
Michigan stakes claim in clean fuel race
Detroit News
10-13-2009
The race to change the way Americans fuel their vehicles is propelling Michigan to the forefront in pioneering alternatives... For Michigan, whose second largest industry is agriculture, biofuels hold promise, although their growth in the marketplace has slacked in recent years because of limited infrastructure and too few fueling stations offering bio-based blends. Ethanol gasoline blends also are 30 percent less fuel-efficient than regular gasoline, even though cost per gallon is similar. "If we could build off some of the research it could be really good for Michigan economically," says Bruce Dale, chemical engineering professor at Michigan State University and a leading researcher on cellulosic biofuel. More»
MSU prof says Nobel winner helped others succeed
Lansing State Journal
10-13-2009
Elinor Ostrom became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in economics Monday. ... Tom Dietz, professor of sociology and environmental science at Michigan State University who collaborated with Ostrom on the 2002 book "The Drama of the Commons" and on a subsequent paper in the journal Science, says the honor was richly deserved. "Not only is her own scholarship of exceptional quality, but she's also spent a lot of energy creating the whole field," he says, "pulling people in, encouraging them in their own research and their own careers." More»
Winkler to lead study of climate’s effects on global industries (With Video)
University Relations
10-12-2009
A team of international researchers led by climatologist Julie Winkler (Geography) will conduct a first-of-its-kind study to measure the effects of climate change on global industries. Using the tart-cherry industry as an example, researchers will develop a system for conducting climate-impact assessments for international market systems, particularly those with long-term investments such as orchards. The new project could have applications for agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and other industries, Winkler said.
Other ESPP affiliates involved are Scott Loveridge (Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics), Jinhua Zhao (Economics and Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics), Jeff Andresen (Geography), and Sharon Zhong (Geography).
The project is supported by a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s “Coupled Natural and Human Systems” Program. More»
Green walls taking root in green building design
Associated Press
10-12-2009
The next big thing in green building design might be to turn an existing idea on its side. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. recently installed a green wall the size of two tennis courts on one side of its headquarters. Like green roofs — their perpendicular counterparts — green walls are covered in vegetation and provide the benefits of natural insulation and removal of air pollutants. ... Joanne Westphal, landscape architecture professor at Michigan State University and part of the school's Green Roof Research Program, says the biggest benefit to green walls is their ability to help cool buildings through shading. They also help capture rainwater and release it more slowly into the atmosphere and stormwater systems. More»
Fed grant a boon to bug collection
Lansing State Journal
10-9-2009
Gary Parsons can't help but see the irony in it — hungry insects threatening to destroy parts of a Michigan State University insect collection. Pesky bugs called carpet beetles are finding their way into MSU's Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection, feeding on and destroying about 10 to 20 specimens every year, says Parsons, the collection manager. A $187,632 National Science Foundation grant hopefully will help keep the pests at bay, says Anthony Cognato, associate professor of entomology at MSU. MSU will use the grant to update aging equipment and create an online database for the collection. More»
Staff profiles: Laurie Thorp (With video)
University Relations
10-8-2009
The Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment, or RISE program offers MSU students an opportunity to study environmental issues and earn a specialization in environmental studies.
And for RISE director Laurie Thorp and her staff, it’s imperative to help the students succeed.
“This is a big institution which has lots of wonderful things to offer, but it also can be overwhelming for students and they can get lost very easily,” Thorp said. More»
Researchers hit the road to study air pollution’s health effects
University Relations
10-7-2009
A new mobile air research laboratory will help researchers better understand the damaging health effects of air pollution and why certain airborne particles - emitted from plants and vehicles - induce disease and illness.
Jack Harkema, (Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation), will deploy the new center throughout southern Michigan, including metropolitan Detroit.
"The mobile laboratory allows us to analyze ‘real-world' pollution in communities that may be at risk," he said. More»
Michigan initiates statewide groundwater modeling
Civil Engineering Magazine
10-1-2009
An automated approach for cost-effectively analyzing groundwater data and rapidly defining recharge areas associated with wells is expected to soon revamp the way that Michigan protects its groundwater supplies. Created by Michigan State University in partnership with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the process relies on an immense network that draws on new and existing groundwater data and related environmental information...Michigan has approximately 1,100 large public groundwater supplies that are regulated as community water systems under the Safe Drinking Water Act, a federal statute. Of these, only about 250 have had wellhead protection areas delineated for them, says Shu-Guang Li, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Michigan State. More»
MSU farms help feed local families
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
9-29-2009
To study food growing you have to grow food, and as a leader in agricultural research, Michigan State grows lots of it. Thanks to a partnership with the Greater Lansing Food Bank, MSU is able to share that bounty - nearly 70,000 pounds of fresh produce each year - with families in need throughout the capital area. Learn more about the partnership from a new video available on the Web site of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. More»
MSU economist elected to international agricultural council
ESPP
9-29-2009
An international group of agricultural economists has elected Scott Swinton, a professor of agricultural, food and resource economics, to its policy-setting council. He was chosen by American members of the International Association of Agricultural Economists, of which he's been a member since 1988. "I am honored to have been elected," Swinton said, "and I look forward to active participation in this important association's governance." The group publishes Agricultural Economics: An International Journal and is, according to its Web site, "a worldwide confederation of agricultural economists and others concerned with agricultural economic problems, including problems related to the use of renewable resources and the environment."
International research team cracks potato genome
Associated Press
9-28-2009
A global team of researchers has mapped the genetic code of the world's most popular vegetable — the potato. The draft of the potato genome released last week represents the work of more than 50 scientists from 16 institutions and will provide a starting point for other researchers to develop sturdier, more nutritious potatoes. That's important because the potato is widely grown and plays a central role in feeding the world's 6.3 billion people, says Robin Buell, plant biologist at Michigan State University who worked on the project. More»
Green roofs could counter global warming
United Press International
9-24-2009
A Michigan State University study has determined "green roofs" — those covered with plants — could help fight global warming. The scientists, led by horticulturist Kristin Getter and Brad Rowe, horticulture professor at Michigan State University, found replacing traditional roofing materials with green plants in an urban area with a population of about 1 million, would be equivalent to eliminating a year's worth of carbon dioxide emitted by 10,000 mid-sized sport utility vehicles and trucks. More»
Michigan State works to advance perennial wheat
Associated Press
9-24-2009
Steve Culman, researcher at Michigan State University, recently won a four-year $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to further the development of a new type of wheat that would help reduce soil erosion while saving growers money, time and labor. It's a perennial wheat that wouldn't have to be replanted each year like annual varieties that die after harvest. Researchers hope to create a perennial variety that is productive for at least five to seven years. "There are lots of lines of perennial wheat that are showing very much promise," Culman says. More»
Archaeologists find ancient dune on campus (With video)
University Relations
9-21-2009
A team of MSU researchers and archaeology students has confirmed the existence of an undisturbed, prehistoric sand dune beneath a grove of pine trees between Demonstration Hall and Munn Ice Arena. The dune is one of the latest finds of the Campus Archaeology Program, said director Lynne Goldstein (Anthropology).
“The MSU campus is an odd place in Michigan to find a sand dune,” said Alan Arbogast, an MSU geography professor who helped determine the dune’s age. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen an inland dune this far south.” More»
MSU researchers lead the way in alternative energy research
University Relations
9-17-2009
Michigan State University's College of Engineering is working to improve the world's alternative energy future thanks to three grants totaling $141.5 million. "We think that no single solution is going to be able to address the energy problem we're confronting today," said Satish Udpa, dean of the College of Engineering. "So we feel we need to be working in several areas simultaneously. We have strong programs in thermoelectrics, biofuels and battery storage technology." More»
Faculty propose reconciliation of hunting with animal welfare ethics
University Relations
9-16-2009
Can hunting and animal welfare ethics coexist? Michael Nelson (Lyman Briggs College, Fisheries and Wildlife, Philosophy) and Kelly Millenbah (Fisheries and Wildlife) take a shot at reconciling those often contentious points of view, as hunters around the country start thinking about heading back into the brush. They discuss how advocates for each side arrive at loggerheads, and propose a potential avenue to facilitate a more successful discussion, in an article published in the fall edition of The Wildlife Professional. More»
Researchers to look for Lyme disease while tracking ticks
University Relations
9-16-2009
Affiliates awarded fellowships for teaching excellence
University Relations
9-16-2009
Two ESPP-affiliated faculty members are among those awarded a fellowship for in recognition of their excellent teaching.
Kendra Spence Cheruvelil (Lyman Briggs, Fisheries and Wildlife) and Volodymyr Tarabara (Civil and Environmental Engineering) will participate this year in the Lilly Teaching Fellows Program, which is designed to advance MSU’s continuing efforts to support excellence in teaching and learning. [Cheruvelil will investigate “Student Learning and Attitudes in Introductory Organismal Biology”; Tarabara is examining “Educating Globally Competent Scientists and Engineers.” More»
Project aids environmental decisions in the face of complicated trade-offs
University Relations
9-15-2009
Hoop houses extend urban farmers' growing season
Associated Press
9-15-2009
New MSU Surplus Store and Recycling Center opens
University Relations
9-11-2009
MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon: "Sustainability is in our DNA"
MLive.com
9-4-2009
Lou Anna K. Simon, president of Michigan State University, and WJR President and General Manager Mike Fezzey, came up with the idea that evolved into Greening of the Great Lakes. "The show is a terrific example of the MSU/WJR partnership," Simon says. "We share values that we hope make a difference for the state of Michigan." More»
Greening of roofs gaining popularity in U.S.
Economic Times
9-4-2009
Greening of roofs by having plants on them is gaining popularity in the U.S., where their numbers have increased by 30 percent from 2006 to 2007. Benefits include improved storm water management, energy conservation, reduced noise and air pollution, improved biodiversity, and even a better return on investment than traditional roofing. Kristin L. Getter, horticulturist at Michigan State University, conducted a study to determine the effect of the soil depth on success of green roofs. The research focussed on Sedum, a variety of succulents known for its drought tolerance. More»
Chem building greenest at MSU
State News
9-2-2009
Four years of planning paid off in August when the Michigan State University Chemistry Building addition was awarded with the LEED silver level certification, making it the greenest building on campus. Being LEED certified means following a rating system set by the U.S. Green Building Council. ... "You want to start with (a) schematic idea and have to plan for it because of so much documentation," says Lynda Boomer, MSU energy and environmental engineer. "You want all players to know and all reviewing it with that goal in mind." More»
Research supports calls to study health benefits of nitrate and nitrite
Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station
9-1-2009
An MAES food science and human nutrition researcher is challenging health standards that consider nitrates and nitrites in food to be harmful. Norman Hord's research suggests that although there are negative health effects associated with the use of nitrogen-based fertilizers and excessive nitrates in groundwater, nitrates and nitrites -- as they occur in plant foods -- may actually provide health benefits. More»
Blueberry virus strikes Michigan research center
Associated Press
8-31-2009
The bloom could be off Michigan's $124 million per year blueberry industry after two destructive viruses infected bushes in three locations. An outbreak of blueberry shock is forcing scientists to destroy plants that represent two decades and millions of dollars of research. ... It will take years for new plants to mature so research can resume, says Annemiek Schilder, associate professor of plant pathology and blueberry researcher at Michian State University. Still, she says, "We can't risk having that spread its way through Michigan's blueberry industry. More»
Mark Hollis looks long term for sustainability in MSU athletics
MLive.com
8-25-2009
Mark Hollis, director of intercollegiate athletics at Michigan State University, says he looks long term at sustainability in MSU athletics. "We've gone beyond recycling, which is great," says Hollis. "President Lou Ann K. Simon is driving an effort throughout campus that looks all aspects of the university where we can save dollars and have a positive impact on the environment." More»
Briggs students urge strong leadership on sustainability
Lyman Briggs College
8-24-2009
Lyman Briggs College senior seminar students have produced a “Letter on Sustainability,” working with Michael Nelson (Lyman Briggs College, Fisheries and Wildlife, and Philosophy). The letter calls for leadership and collaboration in addressing sustainability. The students originally addressed the letter to the Columbia River Quorum, a gathering of interdisciplinary scholars, communicators, and writers which “seeks to bring science and moral imagination together to communicate about climate destabilization.” The letter was originally delivered during the opening comments of the gathering. More»
Graduate student shares "field notes" from Namibia with blog; other blogs cover environmental work on campus
ESPP
8-24-2009
Fisheries and Wildlife graduate student Jessica Kahler has added her voice to a growing chorus of MSU blogs. She recently launched "Field Notes: Exploring the people-wildlife nexus," where she writes about her ongoing research and experiences in Namibia. Kahler's research is centered around conservation criminology and the human dimensions of wildlife management.
The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources has also launched a blog, which covers the college's research and events, along with extension information, and informal reports from the ANR communications team . In a July 14 post, ESPP affiliate Wes Everman (Crop and Soil Sciences) identifies weeds and discusses their impact on corn. Click here for other environment-related blogs and newsletters from MSU.
Organic foods: Big companies swoop in to capitalize on lucrative market
Chicago Tribune
8-19-2009
Howard's charts are available here. More»
Singapore honors MSU professor
University Relations
8-13-2009
Joan Rose, Michigan State University's Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research, was honored recently by the Southeast Asian island city-state of Singapore with a Public Service Medal. The medal is awarded to individuals, including foreigners, who have given commendable public service. Rose’s award came from the Singapore Ministry of Environment and Water Resources. Listen to a faculty conversation with Joan Rose. She discusses her goal to help Michigan State University become the state's center for water science and technology. More»
Switch may boost environment
Lansing State Journal, Africa Leader
8-10-2009
If biofuels have the potential to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, to allay our dependence on fossil fuels, they also have the potential to bring drastic changes to the landscape. By one recent estimate, if biofuels were to account for 10 percent of the fuel used for transportation, growing the crops to produce them could require 8 percent of the world's arable land, perhaps more. Those changes have the potential to be changes for the better, says Phil Robertson, professor at Michigan State University, who leads sustainability research at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. It depends on what crops are ultimately used for biofuel and how and where they're planted.
For a related story, see Roll Call
More»
Companies faced with changing decades-old disposal method
Detroit Free Press
8-9-2009
The companies that buy Michigan farmers' produce and turn it into dried, canned and frozen products have always sprayed their wastewater, year-round, on fields. It has been a relatively cheap, simple way to dispose of cherry cooling water, unusable fruit juice, cherry brine and waste from canning pie fillings. Now, they face having to change what they do. "We have to find new ways," says Steve Safferman, professor at Michigan State University studying ways to help processors do that. More»
Microbes provide solutions to energy issues
College of Natural Science
8-6-2009
After three years of research, Gemma Reguera (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Crop and Soil Sciences) has developed a process that can be harnessed to produce clean, cheap electricity and fuel from plant biomass. Microbial fuel cells are attracting interest as they are inexpensive to manufacture and produce no harmful by-products. More»
Grant to expose teachers to research, translate excitement to classroom
University Relations
8-6-2009
Michigan State University has been awarded a three-year grant by the National Science Foundation to establish a first-of-its-kind Research Experiences for Teachers in Engineering Site program on Bio-Inspired Technology and Systems. The RET site aims to train a cadre of leaders of middle and high school teachers in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics by engaging them in cutting-edge research in diverse areas, such as artificial muscles, robotic fish, biosensors, biomechanics, biofuels, digital evolution and biomolecular engineering. More»
Birds are chirping over cellulosic biofuels
Scientific American
8-6-2009
With palm oil plantations overrunning Indonesian rainforests and corn-based ethanol in the U.S. spurring new deforestation abroad, it may seem like biofuels and biodiversity don't mix. That's why ecologist Bruce Robertson at Michigan State University's W. K. Kellogg Biological Station and his colleagues wanted to know how birds and bugs would fare if the U.S. switches from corn-based ethanol production to cellulosic biofuels based on grasses. "Switchgrass production is going to have some measurable biodiversity benefits both for [insect] and grassland bird populations," Robertson said Tuesday at the Ecological Society of America meeting, held here this week. More»
Feeling the sting: Honey producers try to get back on their feet
Jackson Citizen Patriot
8-5-2009
Bees, which create a honey of a sweet, are an essential ingredient in the growth of fruits and vegetables. And they have been under attack. ... In addition to mites, beekeepers have battled a problem called colony collapse disorder, or CCD, during the past few years; the disorder first appeared in the fall of 2006. According to Zachary Huang, associate professor of entomology at Michigan State University, CCD affects a large number of states, including Michigan. In an e-mail, he said CCD remained a problem last year and that it killed around 30 to 35 percent of bees across the nation. Huang said if bees were to disappear, "we will only survive on grains," which do not need bees for pollination. More»
Jones named Fisheries and Wildlife chair
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
8-4-2009
Michael Jones has been named chairperson of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. His appointment became effective June 1, 2009, following a national search. Jones has served as acting chair of the department since February 2008, and succeeds William Taylor as department chair. More»
Chemistry professor receives $1.9M NSF grant for solar cell research
College of Natural Science
8-4-2009
James McCusker has received a $1.9 million NSF grant as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This research proposes to develop efficient, solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells using a synergistic collaboration that couples mathematical modeling with synthesis and characterization of novel polymer-based materials for ion conduction. For more on MSU research funded by the stimulus package, click here. More»
MSU Student Team Wins Third Place in A&WMA Environmental Challenge
GeoGreen Solutions
8-1-2009
Building on a legacy of Spartan success, a student team from Michigan State University took third place in the Environmental Challenge International at the annual conference of the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA) in Detroit.
The competition lets students assume the role of consultants in preparing and presenting an optimal solution to a simulated but complex and realistic environmental problem.
This year’s competition required participants to design a municipal solid waste management plan to address the waste disposal and energy needs of a hypothetical college city, Moochville, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Students were required to submit their proposed management scheme addressing the economic, social and environmental aspects of the problem prior to the conference, where they presented a poster detailing their plan.
This was followed by a final presentation at the conference that required them to incorporate an added complication, or tweak, to the problem. The tweak to this year’s challenge was the treatment of mercury-contaminated fly ash from the college’s coal power plant.
Members of the MSU team, GeoGreen Solutions, were Becky Larson, Indumathy Jayamani, Ziqiang Yin, Biao Chang and Felix Yeboah. They proposed a waste reduction and recovery program and a mechanical biological treatment technology, which had an added advantage of generating energy from solid waste via anaerobic digestion. They committed hours to research and evaluation of available technologies and programs to address all the facets of the complex environmental problem, and attributed their success to hard work.
The students said the experience expanded their knowledge of sustainable solid waste management options and the complexities associated with real-life designs, which may not have technical solutions. They also found the opportunity to work on a common problem with colleagues from other academic backgrounds and interests very rewarding, as it challenged them to re-examine their perspectives and approaches to complex societal problems.
The students are thankful to the Environmental Science and Policy Program and the East Michigan Chapter of the A&WMA for the financial support that made their participation in the contest possible.
Srivastava lands elite fellowship
University Relations
7-31-2009
Ajit Srivastava (Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering) has been named a Fellow of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, an honor achieved by only about two percent of the society's members. Srivastava studies biological and agricultural engineering systems at the interface between machinery and agricultural materials. His research into food production and processing, postharvest engineering and bio-based renewable energy systems, among other topics, have greatly impacted programs at MSU and nationally. More»
Green ideas
Inside Higher Ed
7-31-2009
Making people aware of the importance of sustainability is often half the battle. That's why Michigan State University decided to implement an environmental stewardship program among its faculty and staff as part of its Be Spartan Green initiative. "We wanted to look first at what we could do with faculty and staff because they tend to make more decisions that create waste," says Lauren Olson, project coordinator in MSU's department of sustainability and the initiator of the steward program. More»
The future of farming: Eight solutions for a hungry world
Popular Science
7-31-2009
Fertilizer use has exponentially increased crop yields in the past 30 years. That fertilizer provides extra nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which are essential for plants to build amino acids and cell walls. Soon, farmers may be able to get all the benefits of man-made fertilizer for hundreds of dollars less by using microbes instead. C.A. Reddy, professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at Michigan State University, examined 300 naturally occurring soil microbes and assembled a cocktail that can simultaneously reduce the need for phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers, protect plants against pathogens, and boost yields in virtually every type of crop. More»
The wisdom of crowds
Nature.com
7-30-2009
Given that changing behavior likely will be pivotal in any response to climate change, Nature reporter Kerri Smith delves into the factors inhibiting contributions from the social sciences, and quotes Thomas Dietz, MSU’s assistant vice president for environmental research.
See also the report from an NSF workshop on the topic.
More»
Organic farming alive and well at MSU Student Organic Farm
MLive.com
7-27-2009
John Biernbaum is actively involved with Michigan State University's renowned student organic farm. Biernbaum, a professor of horticulture, says organic does not mean the absence of chemicals and fertilizers. "There actually are certain chemicals and minerals that are used as fertilizers that are allowed in organic farming," says Biernbaum. "Organic is really all about the living soil and the health of the soil." More»
MSU project to help farmers go green, save green with perennial wheat
University Relations
7-24-2009
A research project at the Kellogg Biological Station explores the potential of growing perennial wheat as an environmentally friendly option for Michigan farmers. Unlike standard varieties that must be re-planted annually, perennial wheat springs up on its own each year, saving farmers precious time and money. It also holds promise for reducing soil erosion and storing carbon. The research team, led by MSU crop and soil scientist Sieg Snapp, also includes ESPP affiliate Scott Swinton (Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics).
Additional coverage from Great Lakes Echo provides video and touches on the implications for cookies.
The Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station also had the story. More»
Nanocomposite developed at MSU could help automakers meet fuel efficiency standards
College of Engineering
7-20-2009
Michigan State University researchers have developed a composite material modified with nanoparticles that is economical and could also help automakers meet the new fuel efficiency standards recently announced by President Barack Obama. The research was led by Lawrence T. Drzal, (Chemical Engineering and Materials Science), director of MSU's Composite Materials and Structures Center and chief scientist at XG Sciences Inc., a start-up company headquartered in East Lansing. More»
Michigan researchers ponder science's future
Detroit News
7-20-2009
Research into renewable energy, autism and stem cells could be the next great frontiers of science, Michigan researchers say as the 40-year anniversary of the man on the moon is observed today. ... To commemorate the anniversary, researchers from Michigan's leading institutions weigh in on some of the promising areas of scientific research in areas they think could be the next "One small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind." Soji Adelaja, director of Michigan State University's Land Policy Institute, discusses renewable energy and Jack Lipton, professor of neurology at MSU's College of Human Medicine, discusses stem cell research.
Note: This story came from a feature by MSU University Relations.
More»
Coastal communities gain help in planning for wind power
Great Lakes IT Report
7-13-2009
Soji Adelaja (Land Policy Institute) has received grant funding to work with coastal communities to assess the consequences of wind energy development and evaluate policy options, in advance of development proposals. Adelaja received $140,000 from Michigan Sea Grant. More»
Catering to cows: Cushy conditions lead to increased production, experts say
Kalamazoo Gazette
7-13-2009
Waterbeds in the stalls. Laser-guided, robotic milk machines. A back-scratching massage station. Lush pastures and a whenever-you-feel-like-it milking schedule. Michigan State University's $1.8 million Pasture Dairy Research and Education Center in Hickory Corners is pretty close to cow heaven. Mat Haan, project coordinator, says the revolutionary cow comforts in the new research facility are designed to help farmers make money. More»
Scientists, public differ in outlooks
USA Today
7-10-2009
In a Pew Research Center survey, 84 percent of non-scientists say science has a "mostly positive effect on our society," and 76 percent of scientists say these are "good times" for researchers. However, nearly half the scientists surveyed, 47 percent, say their colleagues are pursuing "projects that yield marketable products but do not advance science very much." ... "The major value of this survey is that it rebuts the frequent allegations that Americans are 'turning against' science," says political scientist Jon Miller of Michigan State University. More»
Environmental researchers earn university laurels
University Relations
7-9-2009
G. Philip Robertson (Crop and Soil Sciences) and Kay Holekamp (Zoology) were among the ten MSU faculty members named University Distinguished Professors in July. The title is among the highest honors that can be bestowed on a faculty member by the university. Those selected for the title have been recognized nationally and internationally for the importance of their teaching, research and public service achievements. More»
New protein leads the way in biofuels
University Relations
7-9-2009
Fueling a vehicle made with biofuel from a rutabaga may be in the future because of research breakthroughs by a team of scientists led by Christoph Benning (Biochemistry). More»
Food Comes A Long Way
Detroit Free Press
7-5-2009
Detroiters, do you know where your food comes from? Chances are, it comes from pretty far away. Michael Hamm, the C.S. Mott professor of sustainable agriculture at Michigan State University, says that virtually all the food consumed by Detroiters at home or in restaurants comes from distant states and other nations -- fruits and vegetables from California, bananas from South America, and so forth. But Hamm said Detroit's vast vacant and abandoned spaces offer the possibility of growing more food here -- a lot more. A recent study conducted by one of his students found that Detroit has suitable vacant land to grow 76% of the vegetables and 42% of the fruits Detroiters need for a healthy diet. More»
'Genetic arms race' between bacteria, viruses subject of stimulus grant
University Relations
7-2-2009
The oceans teem with microscopic bacteria that produce much of Earth's oxygen as they absorb carbon dioxide greenhouse gas. But fast-mutating viruses also populate the seas, attacking marine bacteria in an ages-old evolutionary arms race. Jay Lennon (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics) has received an NSF grant to examine that ancient dynamic against the backdrop of environmental and climate change, and the pivotal role played by aquatic bacteria in maintaining the Earth’s biological balance.
More»
A conversation with Michigan's state climatologist Jeff Andresen
MLive.com
7-2-2009
Associate professor of geography Jeff Andresen is the state climatologist for Michigan. Andresen is hosting his state climatologist colleagues from around the world at the American Association of State Climatologists annual meeting in Grand Rapids July 7-10. "Our goal is to look at the collection, analysis and dissemination of climate information, mainly back to the public," Andresen says.
More»
Research on Mexican empire receives attention, funding
ESPP
7-1-2009
A recent NSF grant will allow Helen Pollard (Anthropology) to continue her 40 years of research into the emergence of the Tarascan Empire, an ancient enemy of the Aztec that held sway over much of western Mexico for more than a century before Spanish conquest of the region. Pollard and graduate student Christopher Stawski will use the funding to conduct archaeological and landscape surveys and environmental excavation with specialists in geoarchaeology, geography and geology. Her research is also highlighted in a recent article in National Geographic. Photo courtesy of Chris Fisher.
Biofuel expert Bruce Dale co-authors Scientific American cover story
Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station
7-1-2009
"Grassoline at the Pump," an article co-written by Bruce Dale (Chemical Engineering and Materials Science), is the cover story in the July 2009 issue of Scientific American.
More»
Peer pressure plays major role in environmental behavior
National Science Foundation, ScienceDaily
6-30-2009
People are more likely to enroll in conservation programs if their neighbors do - a tendency that should be exploited when it comes to protecting the environment, according to results of a new study. The research, to be published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week, is the first to focus on the phenomenon of social norms in the context of China's conservation efforts, says Jianguo "Jack" Liu (Fisheries and Wildlife).
Additional news coverage: UPI
More»
Wood harvest puts pandas at risk
BBC
6-26-2009
Over the past 30 years, people living in rural communities have ventured ever deeper into prime panda habitat to collect wood to burn. That in turn significantly impacts wildlife habitats, which can become degraded and fragmented as trees are chopped down. Guangming He of Michigan State University led a team that examined how the collection of firewood has impacted panda habitat in the Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province, China.
More»
NSF Gives $630 Thousand to MSU For Invasive Plant Studies
Chicago Tribune, Associated Press, San Jose Mercury News (Calif.)
6-23-2009
The National Science Foundation is giving $630,000 to a Michigan State University researcher to help uncover the genetic factors behind invasive plant infestations that can destroy native ecosystems. The four-year grant goes to Jennifer Lau, a plant ecologist with the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station. The university says the research will focus on two common annual plants from the California coast range.
For a related story, see Traverse City Record-Eagle
More»
Genetic influences on invasive plant species probed with NSF support
College of Natural Science
6-23-2009
With exotic invaders such as garlic mustard plants threatening Michigan forests and purple loosestrife crowding out native cattails, improving the ability to prevent damaging plant invasions is the aim of research spearheaded by a Michigan State University ecologist. Jennifer Lau (Plant Biology) has won a four-year, $630,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to explore how genetic variation in native and non-native plant species affects biological invasions.
Additional news coverage: AP
More»
Michigan United Conservation Clubs honors Jim Detjen as “Conservation Communicator of the Year”
Communication Arts and Sciences
6-23-2009
Sportsmen and women from all over the state honored Jim Detjen (Knight Center for Environmental Journalism) this past weekend as he was awarded the Conservation Communicator of the Year Award at Michigan United Conservation Clubs’ 2009 Annual Convention.
Conversation with Jim Detjen.
More»
Study highlights massive imbalances in global fertilizer use
University Relations
6-18-2009
An international team of ecologists and agricultural experts cautions against blanket solutions to global fertilizer pollution, considering that some regions still suffer greatly from lack of cropland nutrients.
In a report published in the the journal Science, Phil Robertson (Crop and Soil Sciences) and colleagues warn against a "one-size-fits-all" approach to managing global food production.
Additional news coverage: New York Times, Monga Bay
More»
Graphic depictions of the seed industry
Reuters
6-18-2009
The seed industry's consolidation over the past decade or so has been so monumental and complex that it would be nearly impossible to describe in text. Luckily, Phil Howard, agriculture professor at Michigan State University, has assembled several graphical representations that give an idea not only of how the biggest companies have been gobbling up smaller ones, but also of how much "cooperation" there is among them. Image courtesy of Phil Howard.
More»
Therapeutic environmental design aims to help patients with Alzheimer's disease
Journal of the American Medical Association
6-17-2009
By the time Alzheimer's disease has reached its end stage, the brain is riddled with plaques, tangles, cavities, and fissures and has lost a substantial percentage of its weight. However, most people living with Alzheimer's are not yet at this stage and still have a good portion of working neurons with which they can learn. ... Other environmental designers are turning to the ancient concept of the healing garden, which has seen a resurgence in the last few decades. Joanne Westphal, professor of landscape architecture at Michigan State University, bridges medicine and design to create gardens that provide such benefits as relieving stress and improving the sense of well-being for patients, as well as for staff and family members.
More»
Microbes may be more networked than you are
Wired News (editorial)
6-16-2009
When we think of networks, we think of humans and the cables we've run around the world to connect our species. Figuring out how to move electrons has transformed human society, but we are not the only species on earth that lives in a wired world. A few years ago, microbiologist Gemma Reguera of Michigan State University reported that a certain type of bacteria could use rust to grow electrically conductive appendages. Shortly thereafter, my lab showed that many more bacterial species also had the ability to grow nanowires...
More»
Environmental engineers take state, national awards for "fresh ideas" on Michigan's water
ESPP
6-15-2009
A team of Civil and Environmental Engineering faculty and graduate students won multiple prizes for the poster they presented at the American Water Works Association's "Fresh Ideas" competition. The poster presents a collaboration between MSU and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality that will help the state manage and protect its groundwater, using real-time visual analysis of Michigan’s groundwater systems and drinking water aquifers virtually anywhere in the state. The proposal took third place at the National AWWA meeting and first place at the Michigan AWWA meeting.
More»
Amazon conservation policy working in Brazil, MSU-led study finds
University Relations
6-15-2009
Contrary to common belief, Brazil's policy of protecting portions of the Amazonian forest from development is capable of buffering the Amazon from climate change, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Robert Walker (Geography), lead researcher, contends that state and federal governments in Brazil have created a sustainable core of protected areas within the Amazon. Photography courtesy Robert Walker.
More»
Ash trees' death rate from borers likely to rise
Lansing State Journal
6-13-2009
In recent years, the emerald ash borer has swept throughout mid-Michigan, infesting ash trees, among the region's most common tree species, and experts say the area is reaching a point within the next year or two when residents will see ash trees die off in high numbers. "We are going to have a few years when we are going to be looking at an awfully lot of dead trees," says Deborah McCullough, professor of forest entomology at Michigan State University, who has studied the ash borer in the state. "It's really becoming apparent that we're in a heavily infested period. It seems there are two or three years when you will see a lot of tree mortality."
Photography courtesy Emeraldashborer.info
More»
McDonald's USA to join new coalition to study U.S. hen housing sustainability, including cage-free
Life Science Weekly (Subscription)
6-2-2009
McDonald's USA announced its participation with leading animal welfare scientists, academics, Non-Government Organizations and egg suppliers in a commercial-scale study of housing alternatives for egg-laying hens in the United States, including cage-free housing. ... The research is being led by Michigan State University and the University of California, Davis. "A thorough understanding of the full range of sustainability factors regarding hen housing is an important goal of this project," says Janice Swanson, an animal science professor at MSU. "The coalition anticipates a multi-year study to factor in seasonal shifts, bird life cycles and other factors."
More»
Study: Michigan mammals rapidly migrating north
Associated Press
5-21-2009
Commonplace rodents such as opossums and white-footed mice are migrating rapidly northward in Michigan, suggesting climate change is taking hold in the upper Great Lakes region, says a newly released scientific report. ... The project was boosted by a treasure trove of records on mammal distribution in the area, including more than a century of field notes and specimen collections housed in research museums at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.
More»
Advocate for environment, scientist duo urges, as Michigan researchers seek greenhouse gas controls
University Relations
5-20-2009
Scores of MSU researchers urged Michigan’s congressional delegation to support strong federal policies to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The advocacy action coincided with publication of a paper by Michael Nelson (Fisheries and Wildlife, Lyman Briggs) and Michigan Tech scholar John Vucetich urging researchers to speak out on environmental policy. Their ethical analysis of environmental scientist advocacy appeared in the journal Conservation Biology.
Additional coverage: Grand Rapids Press, Great Lakes IT Report
More»
For kids: Puberty gone wild
Science News
5-20-2009
Breakouts, mood swings and sudden growth spurts: Puberty can be downright awkward. Even if you're not of the human species. Puberty is a period in which humans move from childhood to adulthood. During this transition, the body goes through many physical and emotional changes. But humans aren't the only creatures to experience dramatic changes as they mature. Jim Harding, wildlife information specialist at Michigan State University, says all animals — from aardvarks to zebra finches — go through a period of transition as they take on adult characteristics and reach sexual maturity, or the ability to reproduce.
More»
Michigan scientists push legislation to fix climate change
Detroit Free Press, News Blaze (Calif.)
5-19-2009
A group of 178 Michigan scientists from 11 universities have signed a letter backing legislation that would set up a national cap and trade system to curb greenhouse gases. ... "We came together as scientists to urge them to move forward," says Tom Dietz, director of the Environmental Science and Policy Program at Michigan State University.
For a related story, see Grand Rapids Press. More»
Knight Center for Environmental Journalism Releases Spring issue of EJ Magazine
Knight Center for Environmental Journalism
5-8-2009
The magazine covers environmental issues on campus (e.g., an interview with outgoing sustainability coordinator Terry Link) and beyond, from White House interference in science to Michigan sand dunes, Great Lakes invasive species, and more.
The student-produced magazine has won more than 25 awards and was named one of the top three student-produced magazines in the nation in 2008 by the Society of Professional Journalists. More»
MSU-Malawi partnership on ecosystem services is awarded USAID grant
University Relations
5-7-2009
Anne Ferguson (Anthropology) is helping to lead a newly-funded project to address ecosystem services and develop a strategic plan to address uneven development, population growth and climate change and its effects on forest, fishery, soil and water in Malawi and the region.
More»
Web Site Provides Resources for New Environmental Faculty
ESPP
5-6-2009
The Center for Water Sciences, Sustainable Michigan Endowed Project, and ESPP have launched a site aimed at new faculty interested in environment/ sustainability science issues. It provides a targeted, user-friendly overview of MSU resources. We're integrating feedback we've gotten and welcome more. Thanks also to Derek Moy for his design. More»
Conferences Highlight Diverse Efforts at MSU
ESPP
5-6-2009
ESPP’s blog covers recent events hosted by the Sustainable Michigan Endowed Project, the Land Policy Institute, and Animal Studies, among others. More»
What can climate models tell cherry growers?
Scientific American
5-6-2009
By Andy McGlashen
In the glacier-carved hillsides of northwest Michigan where half of America's tart cherries grow, buds that look like half-burst popcorn will erupt any day into brilliant white blossoms. But in that six-county area flanking Lake Michigan, climate change is already in full bloom. The state is two degrees warmer on average than it was 30 years ago, and it's generally wetter, says Michigan State University geographer Jeffrey Andresen, the state climatologist. More»
Michigan farms can move bio-energy development forward
Detroit News
5-4-2009
Bio-energy, also known as agri-energy, is a growing industry that entails the use of farm and forest products and byproducts to create renewable energy sources such as motor fuel and heat. It is a growing industry in Michigan and across the nation. Dennis Pennington, bio-energy educator at the Kellogg Biological Station Land & Water Program at Michigan State University Extension, and Steve Pueppke, director of the MSU Office of Biobased Technologies and the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, talked to The Detroit News recently about the industry and what it means for Michigan farmers. More»
MSU to Host Federal Energy Frontier Research Center
University Relations
4-30-2009
The U.S. Department of Energy has tapped Michigan State University to lead a new $12.5 million Energy Frontier Research Center, one of 46 to be established nationwide. The Center focuses on thermoelectric energy conversion, which increases energy efficiency by converting energy currently lost as heat into electricity. Researchers in the College of Engineering and College of Natural Science are involved. More»
‘Green Technology’ Firm Based on MSU Science Lands $21M in Venture Capital
University Relations
4-27-2009
Draths Corp., a next generation chemical company founded on Michigan State University science, has raised $21 million in new venture funding to commercialize chemical intermediates used to make nylon and other products with renewable resources instead of petrochemicals. More»
ESPP Student Wins Geography Award
ESPP
4-24-2009
Carolina Santos (Geography and ESPP) won this year’s Potchen Award for Geography Graduate Student of the Year. Santos’ work involves documenting the transformation of natural forest into African oil palm plantations in a Colombian region considered a hotspot of biodiversity. She’s also building a model to see how the different drivers of change interact, and will eventually use scenarios to assess the probability of change and policy implications.
Sectors of promise for the Michigan economy
WWJ Radio
4-22-2009
We've heard the news about the auto industry and foreclosures, but there are sectors of promise for the Michigan economy. What is Michigan going to be famous for next? ... "If we do in fact become a leading state in the installation of wind systems and in the application of wind toward energy we also have the potential of organizing our productive infrastructure to be able to support that," says Adesoji Adelaja, director of the MSU Land Policy Institute and a professor in the departments of Agricultural Economics, Geography, and Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies. Michigan also can become an exporter of equipment and expertise to other parts of the country, he says. More»
Search for unusual alien life on Earth and life that can survive on Mars
ScienceDaily
4-21-2009
Questions such as "How to search for weird alien life?" and "Would Earth microbes survive if delivered to the surface of Mars?" are addressed in articles that are part of a collection of reports presented in the current issue of Astrobiology. Researchers from Princeton University, the Kennedy Space Center and Michigan State University exposed a bacterium that lives in the Siberian permafrost on Earth to the harsh conditions on Mars using a Mars Simulation Chamber. Low temperature and atmospheric pressure, and high dryness and ultraviolet irradiation flux characterize the surface conditions of present-day Mars. More»
Graduate Students Take Research to the Capitol
University Relations
4-20-2009
Michigan Graduate Education Day brought MSU graduate students to the State House to discuss their research. Students presented work in ecology, as well as the arts and the new Facility for Rare Isotopes Beams. More»
California Air Resources Board deadline nears
Forbes, Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Business Times, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Earthtimes.org, and several other media outlets
4-20-2009
The California Air Resources Board, an arm of the state's Environmental Protection Agency, will end its comment period next week on the merits of adopting the Golden State's proposed Low-Carbon Fuel Standard. With only days remaining before the comment period ends on April 24, increasing numbers of university professors, scientists, researchers and industry trade organizations have registered their opposition to adoption of the LCFS proposal in its present form. ... Bruce Dale, University Distinguished Professor of chemical engineering and materials science at Michigan State University, says "The report prepared by the staff at the Air Resources Board... is poorly completed and the conclusions that are reached are not supported by data from the scientific literature. The work is based on very few references... and at least one of the references listed in the appendix is incorrect or falsified." More»
New Michigan State University report urges focus on place in economic redevelopment
MLive.com
4-14-2009
College-educated young workers who value quality of life issues above the availability of jobs and other factors will shape the new economy, a new report from Michigan State University concludes. The report from MSU's Land Policy Institute, titled, "Chasing the Past or Investing in Our Future: Placemaking for Prosperity in the New Economy," recommends that communities make themselves more attractive by investing in green spaces, redeveloping downtowns and connecting the economies of urban and rural areas. ... "Every place doesn't have everything," says Adesoji Adelaja, director of the Land Policy Institute at MSU. "But virtually every place has something that can appeal to certain segments of the population and create prosperity for communities."
For a related story, see Michigan Public Radio More»
Green roof can make house literally cool
Lansing State Journal
4-12-2009
Michigan State University horticulture professor Brad Rowe gives a whole new meaning to reducing your carbon footprint with his Green Roof Research Program. Putting plants on a building's roof makes up for the vegetation lost during its construction. ... It's easier to put a green roof on a large industrial or commercial building than on someone's home, according to Rowe. "Residential homes tend to have sloped roofs which make installation of a successful green roof a little more challenging," he said. "Also, the cost tends to be higher on residential buildings due to economies of scale. Regardless, the building must be able to hold the extra weight." More»
NRC Study Says Decision Makers Need Climate Information
ESPP
4-10-2009
A new National Research Council report with input from MSU says government agencies base decisions – for example, how to build bridges, manage water supplies or implement zoning rules – on outdated information that fails to consider climate change.
Joe Arvai (ESPP associate director and CARRS) was part of the committee that wrote the report “Informing Decisions in a Changing Climate,” which recommends that the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and other federal agencies put more effort into producing relevant climate information and delivering it effectively to decision makers.
The NRC is the policy-advising arm of the National Academies. More»
Simon’s Latest Report Highlights Environmental Work
ESPP
4-10-2009
The 2008 President’s Report from MSU chief Lou Anna K. Simon highlights the university’s accomplishments in the last year, and includes short videos and news stories about research and outreach done by ESPP affiliates and others.
Available online, the report offers feature stories about, among other things:
- Chemical and mechanical engineers teaming up to grow biofuels for automobiles and build engines that burn them more efficiently.
- A project undertaken by ESPP affiliate Jennifer Olson (Telecommunications, Information Studies & the Media) and others that brought a student-designed, solar-powered Internet connection to a Maasai village in Tanzania where few people had ever seen a computer.
- Efforts by ESPP affiliates and entomologists Zachary Huang and Doug Landis to save the world’s honeybees from the mysterious and alarming Colony Collapse Disorder and attract other pollinators to Michigan.
Understanding Hawaiian Petrels through Stable Isotopes
College of Natural Science
4-10-2009
Thousands of years ago, Hawaiian Petrels were so numerous they darkened the skies of the Hawaiian Islands. Today, they are endangered and nearly extinct. Peggy Ostrom and Anne Wiley (Zoology) are reconstructing the ecological history of the seabird, “reading their bones” to better understand the history of the bird and protect the remaining population. More»
As Easter approaches, cat owners should watch out for Easter lilies
Los Angeles Times
4-9-2009
With Easter approaching, a word of warning to cat owners: Easter lilies are toxic to your feline friend. "Cats can be poisoned by ingesting one or two leaves or flowers," says Wilson Rumbeiha, assistant professor of pathobiology and diagnostic investigation at Michigan State University. "Easter lily poisoning is a problem of indoor cats and affects cats of either sex and all ages," he says. More»
Project GREEEN Funding Allows Scientists to Advance Plant-Based Agriculture
Project GREEEN
4-8-2009
Project GREEEN is a cooperative effort between plant-based commodities and businesses, MSU, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture. Projects funded this year include these from ESPP affiliates:
- Constructed wetlands for treating food processing wastewater - Dawn Reinhold
- Understanding and managing insecticide resistance in the Colorado Potato Beetle - Edward Grafius
- Organic pest management for apples; disease and pollinator interactions in blueberries; and fruit pest mating - Matthew Grieshop
Inbreeding led to deformed bones in wolves
United Press International
4-7-2009
Scientists say they've found extreme inbreeding of an isolated wolf population at a U.S. island national park has resulted in genetically deformed bones. Rolf Peterson and John Vucetich of Michigan Tech and their colleagues -- Jannikke Raikkonen of the Swedish Museum of Natural History and Michael Nelson at Michigan State University -- found 58 percent of the wolves on Isle Royale exhibit a congenital malformation in the lumbosacral region or lower back, and 33 percent display a specific deformity, lumbosacral transitional vertebrae.
For a related story, see the Associated Press. More»
Parrot custody battle
ABC News (Good Morning America Show)
4-7-2009
A dispute between two women over a bird's ownership lands in court. David Favre, professor of law at Michigan State University College of Law, talks about the case. More»
Skole to Help Protect Planet and Poor with Carbon Count
University Relations
4-3-2009
The World Wildlife Fund has chosen Michigan State as its partner in an ambitious effort to develop an accounting system for carbon in the world’s landscapes.
Conceived by ESPP affiliate David Skole (Forestry) and colleagues and funded by a $5 million grant from the Global Environment Facility, the 18-month Carbon Benefits Project aims to allow even the remotest citizens of developing nations to participate in worldwide carbon markets. Through their land-use choices, participants could potentially lift themselves from poverty while protecting the environment.
“What they need is a tool to assess their carbon and climate impact, both positive and negative,” Skole said. More»
MSU Researcher Cuts Chemicals from Cancer Drug
University Relatons
4-2-2009
A Michigan State researcher has discovered a “green” way to streamline the production process for a popular cancer-fighting drug.
Paclitaxel, better known by the brand name Taxol, was isolated from the bark of the Pacific yew in 1967, but more recently has been made with synthetic chemicals. But a method developed by Kevin Walker, an assistant professor of chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology, uses natural enzymes instead.
“Pharmaceutical companies could reduce the steps involved in making Taxol while cutting chemical byproducts,” Walker said.
The research was funded by the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station. More»
World's Largest Urban Farm Planned for the City of Detroit
PR Newswire
4-2-2009
A planned farm within the City of Detroit will use 70 acres of vacant lands and abandoned properties on Detroit's lower east side, announced John Hantz, CEO of Hantz Farms.
Hantz Farms is working with MSU to add MSU expertise on agricultural and soil sciences and consulting with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, a national leader in community-based food systems. More»
MSU reduces energy use by 3 percent during event
The State News
3-31-2009
Efforts to turn off nonessential lights and electrical devices resulted in a 3 percent reduction in campus energy Friday, university officials say. Students, faculty and staff members were encouraged to dim down their lights and electronics Friday from noon to 1 p.m. as a way to raise awareness about global climate change. "It was fantastic; it was a larger turnout than last year," says Lynda Boomer, energy and environmental engineer at the MSU Physical Plant. "We dropped about 1.5 megawatt, which is about a 3 percent (energy) drop for campus." More»
Moving new energy technology from the laboratory to the marketplace
San Francisco Chronicle
3-26-2009
A plan to use algae to simultaneously treat wastewater and produce the raw materials for biofuels won the inaugural Clean Energy Prize on March 20. The competition was established by DTE Energy and the University of Michigan along with sponsors, Masco Corporation Foundation and The Kresge Foundation, to encourage entrepreneurship in Michigan and the development of clean energy technology. Team Algal Scientific Corp., comprised of business and engineering students from the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, earned the top prize of $65,000.
For a related story, see Fox Business Network More»
Investment in Pest Prevention Research Yields Big Returns, Swinton Says
University Relations
3-23-2009
New MSU research shows that small investments in research on controlling the tiny but destructive soybean aphid will pay big dividends in years to come.
$17 million in federal and government funding have gone into soybean aphid research and education since 2003, said ESPP affiliate Scott Swinton (Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics). That integrated pest management work should yield a net economic benefit of $1.3 billion – an annual return rate of 180 percent – over the next 15 years.
“This is an example of what a good payoff you can get as a result of long-term research,” Swinton said.
“There’s been a half century of research into integrated pest management. In the process a lot of techniques were developed and lots of understanding was gained about the relationships between crop and pest life cycles, infestations and the weather to decide when it’s necessary to control them without wasting money and creating health risks.” More»
Eating food that’s better for you, organic or not
New York Times, International Herald Tribune
3-22-2009
In the six-and-one-half years since the federal government began certifying food as "organic," Americans have taken to the idea with considerable enthusiasm. Sales have at least doubled, and three-quarters of the nation's grocery stores now carry at least some organic food. A Harris poll in October 2007 found that about 30 percent of Americans buy organic food at least on occasion, and most think it is safer, better for the environment and healthier. ... "People believe it must be better for you if it's organic," says Phil Howard, assistant professor of community, food and agriculture at Michigan State University. More»
Insecticide linked to weight gain in women
Post Chronicle (N.J.)
3-22-2009
Prenatal exposure to the insecticide DDT may play a role in increased obesity of women, Michigan State University researchers say. More than 250 mothers who live alone and eat fish from Lake Michigan were studied for their exposure to DDE — a breakdown of DDT. ... "What we have found for the first time is exposure to certain toxins by eating fish from polluted waters may contribute to the obesity epidemic in women," says Janet Osuch, professor of surgery and epidemiology at MSU's College of Human Medicine, who was one of the lead authors of the study.
For a related story, see Michigan State University Relations More»
Area to get bio boost
Lansing State Journal
3-18-2009
The $410 billion federal spending bill signed last week by President Barack Obama includes more than $1 million earmarked for bio-economy research in mid-Michigan. ... "What this money does is it helps bridge the gap between a laboratory idea and an industrial process," says Lawrence Drzal, director of the Composite Materials and Structures Center at Michigan State University. "Once you start bridging that gap, then you can get private investment to come in and make use of it, scale it up. But that first step going from the university to commercialization is quite large, and it's just not something that is easily done without the resources." More»
Soji Adelaja: The economy should never be in conflict with the environment (with video)
MLive.com
3-12-2009
Soji Adelaja leads Michigan State University's Land Policy Institute. "Our mission is research, public education, and direct engagement with communities in Michigan to bring science to bear on the important decisions Michigan needs to make about its future," says Adelaja. More»
Alan Arbogast: Development is biggest threat to Michigan's sand dunes
MLive.com
3-12-2009
Michigan State University's Alan Arbogast is a national expert on sand dunes. He researches the geomorphic history of sand dunes, both in the interior of the state and along the shore of Lake Michigan. "The sand dunes along Lake Michigan are a vital resource and are very popular for a variety of reasons," says Arbogast. "About 3 million people a year visit the sand dunes along the Lake Michigan shore." More»
Link Leaving Post to Run Food Bank
ESPP
3-6-2009
Terry Link has been the face of environmental stewardship at Michigan State since September of 2000, when he became director of the newly formed Office of Campus Sustainability. It’s hard to imagine campus without him, but Link is stepping down to become Executive Director of the Greater Lansing Food Bank. For now, Link’s old duties will be split up among a handful of people, and it’s not yet clear who will replace him. Whoever steps in to shrink the university’s environmental footprint will have big shoes to fill. “Terry is marvelous at bringing people together from across campus to solve common problems,” said ESPP Assistant Director Maya Fischhoff, who has worked closely with Link on various projects. “He’s inspiring and a lot of fun.” To watch a video interview with Link, click here. Click here to read his final farewell post on ecoBlog.
Litchman Lands Prestigious Award for Young Teacher-Scholars
ESPP
3-6-2009
Elena Litchman (Zoology) has won a prestigious grant awarded by the National Science Foundation to young researchers who also excel at teaching. The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award will fund a five-year project in which Litchman will investigate how factors like climate change and nutrient levels affect toxic algae blooms in lakes. CAREER awards are given “in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations,” NSF says.
More about Litchman’s work
More about CAREER
Abandon Hope, Nelson Argues
ESPP
3-6-2009
Michael Nelson (Lyman Briggs College; Fisheries and Wildlife; and Philosophy) has an essay in the March issue of The Ecologist in which he argues that giving people hope for the health of our planet might keep them from taking real action to build a sustainable future. Nelson and co-author John Vucetich of Michigan Tech say that hope as a motivator is based on speculation about the future, and that we instead ought to be concerned with how to act virtuously now, regardless of what might lie ahead. “If we’re left with despair or hope, neither of which actually seem to be a motivator to do anything, we need another motivator,” Nelson said. “So we started thinking that this is really about doing the right thing, quite apart from whether it’s hopeful or not. This is about the decision to be a certain kind of person.” To watch a video interview with Nelson about the essay, click here. More»
Poulson Launches New Environmental Journalism Blog
ESPP
3-6-2009
David Poulson, associate director of MSU’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, has started a new blog about the challenges of covering a rapidly changing planet in a rapidly changing media landscape. Poulson is a 22-year veteran of the newspaper business and has blogged for the Great Lakes Town Hall and The Poynter Institute. His new blog, Cover the Planet, revolves around the same basic questions he’s pondered on those sites: With newspapers tanking left and right, how can quality journalism continue? And how can reporters best communicate the often complex environmental risks we face? More»
ESPP Gearing up for 'America’s Climate Choices'
ESPP
3-6-2009
ESPP representatives will join the scientists, policymakers, business leaders and others gathering in Washington, D.C. at the end of March to discuss the changing climate. The National Academy of Sciences charged the Committee on America’s Climate Choices with producing a report on the challenges and importance of responding to climate change, and called for a summit to help define the committee’s research. ESPP Director Thomas Dietz sits on the committee, and is vice chair of the panel responsible for identifying the science of climate change. News writer Andy McGlashen will post reports from the summit on GreenBoard, the ESPP blog. ESPP students, faculty and affiliates are encouraged to e-mail Andy (amcglashen@gmail.com) if they plan to attend the summit, and are welcome to blog from Washington for GreenBoard. More»
Scriber and Rose Join Faculty’s Top Ranks
Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station
3-1-2009
A world-renowned butterfly expert and an advocate for safe drinking water were among the recipients of MSU’s Distinguished Faculty Awards in February. J. Mark Scriber (Entomology) was awarded for extensive work focused on how the genetics, morphology, physiology and behavior of North American swallowtail butterflies have responded to shifts in host plants, geography and climate. Joan Rose (Fisheries and Wildlife) earned recognition for her contributions to scientific understanding of the risks associated with waterborne pathogens. Her research and outreach efforts have improved water quality and public health in the United States and internationally. The awards recognize faculty members with a long-term record of excellence in research, teaching and outreach. More»
Funding for Agriculture Programs Essential for State’s Economy, Program Chiefs Say
University Relations
2-23-2009
A funding cut proposed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm would cost Michigan $500 million and 1,000 knowledge-based jobs, say the heads of two MSU programs on the chopping block. The 2010 budget proposal would combine the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station with MSU Extension and cut their funding in half to $32 million. MAES Director Steve Pueppke and Tom Coon, director of MSU Extension, told the Michigan House Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee that the programs are key drivers of the state’s 21st century economy and bring in $2.33 for every dollar invested in them. Among other contributions, they support cutting-edge research into biofuels, alternative energy and food safety. More»
MSU Extension Cutbacks Will Hurt State, Critics Say
Lansing State Journal
2-20-2009
Steve Tennes has nine acres of canola growing on a field that once sprouted pumpkins. He got a brand new canola press in December. This summer, he'll have canola oil to use as biofuel for his farm machines. And the Charlotte farmer has an $11,000 grant from the federal government that helped pay for it all. Which is part of the reason why he thinks Gov. Jennifer Granholm's proposal to merge Michigan State University Extension with the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and cut their combined state funding from $64 million this year to $32 million next year is a step in the wrong direction. MSU Extension is essentially an educational outreach operation, providing a link between the expertise housed at MSU and local communities. Experiment station director Steve Pueppke says that while state funding is only a portion of the experiment station's budget, it's that money that makes it possible to bring in federal grant dollars. More»
Work on Monitoring Ecosystems Wins Faculty Member NSF CAREER Award
College of Engineering
2-19-2009
Jongeun Choi, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and of electrical and computer engineering, received a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award for his proposal, “Multi-Agent Systems and Gaussian Processes: Applications in Environmental Sciences.”
Choi studies how mobile sensing vehicles can perform specific tasks: for example, monitoring ecosystems. Applications include prediction and tracing of harmful algal blooms in lakes, toxic contaminants in public water systems, and pollutants in the air.
Jonguen Choi talks about his NSF award More»
MSU to Lead Rural Development in the Midwest
University Relations
2-18-2009
This summer Michigan State will become the hub of rural development and research in the Midwest, thanks to a nearly $2 million grant. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service gave MSU the grant to host the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development for the next five years. The center, now housed at Iowa State University, is one of four in the nation that work to help land-grant universities develop and strengthen rural communities. MSU Extension, the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources will jointly administer the center. Scott Loveridge (Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics), MSU Extension state leader for community and economic development, will serve as the center’s transitional director and will chair a nationwide search to find a permanent director. “Rural America serves as the steward for the majority of our nation’s natural resources,” Loveridge said. “An understanding of these resources is critical to developing programs and policies to improve the quality of life for rural people.” More»
College Science Requirements Keep U.S. Ahead of World, Researcher Argues
Science Daily, Michigan Messenger
2-18-2009
Despite frequent warnings of the inadequacy of education in the United States, citizens here are still among the world's most scientifically literate. Jon Miller, John A. Hannah Professor of integrative studies and director of the International Center for the Advancement of Scientific Literacy at Michigan State University, for many years has conducted social research on scientific literacy around the world. "What makes the American market and society different," he says, "is that we have more science- and technology-receptive citizens and consumers, and as a society we're willing to spend money for basic science and have been doing that for years." More»
Kalof’s Animal Volumes Win Book Award
Animal Studies Program
Animal Studies Program
2-17-2009
Having edited more than 1,500 pages covering 4,500 years of the history of human-animal interactions, Linda Kalof (Sociology) and co-editor Brigitte Resl of the University of Liverpool deserved a serious pat on the back.They got more than that: The six-volume work, “A Cultural History of Animals,” was named a 2008 Outstanding Academic Title by Choice, a magazine published by the American Library Association. Bernd Hüppauf of New York University called the project “an invaluable contribution to our understanding… A combination of surprise and entertainment with serious research gives these volumes a place in the best tradition of accessible science.” Kalof is the founder and director of MSU’s Animal Studies Program. More»
Hitting the Redo Button on Evolution
Science News
2-11-2009
People have always wondered why plants and animals are built the way they are. Charles Darwin, an Englishman who lived in the 1800s, was very curious about the shape of life forms, and did a lot of experiments to find some answers. He came up with the theory of evolution, which helps explain how life on Earth came to be in its many forms. A big part of Darwin’s evolution theory is a process called natural selection... But other scientists don’t agree. They think that if you hit the redo button, a small change somewhere along the line could produce very big changes later. Richard Lenski, evolutionary biologist at Michigan State University, is doing experiments with bacteria to find out who is right. More»
Ebert-May Lands $2 Million NSF Grant to Make Postdocs Better Teachers
University Relations
2-6-2009
Diane Ebert-May (Plant Biology) has landed a $2 million grant to get research-focused educators into teaching mode. The National Science Foundation awarded Ebert-May the four-year grant to establish the Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching, which will offer four-day workshops to postdoctoral researchers. The researchers will be mentored throughout the academic year as they implement the biology curricula they create at the workshops. “Many postdoctoral scholars are deeply involved in research and have few opportunities to develop their skills as teachers – yet many desire to do so,” said Ebert-May, who with Terry Derting of Murray State University will lead the program, the largest of its kind. The workshops will begin this summer at five biology field stations across the U.S., including MSU’s Kellogg Biological Station. More»
ESPP Affiliates Participate in Climate Teach-In
Office of Campus Sustainability
2-2-2009
Scientists and environmentalists have the new president's ear on climate change, and MSU joined more than 600 campuses nationwide in an effort to spark solutions-based conversation during his first 100 days in office.
The teach-in on climate change, sponsored in part by ESPP, featured panel discussions on the developing world impacts, energy issues and the moral dimensions of our response to a changing planet, among other topics.
More»
Rose, Dietz Opine in Detroit Dailies
Detroit News, Detroit Free Press
2-2-2009
Joan Rose (Fisheries and Wildlife) and Thomas Dietz (ESPP) appeared recently on the opinion pages of Detroit's two daily newspapers.
Rose's piece called attention to the critical importance of safe, clean drinking water, citing a recent e-coli outbreak in Colorado as evidence of the need to update the nation's pipelines, and urging the new administration to invest in new infrastructure.
Dietz argued that the upcoming federal economic stimulus package should include major investment in a home weatherization program. Weatherizing all appropriate U.S. homes would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 300 billion tons per year, create nearly 400,000 jobs and save homeowners and renters an average $150 to $450 per year, according to Dietz.
Engineers Strive to Provide Clean Water for All
Currents
2-1-2009
MSU's efforts to provide people everywhere with safe drinking water is the focus of the latest issue of Currents, the magazine of the College of Engineering.
Providing access to clean water has been called one of engineering's 14 Grand Challenges for the 21st century.
The story highlights work by Civil and Environmental Engineering faculty members who are also ESPP affiliates. It describes how:
Alison Cupples examines the effects of anti-microbial chemicals, which are concentrated in sludge at water treatment facilities, and often applied to farm fields as fertilizer.
Syed Hashsham studies microbial ecology, and develops an affordable, hand-held detector for pathogens in water.
Shu-Guang Li and Phanikumar Mantha build more sophisticated models of groundwater and surface water systems, which are useful in sustainable water use, as well as pollution prevention and cleanup.
Susan Masten improves membranes used in water treatment, and studies the oxidation of chemical contaminants.
Volodymyr Tarabara develops advanced membranes for treating drinking water, and plans to study the environmental impact of nanotechnology.
Irene Xagoraraki detects, quantifies and tracks viruses in water supplies, and studies pharmaceuticals in the environment.
Thomas Voice studies how organic chemicals stick to soil, and how they're released into water.
Environmental Science Hampered by Knowledge Gaps, Dietz Says
University Relations
1-28-2009
Our understanding of the deterioration of ecosystems and the services they provide is constrained by fundamental gaps in scientific knowledge, according to a new analysis from ESPP Director Thomas Dietz and others.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment - which asked scientists to examine the services ecosystems provide humanity - showed that roughly 60 percent of ecosystems are being used unsustainably; Dietz and his co-authors sought to find out what science should do about the problem.
More long-term data and a better understanding of interactions between humans and ecosystems are needed, Dietz said.
The article appeared in the Feb. 3 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It was also featured on TreeHugger, a popular environmental Web site. More»
Michigan's Oldest Factories Could Become Modern Energy Generators
Grand Rapids Press, Detroit News, WLNS-TV
1-28-2009
All those big empty factories dotting Michigan could be abuzz with energy products and power-generating technology if a new Michigan State University analysis attracts fans. On Tuesday, researcher Adesoji Adelaja, director of the Land Policy Institute at MSU, strode into the gleaming interior of an aging auto parts plant — most recently, Lear Corp.'s seating plant at 2150 Alpine Ave. NW. "As I walked into this facility, it just struck me. The world is changing so fast. Michigan needs to be in the forefront, and recognize these are huge infrastructures that could be leveraged for economic development," he says.
Related story in the Lansing State Journal
Related story in the Great Lakes IT Report More»
MSU Unwraps Sustainable Packaging Center
University Relations
1-27-2009
The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources announced the launch of its new Center for Packaging Innovation and Sustainability at a forum for packaging executives at the Kellogg Center.
The Coca-Cola Company provided $400,000 for the center, which will be housed in the School of Packaging and serve as a think-tank for reducing the environmental impact of product packaging.
With planned facilities in Dubai and Shanghai, the center is expected to have international reach.
ESPP video of the center's launch is available here. More»
Brownfields Hold Huge Energy Potential, Report Says
Land Policy Institute
1-27-2009
By developing renewable energy on abandoned or underused industrial sites, Michigan could create 17,500 jobs and bring $15 billion in new investments to the state, all while creating enough electricity to power nearly half the state's homes, according to a new report from MSU's Land Policy Institute.
The roughly 44,000 acres of so-called brownfields where wind and solar power could be harvested offer "a prime opportunity to expand Michigan's renewable energy capacity," said LPI Director Soji Adelaja.
Converting the brownfields could help the state meet the target set last year of meeting 10 percent of its energy needs with renewables and increased efficiency by 2015. More»
Michigan State Patents Cellulosic Ethanol Process
Domestic Fuel, Checkbiotech, Smash Hits (India), others
1-23-2009
Michigan State University has patented a process to pretreat agricultural waste products that would dramatically reduce the cost of making biofuels from cellulose. More»
Beech Bark Disease the Latest Concern For Trees
Spinal Column Newsweekly (Michigan)
1-17-2009
There's a new disease infecting Michigan's trees and prompting concern across the state; and although slow in spreading, beech bark disease is a highly effective killer of American beech trees. "Currently, the biggest impact of beech bark disease is in the eastern half of the Upper Peninsula and the western side of lower Michigan, from Muskegon County to Manistee County," says Deb McCullough, professor of forest entomology at Michigan State University who has been studying the effects of beech bark disease in Michigan. "There are spots (with infected trees) in other areas of northern lower Michigan, but things haven't progressed that far yet." More»
Molecular Evolution
Science News
1-17-2009
Charles Darwin didn't know about genes and DNA. In fact, hardly anyone noticed when Gregor Mendel, a monk whose pea experiments eventually led to modern genetics, published his findings in an obscure journal a few years after Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" appeared in 1859. It would take nearly a century more before James Watson and Francis Crick deciphered the structure of DNA, the molecule that contains the manual for building an organism. Yet Darwin was still able to describe a mechanism -- natural selection -- for how evolution shapes life on Earth. That's like describing how a car works without knowing about the existence of internal combustion engines. ... But since it's impossible to turn back time and replay all of evolution again, scientists have devised other ways of investigating the issue. Richard Lenski, evolutionary biologist at Michigan State University, is among the scientists hitting the rewind button on evolution. More»
Greenhouse Emissions from Biofuels Overestimated, Study Says
University Relations
1-15-2009
Numerous studies have overestimated the greenhouse gas emissions associated with producing biofuels, according to new research at MSU.
Bruce Dale (Chemical Engineering and Materials Science) and co-authors say past analyses have failed to account for variables like crop management, leading to an overly grim picture of biofuels' environmental role. More»
Affiliates Win Funding to Improve Animal Agriculture
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
1-14-2009
Three ESPP affiliates won a share of $350,000 in funding awarded by the Animal Agriculture Initiative (AAI) Coalition for 2009-2010.
The AAI is a partnership between MSU, livestock producers and industry organizations and the state's Department of Agriculture. The initiative has funded more than 190 research projects since its 1996 inception.
Among this year's nine recipients are:
Steven Safferman (Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering)
Bark Filter Mound Treatment Technology to Treat Milking Facility Waste Water
Dawn Reinhold (Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering)
Constructed Treatment Wetlands for Water Reclamation and Green Manure Production
Wendy Powers (Animal Science, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering)
Investigation of DDGS Feeding Effects on Sulfur Emissions from Swine Manure More»
Amazon Deforestation: Earth's Heart and Lungs Dismembered
LiveScience.com
1-12-2009
Splintered, charred wood litters the outskirts of an expansive ranch that lies on recently cleared land in the Brazilian Amazon. On the newly planted pasture, cattle leisurely graze, occasionally lifting their heads to gaze past heaps of dead trees toward an island of dense vegetation that has thus far been spared. But it too may soon be cut down. ... "Probably 80 to 90 percent of all cleared land in the region (the Brazilian Amazon) is attributable to some form of pasture or ranching," says Robert Walker, geography professor at Michigan State University and an expert on land-use change in the Brazilian Amazon.
Note: This story was written by Matthew Cimitile, a graduate student at MSU's Knight Center for Environmental Journalism. More»
New Civil and Environmental Engineering Site Showcases Water Work
ESPP
1-9-2009
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has launched a new Web site highlighting its research in hydrology and water resources.
The site details the department’s hydrology research and facilities, as well as its outreach efforts to increase public understanding of water sources. It also features openings for faculty positions and assistantships under engineering professors, including ESPP affiliates Phanikumar S. Mantha and Shu-Guang Li.
Rush to Coal Could Be Hazardous to Michigan
Detroit Free Press (opinion)
1-6-2009
The coal industry has launched a nationwide "coal rush" and Michigan sits at its heart, with eight new coal plants proposed for construction. As medical doctors conducting health research at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, we feel compelled to warn that construction of these plants would gravely impair Michigan's air quality and expose our communities to severe, even lethal health impacts. ... Kenneth Rosenman is chief of Michigan State University's Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and is a professor of medicine at Michigan State University. More»
Growing More Corn for Ethanol Makes Pest Control Harder
The New York Times
12-22-2008
In a report in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Douglas A. Landis of Michigan State University and colleagues show that increasing the corn acreage can reduce the abundance of insect predators that control aphids, the most significant soybean pest in the United States. An earlier study by the researchers of fields in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin showed that landscape diversity around a soybean field had a great impact on the abundance of beetles and other insects that help to control aphids. With more nearby fields being turned over to corn, that diversity decreases.
Related Story: http://news.mongabay.com/2008/1215-corn.html More»
Poulson Blogs on "Media Meltdown"
Great Lakes Town Hall
12-15-2008
David Poulson, associate director of MSU’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, was a guest columnist on the Great Lakes Town Hall’s opinion forum.
Poulson, who covered the environment and other beats for 21 years as a newspaper reporter and editor, wrote five essays on the decline of traditional news media, and about how journalists might continue to cover environmental stories while newspapers face worsening budget constraints.
In the first of his posts, which was selected by the Town Hall’s editors as one of the year’s five best, Poulson wrote: “The erosion of a nationwide cadre of professional watchdogs hurts not just because of the stories that don’t get covered. It hurts because of the stories that journalists prevent from happening. How many times has a bad decision on the environment been avoided for fear that it would be exposed to the light of public scrutiny?” More»
Growing More Corn Comes with $58M Price Tag, Researchers Say
University Relations
12-15-2008
Planting more corn sticks farmers with a hefty bill for services that bugs perform for free, research by two ESPP affiliates says.
Doug Landis (Entomology), Scott Swinton (Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics) and two co-researchers found that growing more corn for ethanol reduces the diversity of landscapes and limits the ability of beneficial insects to control pest insects. That means farmers have to apply more pesticides for smaller yields, costing about $58 million per year in Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
“Diverse landscapes often support higher levels of vital ecosystems services such as pest suppression and pollination,” Landis said. “Our goal is to provide information so people can make more informed decisions.”
The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and featured on TreeHugger, an environmental blog with more than a million unique visitors per month. More»
Packaging Students’ Glass Recycling Video Earns Cash, Laughs
University Relations
12-10-2008
Glass really wants to be recycled, if a new video by four MSU packaging seniors is any indication.
Led by packaging instructor Dennis Young, the group created a minute-long YouTube video that won the Recycle Glass Day competition, sponsored by the Glass Packaging Institute. They were chosen from more than 80 students in the contest, and won $5,000, as well as another $5,000 for the MSU School of Packaging.
"This video reinforces the message that each of us must do our part to make recycling happen," said Susan Selke, acting chairperson of the packaging school. "Glass is 100 percent recyclable, but only if it is delivered into a system that allows recycling to occur." More»
MSU-Based Biomaterials Company Garners $750K in State Investment
Great Lakes IT Report
12-9-2008
EcoSynthetix, a Lansing-based company founded by Ramani Narayan (Chemical Engineering and Materials Science), was one of two recipients of the first round of Invest Michigan! grants, which support businesses with high growth potential.
The company, which creates bio-based alternatives to petroleum products, received $750,000 from the fund, created by Gov. Jennifer Granholm in 2008. Among its products is EcoSphere Biolatex, a starch-based material used for coating and bonding paper. With 19 paper mills in Michigan and wildly fluctuating oil prices, the market for EcoSphere is ripe, its creators say. More»
Bioeconomy Must Not Be Sidetracked, Dale Tells Podcast Listeners
Spartan Podcast
12-8-2008
In an interview on the Spartan Podcast, Bruce Dale (Chemical Engineering and Materials Science) and host Russ White discussed myths regarding ethanol, the ongoing debate about the relationship between ethanol and land use and why sustainability is a personal issue for a mineworker’s son.
“A society that is built on nonrenewable resources is a society that’s always on the brink of ending,” said Dale, Associate Director of MSU's Office of Biobased Technologies. More»
Cow Power: Michigan Farmers Turn Manure into Energy
Detroit Free Press
12-7-2008
In a round metal building on Scenic View Dairy farm, stinky manure from 3,500 cows and 9,400 pigs is being fermented and turned into electricity. What's left afterward is a rich, dark pile of soft biofiber that looks like mulch and smells only faintly of its origins. It goes back into the barns as bedding for the cows. Liquid that is leftover is sprayed as fertilizer onto nearby corn, soy, alfalfa and wheat crops...
Farmer Velmer Green of Green Meadows Farms in Elsie has a 3,000-cow operation that produces about 60,000 gallons of manure daily. His digester, part of ongoing Michigan State University research, has been running an 800-kilowatt generator since spring, with the electricity going to Consumers Energy. Digesters are not new, even in Michigan, where there were half a dozen in the 1980s, says Steve Safferman, agricultural engineering professor at MSU. Most failed because farmers didn't know how to fix them, found them too expensive to operate or didn't have the time to run them. More»
Student Videos Highlight Push for Sustainable Economy
Knight Center for Environmental Journalism
12-5-2008
It’s one thing to read about Michigan’s bioeconomy, but a series of student-produced videos helps viewers see what it’s all about.
Telecommunication and journalism students produced eight short videos for a course taught by Amol Pavangadkar, a teaching specialist with the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism. The videos highlight work by MSU researchers on bio-based plastics, fibers and fuels. More»
Ecology Course Mixes Methods to Explain Climate
Connections (College of Natural Science newsletter)
12-3-2008
At the beginning of each semester, Carolyn Malmstrom (Plant Biology) asks students in the ecology class she co-teaches to name the most significant environmental change they’ve witnessed. Increasingly, the answer is climate change.
Malmstrom and teaching partner Mary Bremigan use newspapers, government reports, videos and good old-fashioned discussion to teach their students about climate change in an approachable and lively way.
“It is not just about someone getting a grade and a degree,” Malmstrom said. “It is about their formation as scholars and citizens, and that requires that we really care and engage them.” More»
Journalism Workshop in Alaska Heats Up Climate Coverage
Knight Center for Environmental Journalism
12-3-2008
A group of 12 journalists from around the country ventured to Alaska this summer to delve into the biggest story on the planet: climate change.
Sponsored by MSU's Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, the group visited Kenai National Wildlife Refuge to witness pine bark beetle infestation and drying wetlands, went on a boat tour to see the receding glaciers of Harding Ice Field and talked with scientists at the forefront of climate change research.
The group wrote more than a dozen stories – which appeared in the Washington Post, Reuters and elsewhere – about the impacts of climate change on Alaska’s ecosystems and its people. More»
Faculty Win Prizes for Research on Insects, Plant Populations
Connections (College of Natural Science newsletter)
12-3-2008
Entomology professors Doug Landis and Rich Merritt were recognized by the Entomological Society of America’s North Central Branch. Landis won the Recognition Award in Entomology for significant contributions to agriculture, and Merritt earned the C.V. Riley Award for outstanding contributions to the science of entomology.
Jennifer Lau (Kellogg Biological Station) received the Young Investigator Prize for 2008 from the American Society of Naturalists for outstanding and promising work by investigators. Lau studies how plant populations and interactions between species respond to environmental change.
Hall Blogs on Great Lakes Climate Change, Biodiversity
Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability
12-3-2008
Kimberly Hall (Fisheries and Wildlife, Forestry) was featured as The Great Lakes Town Hall guest blogger during the week of October 13th. Her articles discussed impacts of climate change on biodiversity in the Great Lakes region, and strategies we can incorporate into management and conservation to help species adapt.
Hall was asked to contribute to the site after her presentation at last April’s conference on Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region. She said she enjoyed writing less scientifically than usual, and that her first blogging experience was “a nice opportunity to convey the emotional side of spending a lot of time thinking about an environmental challenge with such huge potential to impact species and people around the world.”
“Do we value biodiversity in the Great Lakes?” she wrote in one post. “What about water quality, clean beaches, and all of the other traits of healthy Great Lakes ecosystems? If so, we need to be working hard now to minimize all of the other stressors that we already know put our lakes at risk, and moving forward with climate-specific strategies as well." More»
Jones Part of $1.8 Million Department of Defense Grant
Fisheries and Wildlife
12-3-2008
ESPP affiliate Michael Jones (Fisheries and Wildlife) is co-PI on a project that received a $1.8 million grant from the Department of Defense to reconcile wildlife conservation with national defense needs.
The project focuses on speeding recovery of red-cockaded woodpecker populations, which has been impeded by habitat fragmentation. The researchers will look for a cost-effective habitat trading system, in which landowners can earn income by conserving endangered species habitat to offset the environmental impacts of military installations.
The research is sponsored by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, the environmental science and technology arm that funds broad research to solve the department’s most important environmental problems. More»
Sibley Works to Improve Science Education with NSF Grants
ESPP
12-3-2008
Duncan Sibley (Geological Sciences) is part of two research teams that received grants from the National Science Foundation to improve science education.
One of the projects seeks new ways for college instructors to learn about students’ understanding of science topics and identify barriers to their learning. The other grant funds improvement of the Noyce Scholars program, which places science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors and professionals in high-need K-12 classrooms.
Sibley directs MSU’s Center for Research on College Science Teaching and Learning, which uses applied research to find out how college students learn science. “The Center provides an intellectual meeting place where support and encouragement of both the art and the science of teaching and learning is emphasized,” its Web site says.
Testing Natural Selection With Genetics
Scientific American
12-1-2008
For example, Douglas W. Schemske of Michigan State University and H. D. Bradshaw, Jr., of the University of Washington analyzed natural selection in two species of monkeyflower. Though closely related, Mimulus lewisii is pollinated primarily by bumblebees, whereas M. cardinalis is pollinated primarily by hummingbirds. Data from other species show that bird pollination in the genus Mimulus evolved from bee pollination. More»
It's Cool to Keep Heat Turned Low
Lansing State Journal
11-29-2008
For the second year in a row, residents of Bower Co-op in East Lansing are competing with Raft Hill Co-op, another of the 12 houses that make up the Michigan State University Student Housing Cooperative, to see which could go the longest without switching on the furnace. Both caved around the middle of November when the weather began to turn icy, and both seem to think the other house won. But the contest was about more than winning. It was about reducing environmental impact, about finding ways to live with a smaller carbon footprint...
Terry Link, director of the Office of Campus Sustainability at MSU, says more students are working to make their environmental ideals part and parcel of their day-to-day lives. More»
Sessions Will Shed Light on Water Withdrawal Rules
Capital News Service
11-25-2008
A series of workshops developed by the Michigan State University Water Team and the Institute of Water Research is intended to help participants understand the state's new water withdrawal regulations. The December and January meetings will be held in Howard City, Clinton Township in Macomb County and West Olive...
David Lusch, MSU senior research specialist focusing on drinking water protection and groundwater management, says the sites were chosen because of the number of large-quantity water withdrawals there. "Michigan had no choice but to have some sort of water withdrawal regulatory environment in place to prevent federal action or water diversions out west," says Lusch. More»
"Cool" Idea for Efficient Climate Control Wins Recognition
PhysOrg.com
11-25-2008
A Michigan State University researcher and a colleague have won the Boston Innovation Prize for the design of a low-cost, energy-efficient method of cooling and dehumidifying residential and small commercial spaces.
Norbert Müller, assistant professor in Michigan State University's Department of Mechanical Engineering, and John Barrie, of the Appropriate Technology Collaborative in Ann Arbor, Mich., collaborated on the award-winning project. "The technology used for this air conditioner is radically different," Müller says. "We are using the most natural refrigerant, water." More»
How to Save and Purify the World's Water Supply
Popular Mechanics
11-20-2008
Clean water is one thing that most Americans take for granted. But with aging infrastructure, climate change and an accelerating world population, keeping clean water running from our taps is a growing challenge, both physically and politically...
Antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and emerging pathogens like E. coli are the biggest threats to a clean water supply, according to Joan B. Rose, director of the Center for Water Sciences at Michigan State University. Rose, a microbiologist, says our aging water purification systems have a tough time keeping up with not only the increasing number of water-borne threats, but also with the increasing number of vulnerable citizens. More»
Dietz Advises Congress on Climate Policy
University Relations
11-17-2008
It seems all but certain that the next Congress will take legislative action on climate change, and when it does, ESPP Director Thomas Dietz will be among its advisers.
The National Academy of Sciences tapped Dietz to help lead a $6 million study called America’s Climate Choices. The two-year study will assess short and long-term strategies for slowing and adapting to climate change, and will identify challenges and new directions for research.
Dietz said Michigan State takes a unique approach to climate change research, and that the appointment speaks highly of the MSU model.
“There is a lot being done around campus on climate change, and this is a huge validation of that,” he said.
Dietz interviewed on Spartan Podcast, 11/19/08 More»
Students Race to Finish MSU's First Solar Car
The State News
11-13-2008
An efficient vehicle cruising in the Michigan sun is what a team of students envision as they work to finish Michigan State University's first solar car. The car, which will be powered by the sun's energy and contains no pollutants, is 90 percent complete and looks far different from a normal gas-powered vehicle. It is expected to be able to reach speeds of at least 40 mph. More»
If a Tree Falls in the Forest, Are Biofuels To Blame? It's Not Easy Being Green
Wall Street Journal
11-11-2008
Biofuels are under siege from critics who say they crowd out food production. Now these fuels made from grass and grain, long touted as green, are being criticized as bad for the planet...
Previous studies have found that substituting biofuels for gasoline reduces greenhouse gases. Those studies generally didn't account for the carbon emissions that occur as farmers world-wide respond to higher food prices and convert forest and grassland to cropland. Bruce Dale, chemical-engineering professor at Michigan State University, says he is skeptical that policymakers can establish an accurate system for gauging the indirect effect of biofuel production on overseas land use.
"All this stuff is accounting," which in turns depends on data and "assumptions you make about how the world works," he says. More»
MSU Researchers Study Globalization with NSF Grant
ESPP
10-23-2008
MSU researchers have received a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation's program in Coupled Natural and Human Systems to study the effects of globalization on remote communities.
The researchers will conduct a five-year study of "globalization from the perspective of households," said principal investigator Dan Kramer, an assistant professor jointly appointed by Fisheries and Wildlife and James Madison College.
Also working on the project are Andrea Allen, Anthropology; Aaron McCright, Lyman Briggs College and Sociology; Jiaguo Qi, Geography; and Gerald Urquhart, Lyman Briggs College. More»
New Center to Help Farmers Turn Waste into Energy
University Relations
10-23-2008
MSU's new Anaerobic Digestion Research and Education Center will use state and foundation grants totaling more than $3 million to combine new and existing programs in a planned building south of campus.
Director Steven Safferman (Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering) says the facility will develop technologies to help small and mid-sized farms turn animal waste into electricity, heat and other valuable products. More»
Robertson Paper on Biofuels Published in "Science"
University Relations
10-23-2008
Phil Robertson (Crop and Soil Sciences) was lead author of a paper published in the October 3 issue of the journal Science.
Robertson and numerous co-authors from diverse disciplines found that policymakers have a brief opportunity to protect the environment from potential harm caused by the fledgling biofuels industry. A system of incentives could encourage farmers who grow biofuel crops to adopt sustainable practices, the paper says. More»
Local High Schoolers, ESPP Staffer Build Green Float
ESPP
10-23-2008
When ESPP staffer Marcy Heberer pitched the idea of a “green” homecoming float to the students she advises at East Lansing High School, the kids responded in a big way.
The junior and senior classes built the float from locally gathered recycled material, and may have started a trend for future floats. Best of all, by saving money on building materials, the students were able to donate $1,000 worth of non-perishables to a local food bank. More»
Salchow, Link Help Students Design Eco Posters
Office of Campus Sustainability
10-23-2008
Kelly Salchow (Art and Art History) and John Kinch (Writing, Rhetoric and American Cultures, or WRAC) joined Terry Link, director of the Office of Campus Sustainability, to help students create posters that put an environmental twist on popular political slogans.
Students taking courses in WRAC and art and art history last spring semester designed posters with slogans like “I Like Bike” and “Wind Power to the People” to coordinate with the presidential election. A limited number of posters will soon be available by contacting the Office of Campus Sustainability.
They can also be downloaded here. More»
Buying Local Gets Boost from State
Traverse City Record-Eagle
10-18-2008
The Department of Agriculture's 'Select Michigan' campaign is helping farmers sustain their businesses and helping consumers identify locally grown food. The five-year-old program has been a success since its inception, department officials say. In the first year, 700 jobs were kept or created and sales increased by 10 percent to 20 percent. The program uses stickers on produce to identify them as local to shoppers. It's funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Fund and the Michigan Food and Farming System. In addition, more than 20 commodity groups provide funding to promote products represented by Select Michigan. "I don't think there's a downside to the program," says Chris Peterson, director of the Michigan State University Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources. More»
Sen. Levin Visits New Composite Vehicle Lab
College of Engineering
10-15-2008
U.S. Sen Carl Levin toured the College of Engineering’s Composite Vehicle Research Center (CVRC), where faculty showed him how the new facility will help build safer, more lightweight and environmentally friendly vehicles for military and civilian use.
ESPP affiliate Lawrence Drzal (Chemical Engineering and Materials Science) helped lead the senator’s tour.
The CVRC and its Department of Defense agency partners aim to solve problems unique to heavy-duty vehicles, and intend to apply those solutions to combat and civilian vehicles. More»
Economic woes may hurt colleges' green efforts
Chronicle for Higher Education
10-15-2008
Recent events on Wall Street raise a complicated question: Will the financial crisis help or hurt colleges' sustainability efforts?
"I'm seeing more integrated thinking out there," says Terry Link, sustainability director at Michigan State University. He sees new interest in sustainability from people who aren't known for being environmental firebrands. More»
Earth-friendly East Lansing condos go green with grass roof
Lansing State Journal
10-1-2008
Some downtown condominium residents now can gaze out their windows at a grassy rooftop. Crews finished construction of the city's first 'green' roof Tuesday at Albert Place Condominiums, a 36-unit residential development at Albert Avenue and Bailey Street.
Brad Rowe, Michigan State University horticulture professor who served as a consultant for the project, says the roof's benefits include storm water management because it should retain 60 percent to 100 percent of rain that falls on it, energy conservation because it will insulate and shade the building and fewer repairs because it should last twice as long as a standard roof.
Dr. Bill Derman on Afripod
Africa Podcast
10-1-2008
Bill Derman, Professor of Anthropology at MSU, discussed his recent volume "Conflicts Over Land and Water in Africa" on the Africa Past and Present podcast. He described the role of government policies, local farmers, and chiefs in land reform in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Derman also reflected the sensitive position of researchers working in the changing political context of southern Africa. More»
Jinhua Zhao Wins Award for Climate Paper
ESPP
10-1-2008
Jinhua Zhao (Economics and Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics) has been awarded first prize in an international competition for a paper addressing global climate change. Jinhau co-authored the paper with Larry Karp of the University of California, Berkeley. It was one of 36 submissions, with authors from 18 countries, to the Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements. More»
Institute of Water Research Receives $1 Million Grant
MSU
10-1-2008
MSU's Institute of Water Research received a $1 million grant from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), as well as $500,000 from the university, to help MDEQ improve its source water protection efforts.
According to the Institute, by combining MDEQ's tools with MSU's know-how, the project "has the potential to produce paradigm-shifting advances in hydrological science and engineering." More»
Rose Wins Water Award
ESPP
10-1-2008
Joan Rose (Fisheries and Wildlife) is the winner of the Hei-jin Woo Award, which recognizes outstanding work by a woman engineer or scientist in the water field. Rose received the award in recognition of her work in water quality and public health. More»
Hyndman Testifies Before House Subcommittee
ESPP
10-1-2008
David Hyndman (Geological Sciences) testified before a House subcommittee about the environmental impacts of the bottled water industry. More»
MSU Center a Leader in Studying Global Change
ESPP
10-1-2008
MSU's Center for Global Change and Earth Observations brings together researchers from a variety of disciplines in an effort to understand the changing planet.
Director Jiaguo Qi says the stakes are high, and hopes that by applying social science techniques to environmental issues, the Center can help people adapt to a changing world. More»
A Listening Party for Nature
Wired News
9-11-2008
To some biologists, sounds are more than an aural accompaniment to field trips: They convey information that traditional field surveys are hard-pressed to uncover. Now scientists are using sounds to tap into the pulse of ecosystems and monitor their health.
"The microphone is one of the most important biological sensors ever invented," says Stuart Gage, ecologist at Michigan State University. "It just hasn't been properly used for interpreting ecosystem dynamics." More»
Salchow Featured in Sustainable Design Book
ESPP
9-11-2008
Kelly Salchow (Art and Art History) is profiled in "SustainAble: A Handbook of Materials and Applications for Graphic Designers and Their Clients (Design Field Guide) (2008). The book describes a package design project Salchow's students worked on. Packaging can be extremely wasteful and is generally assumed to be disposable, Salchow noted: "I urged students to consider it as durable." Students integrated the package form into the use of the object; for example, Kim Magerko designed a package for a toy car that also serves as a tunnel for the car to travel through. "As educators," said Salchow, "it's our responsibility to prepare students to contribute to society as professionals, but perhaps more importantly to instill a sense of ethics."
"SustainAble" is a source book for educators and practitioners.
"The Wilderness Debate Rages On": Michael Nelson Edits Follow-up Volume
ESPP
9-10-2008
Michael Nelson (Fisheries and Wildlife, Lyman Briggs) is co-editor of The Wilderness Debate Rages On, a collection of essays, fiction and standard academic papers that exhibit the wide range of ideas about what wilderness is and how it ought to be used. The book is a follow-up to The Great New Wilderness Debate, also co-edited by Nelson, which was released a decade ago. Nelson said he hopes the book can bring civility to a fierce and occasionally violent debate. More»
Stung by Mysterious Die-offs, Michigan Beekeepers Worry About Impact
Detroit News
9-4-2008
As beekeepers harvest honey this month, they face an uncertain future that could bring higher food prices as bees mysteriously continue to vanish from hives. … The use of pesticides, a fungus, parasitic mites and even stress and the bees' diet are all theories. "Bees are still dying. We don't know the cause," says Zachary Huang, associate professor of entomology at Michigan State University. "We do not know whether it's a single cause or a combination of things." More»
Tom Dietz Chairs National Research Council's Panel's Report on Public Participation in Environmental Decisionmaking
ESPP
8-22-2008
When done correctly, public participation improves the quality of federal agencies' decisions about the environment, says a new report from the National Research Council, entitled "Public Participation in Environmental Assessment and Decisionmaking." Tom Dietz (Environmental Science and Policy Program) chaired the panel that issued the report. The NAS report is available here. More»
MSU Praised By National Wildlife Federation For Sustainability Efforts
National Wildlife Federation
8-22-2008
Michigan's colleges and universities rank 9th in a new national report card from the National Wildlife Federation that gauges how well institutions of higher education are recycling, conserving energy and water, protecting wildlife habitat and teaching environmental education.."I think it's safe to say that MSU is honestly striving to be a truly 'green' university," said Terry Link, director of the Office of Campus Sustainability for Michigan State University. "We are attempting to walk our motto - 'Advancing Knowledge, Transforming Lives'. More»
Peggy Ostrom Researches Hawaiian Petrel Using Lava Tubes
Live Science
8-15-2008
On a chilly, Michigan winter day, a day you dream about Hawaii, I was sitting in the office of Michigan State University zoology professor Peggy Ostrom. We were discussing ocean sequestration of carbon for a magazine article I was writing. After the interview, Ostrom mentioned her upcoming work on a project involving a Hawaiian endangered seabird, a collaboration with Smithsonian Institution scientists Helen James and Robert Fleischer. More»
Greenpeace Cites MSU Agricultural Research
Greenpeace
8-15-2008
A Greenpeace article on Food Security and Global Change includes a reference to research done at Kellogg Biological Station's Long-Term Ecological Research site by Rich Smith (Plant Biology), Kay Gross (Plant Biology), and Phil Robertson (Crop and Soil Sciences). The research shows how crop rotation and incorporation of diversity can influence crop yields. More»
Paul Thompson Discusses Ethics of Emerging Technologies
New York Times
8-12-2008
Paul Thompson (Philosophy and Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies) discussed the ethics of emerging technologies in the New York Times. An excerpt: "Last year, a private company proposed fertilizing parts of the ocean with iron, in hopes of encouraging carbon-absorbing blooms of plankton. Meanwhile, researchers elsewhere are talking about injecting chemicals into the atmosphere, launching sun-reflecting mirrors into stationary orbit above the earth or taking other steps to reset the thermostat of a warming planet. ... Paul Thompson, a philosopher at Michigan State and former secretary of the International Society for Environmental Ethics, says many scientists were trained to limit themselves to questions answerable in the real world, in the belief that "scientists and engineers should not be involved in these kinds of ethical questions." More»
Scientists Brief Congress on the Sustainability of Cellulosic Biofuels
Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station Newsletter
8-1-2008
Phil Robertson (Crop and Soil Sciences) and Doug Landis (Entomology) took part in an Ecological Society of America-hosted House and Senate briefing on the sustainability of cellulosic biofuels. They discussed the ecological and economic considerations surrounding the use of cellulosic biomass -- the leaves, stems and other fibrous parts of a plant - to produce biofuels.Landis spoke about the value, both environmental and monetary, of maintaining high levels of biodiversity in agricultural systems..Robertson spoke about the economic, environmental and social elements of biofuel sustainability. More»
Strategic Partnership Grant for Proposal on Electronic Properties and Applications of Microbial Nanowires
MSU Research News
8-1-2008
The MSU Foundation has provided support for a group led by Gemma Reguera (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics). Building on their leadership in characterizing microbial nanowires, the research team will analyze the conduction properties of microbially produced protein nanowires and explore innovative applications for conductive proteins. Potential applications include design of conductive peptides and protein nanowires and insights to bimolecular self-assembly and electron transfer as well as development of more efficient microbial fuel cells and bioremediation processes for toxic materials. More»
'Small' Research at MSU Leads to Advances in Energy, Electronics
University Relations
7-31-2008
Lawrence Drzal (Chemical Engineering and Materials Science) and his students have developed a nanomaterial that makes plastic stiffer, lighter and stronger and could result in more fuel-efficient airplanes and cars as well as more durable medical and sports equipment.
The material - xGnP Exfoliated Graphite NanoPlatelets - will be instrumental in the development of new and expanded applications in the aerospace, automotive and packaging industries, said Drzal. The graphene nanoparticles are being manufactured by a new startup company, XG Sciences Inc., located in mid-Michigan and a spinoff from intellectual property owned by MSU. XG Sciences has an exclusive license to manufacture this material. More»
Rachael Shwom Blogs on Climate Change & Values
Great Lakes Town Hall
7-28-2008
Ph.D. candidate Rachael Shwom (Sociology and ESPP) was guest commentator on the Great Lakes Town Hall during the week of July 28. Shwom wrote about connections between the Great Lakes, global warming, and the public's perspective. The Great Lakes Town Hall is sponsored by the Biodiversity Project, in Chicago. More»
Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics Graduate Students Win Honors
ESPP
7-27-2008
Wei Zhang and Daniel Mooney, both of MSU's Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, received awards for environmentally-related theses from the American Agricultural Economics Association at its annual meeting, held July 27-29, 2008 in Orlando, FL. Zhang was awarded Outstanding Ph.D. Dissertation: Honorable Mention for her 2007 Ph.D. dissertation, "Optimal Pest Management in the Presence of Natural Pest Control Services." (Only 2 PhD dissertations received awards; this one came in 2nd.) Daniel Mooney was awarded Outstanding M.S. Thesis: Honorable Mention for his 2007 M.S. thesis entitled "The Economic Impact of Disease-Resistant Bean Breeding Research in Northern Ecuador." (This was one of 4 M.S. theses nationally receiving awards.) Scott Swinton (Agricultural, Food & Resource Economics) was research supervisor for both theses.
Brad Rowe Receives Research Award of Excellence for Green Roof Research
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
7-15-2008
Brad Rowe (Horticulture) received the award from Green Roofs for Healthy Cities at the 6th International Green Roof Conference in May 2008. The award goes to "an individual whose research has received widespread peer recognition, has performed outstanding service to the development of the green roof industry, and has enhanced the development of green roofs in North America and worldwide." More»
Kay Gross receives Ecological Society of America's Distinguished Service Citation
MSU College of Natural Science News
7-15-2008
Kay Gross (Kellogg Biological Station and Plant Biology) received the Ecological Society of America's ( ESA ) Distinguished Service Citation. ESA announced: "She is renowned in the ecological community for both her scientific contributions to plant ecology and her contributions to developing the institutional infrastructure of the field.. Gross has been involved in the development of a long-term archive of ecological data that is freely accessible to ecologists and was instrumental in developing a "think tank" for ecology, which resulted in the establishment of the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis." More»
Remote weather stations give farmers timely advice
Associated Press, New York Times
7-11-2008
For apple growers like Abby Jacobson, making or losing money depends as much on what they don't do as what they do. So when data from Michigan State University 's high-tech weather monitoring network helped her decide to skip four costly chemical sprayings this spring, she considered it an unqualified success. More»
Scientists across the nation want to emulate MSU's long-term research success
ESPP
7-10-2008
The United States should use an MSU program as a model for long-term agricultural research and set up a network of similar sites across the country, according to a paper in the journal BioScience. A paper in the July/August issue of the journal BioScience calls for the United States to use the internationally known program as a model for agricultural research and set up a network of LTER-like sites across the country. Typically, agricultural research projects are funded for two to three years. More»
MSU Faculty Study E. coli Transport Through Soil
ESPP
7-8-2008
Three MSU faculty have received funding from the US Department of Agriculture (CSREES) to characterize and model pore geometries within soils which control the flow, distribution, and retention of E. coli from agricultural ecosystems subjected to contrasting long term management. Sash Kravchenko (Crop and Soil Sciences), Joan Rose (Center for Water Sciences), and Alvin Smucker (Crop and Soil Sciences) will use the synchrotron at Argonne National Laboratories to process their images. This project will increase understanding of the pore routes of E. coli transport originating from animal manures applied to surface soils. More»
Hyena Has Hidden 'Language' of Groans
NewScientist
7-7-2008
Hyenas are famous for their loud laughs, but hyena groans may be an equally important facet of their vocal repertoire. Frederic Theunissen's team at the University of California in Berkeley , US , is using a captive hyena colony in Berkeley Hills to study those groans, which are too subtle to record in the wild... Kay Holekamp, zoologist at Michigan State University, isn't surprised that Theunissen's work has revealed variation in hyena groans. "Spotted hyenas live in very complex societies, and they have a long, slow development during which cubs must form many different social relationships," she says. "Groans may very well play a role in that socialization process." More»
Overview of Invasive Species Work at MSU
Futures Magazine
7-1-2008
MSU's Invasive Species Initiative and the work of ESPP affiliates Doug Landis (Entomology), Doug Schemske (Plant Biology), Deborah McCullough (Entomology), and Rob Ahern (Entomology), among others, are featured in the summer issue of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station's magazine.
Other stories in the issue discuss MSU invasive species research related to the Great Lakes, agriculture, biofuels, and horticulture. Check it out. More»
Research on Phosphorus Levels in Lakes Guides State Policy
The Scoop
7-1-2008
Pat Soranno (Fisheries and Wildlife) and a team of MSU researchers are collaborating with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to develop a phosphorus standard for Michigan lakes. "Every lake is different," says Soranno. "What is considered healthy for one body of water is not necessarily healthy for another. That's why it's important to develop a standard that takes water chemistry and biology differences into account." By looking at patterns among hundreds of water bodies, Soranno and her team developed an approach that predicts healthy nutrient levels on the basis of lake characteristics and the surrounding land. More»
Students' Renewable Energy Argument Wins Air and Waste Management Association Award
ESPP
6-27-2008
A team of five MSU students won second place in a student environmental challenge at the Air and Waste Management Association's 101 st Annual Conference in Portland , Oregon . Eight student teams from Canada and the United States participated in the challenge, which asked students to either reject or accept a proposal for a new 1,000 MW Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) coal facility meant to serve the Pacific Northwest region. The MSU team included Brandon Knight, Michael Collins (Journalism), Lauren Olson (CARRS), Rebecca Hullman (ESPP and Environmental Engineering), and Tan Zhao (Environmental Engineering). The team decided to abstain from the use of fossil fuels, and instead proposed a renewable portfolio consisting of wind, biomass, geothermal, compressed air storage, wave, solar, and energy efficiency/conservation. MSU students will have another chance to compete in a similar challenge when the conference moves to Detroit in June 2009.
EPA honors MSU professors with Green Chemistry Award
MSU Today
6-27-2008
Two MSU professors have received national honors for their work that has provided significant innovations in pollution prevention in the United States. Chemistry professors Robert Maleczka and Milton Smith have earned the 2008 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. More»
David MacFarlane Describes Urban Tree Utilization on Morning Edition
NPR
6-26-2008
WKAR's Morning Edition featured David MacFarlane (Forestry) suggesting more creative use of storm-damaged trees. The story focused mainly on how Lansing is using storm-damaged trees (most are burned for power generation), but also highlights that, in general, substantial amounts of wood are discarded or put to lower value uses; with better infrastructure, they could be better utilized. More»
Jennifer Sowa on Spartan Podcast
Spartan Podcast
6-25-2008
Jennifer Sowa is the team leader for the environmental stewardship communications team at Michigan State University. MSU has established an expansive environmental stewardship effort called Be Spartan Green. Sowa talks about the five things you can do to be Spartan Green. More»
Nobel Prize Shines on MSU Faculty
ESPP
6-19-2008
MSU faculty contributed to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, which recently won the Nobel Prize for Peace. David Campbell (Geography), Kim Hall (Fisheries and Wildlife and Forestry), and Julie Winkler (Geography) were reviewers for the 2007 report's Working Group II, on "Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability." Campbell and Hall were reviewers for the 2001 report's Working Group II, also, and David Skole (Forestry) reviewed for the 2001 report's Working Group I, on "The Scientific Basis." Skole was also a lead author for the first assessment of Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry and received a special Nobel Diploma given to those who contributed to the IPCC in substantial ways.
Knight Center for Environmental Journalism Produces "Meltdown" Program on Climate Change, Featuring MSU Faculty
ESPP
6-19-2008
The Knight Center's Lou D'Aria and students from journalism, broadcasting, theater, zoology, music, and fisheries and wildlife produced a program on climate change in the Arctic. The program features MSU faculty members Nathaniel Ostrom (Zoology), David Skole (Forestry) and Merrit Turetsky (Plant Biology). More»
ESPP Student Wins NASA Fellowship
ESPP
6-16-2008
NASA has granted a two-year Earth Systems Science Fellowship (ESSF) to Geography and ESPP student Carolina Santos, awarding her $30,000 per year to pursue her research on Complex Land Use & Cover Trajectories in the Northern Choco Bioregion of Columbia . The fellowship supports training of interdisciplinary scientists to support the study of the Earth as a system, with a particular emphasis on using observations and measurements from NASA's Earth orbiting satellites. Congratulations Carolina!
Letting 1,000 Forests Bloom
Science Magazine
6-13-2008
China's Hengduan Mountain Region lies more than 1,500 kilometers southwest of Beijing. The Hengduans are like islands, isolated, with a range of ecological niches, spurring plants to speciate like mad. They house 3,500 endemic species of plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals, including giant pandas. That's made this part of China a prime target of plant collectors and botanists since the late 19th century... China started to replant and preserve forest lands nationwide. These moves were "a major milestone," says Jianguo "Jack" Liu, ecologist, of Michigan State University. More»
MSU Faculty Present to Legislators on Climate Change
ESPP
6-10-2008
As Jeffrey Andresen, of MSU's Department of Geography, and Nathaniel Ostrom, of MSU's Department of Zoology, testified on June 10 at a hearing on climate change organized by Representative Rebekah Warren, Chair of the House Great Lakes and Environment Committee, and Steve Chester, Director of the DEQ. Dr. Andresen specializes in agricultural meteorology & applied climatology, while Dr. Ostrom studies how carbon dioxide and nitrogen function within the climate and carbon cycles. David Skole , of MSU's Department of Forestry, also spoke to legislators recently. Dr. Skole studies global carbon cycles and the role of forests in climate change.
Ash Borer
Weather Channel
6-9-2008
Deb McCullough, forest entomologist at Michigan State University, discusses the effects the emerald ash borer is having on the state's trees. More»
Paper for Pricey Plastic?
Reuters, Forbes, New York Times
6-4-2008
You know that flimsy plastic bag the convenience store clerk put your toothpaste in? The price of those bags, though still cheaper than paper ones, is rising fast because of higher natural gas and oil prices. And the same goes for plastic water bottles, takeout containers, the case around your computer, and car parts... Susan Selke, acting director of Michigan State University's School of Packaging, says she expected more changes in packaging to use less plastic, and also more plastic made from sugar cane and other renewable resources, rather than natural gas and oil. More»
MSU Launches Campaign to Cut Power Use by Up to 17 Percent
Lansing State Journal
6-2-2008
Michigan State University's leaders can't do much about the skyrocketing prices of coal and natural gas. But they think they can convince students, faculty and staff to turn off a few lights and power down their computers at the end of the day, particularly if it means smaller tuition bills and more money for university programs. "The challenge we have on campus is people don't get the electrical bill," says Kathy Lindahl, assistant vice president for finance and operations. More»
MSU Researchers Receive University Research Corridor (URC) Funds for Energy Projects
MSU College of Engineering
6-2-2008
The University Research Corridor (URC), an alliance of Michigan 's three research universities, announced May 29 that its first seed fund grants will go to two energy projects led by College of Engineering researchers. The seed investments will help launch two collaborations for efficient development of cheaper forms of electricity and fuel, one involving all three universities and the other involving MSU and U-M. More»
MAES Scientist Selected as 2008 Leopold Leadership Fellow
Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station
6-1-2008
MAES scientist Scott Swinton, professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, is one of 19 environmental researchers from across North America selected as Leopold leadership fellows for 2008. Each of the fellows will participate in two weeklong intensive training seminars in June and September to learn to become stronger communicators with audiences outside of academia, including journalists and policymakers. More»
Graphene-Polymer Composite: New Composites Could Lead to Better Food Packaging, and to Lighter Car and Airplane Parts
Technology Review
5-27-2008
By spreading a small amount of graphene, a single-layer flat sheet of carbon atoms, throughout polymers, researchers have made tough, lightweight materials. The composites conduct electricity and can withstand much higher temperatures than the polymers alone....Graphene might also raise fewer toxicity concerns than carbon nanotubes... The worry is that carbon nanotubes could mimic asbestos fibers, which are thin enough to penetrate into the lungs and cause cancer. Graphene, on the other hand, "is a nanometer only in thickness," says Lawrence Drzal, director of the Composite Materials and Structures Center at Michigan State University. More»
Microbes in the Energy Grid
Science Magazine
5-23-2008
The current surge in food and fuel prices has sounded an alarm showing why providing a sustainable global energy supply and minimizing climate change are arguably two of the greatest challenges facing 21st-century society. With adequate research and proper implementation, the diverse and often unseen inhabitants of the microbial world -- bacteria, yeasts, fungi and archaea -- can help address these challenges... James Tiedje is a professor of microbiology and crop and soil sciences and director of the Center for Microbial Ecology at Michigan State University. More»
Grow Food and Fuel in Proper Balance
Detroit Free Press
5-8-2008
The recent hysteria about using agricultural crops for food or fuel creates a grave risk of setting up a false choice between only food or only fuel. There is room for both, but the adjustment process is complex and may be bumpy, as we've seen and read in recent news reports: "Ethanol from agricultural crops is causing dramatic food price increases, shortages and riots in the developing world." ... H. Christopher Peterson is professor of agricultural economics at Michigan State University and director of the MSU Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources. Steven Pueppke is director of the Office of Biobased Technologies at Michigan State University and director of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station. More»
David Long Appointed Geological Society of America Fellow
Geological Society of America
5-5-2008
David Long (Geology) has been appointed a Geological Society of America Fellow. His work is described: "David T. Long has conducted state-of-the-art research in environmental and aqueous geochemistry for 30 years. This research has provided over 85 refereed publications. Long is considered an international authority on trace metal dynamics, medical geochemistry, and acid-saline systems." More»
Renewable Energy Standards Gain Momentum in Michigan
Business Review (Mich.)
5-1-2008
Support is building among local alternative energy leaders for the approval of a renewable portfolio standard in Michigan which would require electricity companies to ensure that a certain percentage of their energy comes from renewable sources... Adesoji Adelaja, director of Michigan State University's Land Policy Institute, says Michigan has a potential to produce 16,500 megawatts in power generated by wind turbines. But right now the state produces less than 1 percent of that. More»
Did Seth go to the dark side?
INC Magazine
5-1-2008
For 10 years, since he founded Honest Tea, in 1998, Seth Goldman has been among the heroes of the natural foods movement. Even as his company took off, Goldman held true to his socially responsible ways. Honest Tea still buys its ingredients at fair-trade prices from small organic farms around the globe. But that was before his deal in February to sell 40 percent of his company to Coca-Cola. ... If Coca-Cola does acquire the rest of Honest Tea, it will be able to do whatever it wants with the brand. For starters, it could put pressure on the company to cut costs. In a worst-case scenario, says Phil Howard, professor at Michigan State University and an expert on the organic foods industry, such cost reductions could include substituting cheaper ingredients, such as high-fructose corn syrup, or boosting the number of ingredients that don't meet organic standards. More»
The Risk Initiative: Making Risk and Decision-making a Focus at MSU
Green Ink (ESPP's newsletter)
5-1-2008
Risk management and decision-making is a field dedicated to understanding the nature of risk and the means of handling it best. MSU's Risk Initiative has been established to promote risk research and education across campus. More»
Warming Could Sap Superior - Great Lakes Face Algae, Disease
Detroit Free Press
4-11-2008
Lower lake levels, less ice cover, more algae, more invasive species and more waterborne diseases linked to sewer overflows after severe storms. Those are among the dire forecasts about the impact of global warming on the Great Lakes from scientists who concluded two days of presentations Thursday at Michigan State University. More»
Biofuels Research Roundup
NPR Science Friday
4-11-2008
Fermenting corn can make ethanol, and vegetable oil can become biodiesel -- but what other routes to biofuels are there? In this segment, Ira Flatow talks with several researchers looking at innovative ways to harvest energy from plant materials, including gasoline-like chemicals, ethanol, and hydrogen production. ... Speaking at the American Chemical Society meeting held this week in New Orleans, Miriam Sticklen of Michigan State University described her work on engineering corn stalks to contain an enzyme normally found in the stomach of cattle. Adding the enzyme to corn stalks, the researchers say, could allow easier conversion of the woody waste parts of the corn plant into ethanol. More»
Grapes of Wrath?
The Day (Conn.)
4-7-2008
Preston residents grappled with defining the town's character last week when considering whether to allow large-acre farm wineries in town. Many townspeople cried, that's not farming, that's not agriculture. ... The U.S. Census definition of "rural" speaks of numbers and population. It doesn't paint a picture. "That doesn't really help a whole lot for planning at the local level," says Dennis Probst, professor of Forestry and Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies at Michigan State University. "What helps for planning at the local level is knowing what factors need to be protected in the zoning ordinances and then having the regulations and incentives for doing that." More»
Farm Goes High-tech to Report on Weather
Detroit News
4-3-2008
A Washington Township farm is the newest host site for a growing statewide automated weather network that reports information such as temperature, wind and soil conditions to a Web site established by Michigan State University. EnviroWeather provides up-to-date weather information to help farmers watch for disease or pest outbreaks and set irrigation and planting schedules. More»
'Silver bullet' Targets Ash Borers
Lansing State Journal
3-29-2008
The emerald ash borer is about to meet its new worst enemy. On Thursday, officials from the Michigan Department of Agriculture gave special approval to the most effective pesticide yet found against the Asian beetle. In preliminary studies conducted by Michigan State University researchers last year in Genesee and Ingham counties, the pesticide killed more than 99 percent of ash borer larvae in treated trees and 100 percent of the adult beetles that nibbled on their leaves. Deborah McCullough, MSU forest entomologist who led the testing last summer, says its effects were remarkable. More»
Prevent Malaria by Netting Mosquitoes
MediLexicon News (U.K.)
3-24-2008
Michigan State University scientist Ned Walker is taking on one of the biggest killers in the world: malaria. And he believes he can help win the battle to save lives, especially the lives of children. With a recent $1.7 million grant from the National Science Foundation, Walker will lead a research team studying how insecticide-treated bed nets can disrupt the population dynamics of the parasite that causes the deadly disease, as well as the mosquito that transmits the parasite. Joseph Messina, MSU associate professor of geography, also is participating in the project. The scientists will focus on an area of western Kenya. More»
With Water, State Can Boost Economy and Help the World
Detroit Free Press
3-23-2008
The global population keeps growing, but its sources of water for drinking and sanitation do not. Thousands of people die each day from dirty water, most of them children; one in five people around the world has no access to safe water. ... Water conservation is not rocket science. Steve Safferman, bio-systems and agricultural engineer at Michigan State University, has been working on projects to show how water can be recycled on farms after the dairy barns have been washed down. More»
Memo to Shoppers: 'Organic' Does Not Equal 'Bucolic Family Farm'
U.S. News and World Report
3-21-2008
Eating organic food may conjure up the notion that one is supporting small, bucolic family farms. Organic farms may have small-business roots, but many have since been gobbled up by mega companies. Informative, dynamic graphics from a Michigan State University professor illustrate the trend. More»
Rivers Great and Small Can Fight Pollution, If Given Chance
U.S. News and World Report
3-12-2008
Big rivers typically get the credit for being powerful and mighty, but a sweeping national study released today shows that when it comes to pollution control, even little streams can pack a punch… More»
Pet Food Scare in USA Had a Precursor
USA Today
3-11-2008
The outbreak of contamination in pet foods that killed hundreds and perhaps thousands of cats and dogs last year in the USA wasn't the first such incident, veterinary pathologists have determined. ... It was a comment by a Korean graduate student amid the 2007 outbreak that led Cathy Brown, a specialist in renal pathology at Georgia's Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, to suspect this had happened before. Brown eventually tracked down tissue samples from the pets that died in 2004 at the Kyungpook National University in Korea . The sample contained the same type of insoluble crystals found in U.S. pets in the 2007 outbreak, which killed at least 347 cats and dogs, according to preliminary data gathered by Wilson Rumbeiha at Michigan State University. More»
MSU Land Policy Study Puts Value on 'Green Infrastructure'
Great Lakes IT Report
3-10-2008
The Land Policy Institute at Michigan State University last week released its final report on green infrastructure in Michigan . ... "The Land Policy Institute is spearheading a body of research to inform the public and policy makers on the role of green infrastructure in the transformation toward success in the New Economy," says Soji Adelaja, LPI director and John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in Land Policy at MSU. More»
Sociable, and Smart
New York Times
3-4-2008
For the past two decades, Kay E. Holekamp, professor at Michigan State University, has been chronicling the lives of spotted hyenas on the savannas of southern Kenya. To understand the social intelligence of hyenas, Holekamp and her colleagues track the animals from birth to death. More»
Do You Know Your Food?
The Bulletin (Pa.)
2-29-2008
If you are what you eat, you're probably getting a little less American every day. The United States' food supply has become increasingly foreign over the past 15 years. A wide variety of fruits and vegetables are now available year-round, long after their seasons have passed locally thanks to these increasing foreign imports. ... "The risks, obviously, are the possibility of picking up some exotic foodborne disease, and getting sick and, in some cases, dying," says Larry Busch, director of the Institute for Food and Agricultural Standards at Michigan State University. More»
Study Shows Even Non-science Majors Benefited from Science Classes
MSU Today
2-22-2008
To determine what level of quantitative and scientific reasoning entering students bring to MSU and what is the impact of the general education science course on improving students’ reasoning skills, Diane Ebert-May, an MSU plant biology professor, and a team of scientists and statisticians, collaborated to develop learning goals for scientific and quantitative reasoning and an instrument to assess them… More»
Dialing Into Nature
The Engineer Online
2-21-2008
Michigan State University professor Stuart Gage is working with a team of scientists in Australia on methods to automatically measure biological diversity with sound. Gage says the work was based on acoustic monitoring technology developed at Michigan State University, and would be advanced by Queensland University of Technology research to intelligently monitor the sounds of diverse environments. "Measuring sound has the potential to revolutionize the way we monitor ecology and environmental change," says Gage. "It's like using a stethoscope to measure human health - the microphone is a stethoscope for the environment." More»
MSU Aiding Study of Deadly Fish Disease
Lansing State Journal
2-18-2008
Michigan State University is participating in research to tackle a deadly fish disease that is on the attack in the Great Lakes and Michigan's inland waters. ... The main goal of the research is developing new detection tools and a more in-depth understanding of viral hemorrhagic septicemia in the Great Lakes, says Mohammed Faisal, professor of aquatic animal medicine at MSU's Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. More»
Michigan Farmland Values Continue to Rise
Michigan Farm News
2-15-2008
Michigan farmland values continued their steady upward march in 2007, marking the 20th year in a row that land values have increased. The annual Michigan Land Value survey conducted in the spring of 2007 by the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at Michigan State University collects information on the value of different types of land across Michigan. The 2007 survey reported land values, when compared with 2006, increasing around 9 percent across the state. More»
Caged or Free? UC Davis Researcher to Study Egg-laying Chickens
Sacramento Bee
2-14-2008
Animal welfare and poultry experts - including representatives from the University of California, Davis, and Michigan State University - will be working together to look at the most humane and commercially viable way to raise egg-laying chickens. The research team, which recently received $400,000 from the American Egg Board to fund the initial stage of the research, is being led by animal welfare scientist Joy Mench of UC Davis and experts Janice Swanson, animal welfare researcher, and Paul Thompson, philosophy professor, from MSU. More»
Growing Michigan
The Cadillac News
2-14-2008
Is Michigan poised to take advantage of "new economy" opportunities? A collaboration of colleges wants to make sure the economically struggling state is ready. Called Michigan’s Strategic Growth, it’s being spearheaded by Adesoji O. Adelaja, the John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor in Land Use Policy at Michigan State University. Locally, an MSU Extension regional land use coordinator is working on the initiative in northwest Michigan. More»
Animal Rights Groups Pick Up Momentum
USA Today
1-27-2008
The growing influence of animal rights activists increasingly is affecting daily life, touching everything from the foods Americans eat to what they study in law school, where they buy their puppies and even whether they should enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride in New York's Central Park. ... "There's been an explosion of interest" in animal welfare issues, says David Favre, Michigan State University law professor and animal law specialist. "Groups like the Humane Society of the United States and PETA have brought to our social awareness their concerns about animals and all matter of creatures." More»
Peek-a-boo Panda
U.S. News and World Report
1-14-2008
Vanessa Hull, a 25-year-old Ph.D. student at Michigan State University, walks the snowy, remote mountains of western China's Sichuan Province, which is also the heart of panda country. She's hoping to capture, collar and track up to four wild, giant pandas using advanced global positioning systems. Hull and her team are helping China 's efforts to reintroduce pandas into the wild. More»
Big Predators May Need Large Size to Conquer Prey, But Not True for Bacteria
Science News
1-7-2008
Ecologists generally observe a positive relationship between sizes of predators and their prey, mainly because predators need to be large to eat a larger prey. But does this positive relationship hold for sizes of bacteria and their food molecules. Using a mathematical model, scientists at Michigan State University predict the opposite, an inverse relationship between sizes of bacteria and their resource molecules. More»
New Owners Restrict Access to Upper Peninsula Forests
Traverse City Record-Eagle
12-13-2007
A cherished way of life may be changing in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, with new owners of vast forest tracts putting up fences and reducing public access long taken for granted, says a report issued Wednesday. Real estate trusts and investment companies are becoming the U.P.'s new land barons, having bought nearly 1.6 million acres in recent years. They see the forests as an investment rather than just a timber source for mills, says the report by a team of university researchers and environmental groups. ... Because of its remote location the U.P. is an unlikely candidate for heavy development, says Larry Leefers, Michigan State University forest economist. More»
Shu-Guang Li
Spartan Podcast
12-3-2007
Shu-Guang Li, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Michigan State UniversityK, directs the Laboratory of Excellence for Realtime Computing and Multiscale Modeling. He has developed an integrated groundwater modeling and visualization software technology that has significantly enhanced Michigan's ability to manage its groundwater resources. More»
Law Enforcement and Science Join Forces at MSU’s Environmental Crime Conference
Green Ink (ESPP's newsletter)
12-1-2007
Criminologists and law enforcement officials came from all over the United States to share ideas with wildlife and
environmental science professionals at MSU’s conference on Environmental Crime and Natural Resources Sustainability in September. More»
The Environmental Biogeochemistry Research Initiative
Green Ink (ESPP's newsletter)
12-1-2007
It's an integrative discipline that lies at the nexus of biology, chemistry and geology and looks at how living organisms (from microbes to plants and animals) interact with their chemical and physical environment. More»
CAFOs Smell Bad, and Can Threaten Health
Detroit Free Press
11-20-2007
Most consumers don't know much about what they are consuming. "Your food is not innocent, and consumers should pay attention to their products, and if they care about their health, ask questions," says Laurie Thorp, director of the Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment at Michigan State University. Most of our meat products come from farms called CAFOs, short for concentrated animal feeding operations. These farms keep animals packed together with barely any room to turn around. More»
Nanotech Biosensor Developed for Multipathogen Detection
Food Production Daily (Europe)
10-8-2007
A prototype nanotechnology-engineered biosensor could help processors detect multiple pathogens faster and more accurately than current devices. The device, which was developed by scientists Yang Liu, Shantanu Chakrabartty and Evangelyn Alocilja at Michigan State University, can also measure the amount of pathogen contamination on a particular food or machine, giving processors more data to determine the extent of a problem. More»
$160,000 in Grants to Fuel Boys, Girls Club Program
Lansing State Journal
9-25-2007
The Boys and Girls Club of Lansing today will receive $160,000 in grants to continue its summer pilot program that allowed kids ages 11 to 14 to study the urban climate phenomenon and learn to use research technologies. The Green Energy Technology City program was designed to help students "learn the advanced (information technology) skills that are in demand in the workplace but not necessarily taught in school that will open up college opportunities and careers for kids," says Angela Calabrese Barton, education professor at Michigan State University. More»
Michiganders Must Pull Weeds Together
Detroit Free Press
9-23-2007
Michigan is home to more than 900 nonnative plants, but most are harmless. However, the state's 100 or so invasives can suffocate native plants and other living things in their paths. Virtually every Michigander with land has invasive plants. "Dandelion is probably the most recognizable. But, more seriously, garlic mustard, hedge parsley, reed canarygrass," says Doug Landis, professor of entomology at Michigan State University. More»
Marrying Natural and Social Sciences for Mother Earth's Sake
MSU News
9-13-2007
No one says marriage is easy - but an international group of 16 natural scientists and social scientists, including three from Michigan State University, are saying the wedding of natural sciences and social sciences is called for. For the first time, a paper published in the Sept. 14 edition of the journal Science synthesizes complex characteristics when humans and natural systems couple up, using six case studies from around the world. To understand the complex world and for good science to transform to good policy, specialization must ease up, according to the paper "Complexity of Coupled Human and Natural Systems." More»
Web Site for Wildlife Habitat Management Formed
Lansing State Journal
9-2-2007
Have you ever wondered where the habitat for a particular wildlife species in Michigan is located? The answers to questions like this are now available on the new Gap Analysis Program Web site (www.fw.msu.edu/gap), which is dedicated to providing information on wildlife habitats to Michigan citizens. The comprehensive site, the result of a three-year collaborative project between Michigan State University and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, features downloadable habitat maps for wildlife species that inhabit Michigan, as well as land cover and land stewardship maps. Brian Maurer, associate professor in the MSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and project co-director, says the primary purpose of the Michigan GAP is to provide a broad geographic assessment on the status of available habitat for all vertebrate species in the state, not just those that are threatened with extinction or naturally rare. More»
Great Lakes Wiki Earns National Recognition
Great Lakes Wiki
8-14-2007
A Michigan State University experiment in environmental reporting is among the projects recognized Aug. 8, 2007 in a national competition of cutting-edge journalism. Of 133 entries, only 10 were honored. Judges of the Knight-Batten Awards recognized MSU's GreatLakesWiki.org "for collecting information as broad and deep as the Great Lakes it covers." The contest spotlights the creative use of new information ideas and technologies that involve citizens in public issues. More»
Charting Greed for All Things Green
Science
7-2-2007
Humans are leaving a heavy mark on Earth, but it's not just climate change. A new study shows that in addition to over-fishing and other resource extraction, humans are also hogging nearly a quarter of the planet's yearly production of plant life. The analysis showed that in 2000, humans used up to 23.8 percent of that year's biomass production. Nathan Moore, an earth scientist at Michigan State University, says that the team's analysis is "sound" and its results are "quite alarming." More»
Study: Escaping Prey May Harm Species
Washington Post
6-14-2007
Fish, amphibians and even tiny zooplankton do many things to escape hungry enemies, from finding new homes to changing their physical characteristics. Such tactics may save individual lives but in the long run may leave the population at large worse off, Michigan State University scientists say. "When you introduce a predator into a system ... the potential prey don't sit around and say, 'eat me,'" says MSU fisheries biologist Scott Peacor. More»
Beyond Google: Geospatial Information Support Team @ Remote Sensing and GIS Research and Outreach Services Helps Illustrate Results
ESPP
6-4-2007
Millions of people access user-generated services such as Google Maps to find everything from restaurants to auto dealers nearby. This service is created through geographic information system technology (GIS), a system for capturing, storing, analyzing and managing data and associated attributes which are spatially referenced to the earth. More»
MSU Professors Spearhead International Water Project
MSU Today
5-25-2007
Two MSU professors, Volodymyr Tarabara and Tom Voice, are leading an ambitious project to purify the world's waters. More»
ESPP Student Wins NSF Grant
Green Ink (ESPP's newsletter)
5-7-2007
Stephen Aldrich, a doctoral student in the Department of Geography and ESPP, recently received a dissertation improvement grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Alrich’s dissertation research focuses on the landless movements in the Brazilian Amazon and their association with deforestation. More»
Food Lovers Taking Their Time
Detroit News
5-3-2007
A 75-member Ann Arbor-based group, Slow Food Huron Valley, is helping people learn about the food they eat and to identify local producers and specialty crops. Mike Hamm, agriculture professor at Michigan State University whose scholarly work focuses on local connections between farmers and consumers, says buying food from producers within the state helps Michigan's economy, which has been hurt in recent years by plant closings and layoffs in the automotive industry. More»
Shades of Gray: Climate Change’s Mixed Effects on the Tourism Industry
Green Ink (ESPP's newsletter)
5-1-2007
When people think of climate change’s consequences, they generally have negative expectations: life-
threatening heat waves, droughts and wildfires, more frequent storms, rising sea levels and the accelerated
extinction of species. But when it comes to the effects of climate change, the issue isn’t just black and
white.
According to Dr. Robert Richardson, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Community, Agriculture,
Recreation, and Resource Studies (CARRS), climate change can present positive opportunities as well,
especially in the tourism industry. More»
ESPP Specialization Student Winner of Detroit Press Club Award
ESPP
4-6-2007
Congratulations to ESPP specialization student Richard Grogan on his 2007 Michigan Excellence in Journalism award from the Detroit Press Club Foundation. Grogan won first place in the Student Expression of Opinion category for an essay he wrote entitled "Life and Times of a Biodieseler," which chronicled his experiences as an owner of a biodiesel-fueled vehicle. More»
ESPP Students Win Honorable Mention in AAAS Student Poster Competition
ESPP
4-4-2007
Congratulations to ESPP doctoral students David Bidwell and his co-author Rachael Shwom who recently received an honorable mention in the 2007 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Student Poster Competition. Their poster, entitled "Deliberation Lite: How Does Feedback Influence Public Climate Change Policy Support?" was presented at the AAAS Annual Meeting held in February. More»
Knowledge is Power: ESPP Student Educates the Next Generation on Climate Change
ESPP
4-2-2007
Climate change is happening right now. But though some people are already being affected by climate change, those currently in grade school will be most affected in the future... Sara Parr, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Crops and Soil Sciences and ESPP specialization student, is one of eight fellows at Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) participating in a project designed to help arm students with the tools and knowledge they will need to make informed decisions about climate change. More»
ESPP Faculty Member Named Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholar
ESPP
3-12-2007
Michigan State University faculty member Dr. Sabrina McCormick was recently named a Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholar. The scholar program is designed to build the nation's capacity for research, leadership and action to address the broad range of factors affecting the health of populations. It is considered one of the most prestigious awards made to young researchers in the health sciences. More»
ESPP Student Learns to Map the Earth
ESPP
2-5-2007
Pariwate "Perry" Varnakovida, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Geography and the Environmental Science and Policy Program, recently attended an MIT class in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His class, which was funded by the Environmental Science and Policy Program, taught him the skills to map the urbanization of the Earth through the study of complex systems, network architectures and evolutionary processes. More»
Professors to Develop Hand-held Pathogen Testing Device
MSU Today
1-3-2007
Testing for deadly food, air and water pathogens may get a lot easier and cheaper thanks to the work of an MSU researcher and his team. Syed Hashsham, an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Center for Microbial Ecology, is developing a portable, hand-held device capable of detecting up to 50 microbial threat agents in air, water and food. More»
ESPP Students Win Best Student Poster Award
Green Ink (ESPP's newsletter)
1-1-2007
Congratulations to MSU students Nicole Lamp, Alexandra Felix and Rebecca Christoffel on winning Best Student Poster Award at the 13th Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society. More»
Professor Joseph Arvai Recipient of Chauncey Starr Award
ESPP
12-15-2006
Congratulations to Dr. Joe Arvai, winner of the Society for Risk Analysis' 2006 Chauncey Starr Award! Named for one of the founders of the application of risk analysis to environmental and technology policy, the award is given each year to recognize an outstanding young risk analyst. More»
MSU First University to Join Sustainable Packaging Coalition
ESPP
11-13-2006
Michigan State University's School of Packaging (SOP) recently became a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), an organization that prides itself on bringing a "cradle to cradle" system to the packaging industry. More»
Rural Lands Provide Ecosystem Services
Earth and Sky
2-21-2006
When you look at a farm or a ranch, you might think to yourself, that's where corn or dairy products come from. But Scott Swinton - agricultural economist from Michigan State University - sees more. He knows that agricultural lands filter air and water - store greenhouse gases - and provide habitat for wild plants and animals. More»
