(MI) Ann Arbor.com - Electricity customers in the Ann Arbor region will receive an infusion of “smart grid” technology for their power-monitoring equipment within five years.

(MI) The Mudpuppy – The Interstate Renewable Energy Council has posted a report on small wind in Michigan and other parts of the United States.

(MI) Traverse City Record-Eagle - Some officials expect Gov. Jennifer Granholm to line-item veto funding for Michigan State University’s research and extension offices.

(MI) The Holland Sentinel - A controversial farm animal welfare bill signed into law this month by Gov. Jennifer Granholm has left some local farmers wondering how they will survive after implementing the law’s new requirements.

(ON) The Toronto Star - Tiny nano-crystals derived from forest-industry wood waste are added to car paint. They make the coating more resistant to scratches, chips and sunlight. Changing their alignment alters their colour, without toxic dyes or pigments.

(NY) The New York Times - According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, feeding humanity in 2050 — when the world’s population is expected to be 9.1 billion — will require a 70 percent increase in global food production, partly because of population growth but also because of rising incomes.

By Rachael Gleason
Oct. 29, 2009
At McAuliffe Elementary School in Chicago, kids are more likely to see local fruits and veggies on their lunch trays than mystery meat and greasy pizza.
They also visit local farms and learn about how the food is grown.
“It gives them a sense of appreciation,” said Gary Cuneen, founding director of an organization that partners schools with local farms. “We are trying to teach kids that taking care of the earth and taking care of their bodies are interrelated goals.”
Cunneen’s Chicago-based Seven Generations Ahead is among the …

(WI) Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Even a hint of water scarcity is enough to drive a brewer to drink. “Simply put, beer is 92% water,” said Wisconsin Commerce Secretary Richard Leinenkugel, who hails from one of the nation’s oldest breweries, the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co.

(IN) Indiana University - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Indiana University a $5 million grant to continue a project that measures levels of airborne toxic chemicals being deposited in the Great Lakes.

(ON) The Standard - Niagara’s portion of the Great Lakes got just a bit greater Saturday. The federal government gave a $326,000 financial boost for seven ‘areas of concern’ in Niagara as part of Environment Canada’s Great Lakes Sustainability Fund. The money will go towards habitat improvement, cleaner water, and other issues identified by biologists, technicians and trained volunteers.