Battle in the Mist, photo by Anapko
Great shot of the rock formation known as Battleship Row in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Check Andrea’s photo out big as a battleship and see more in her Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore slideshow.
Many more photos from the Pictured Rocks on Michigan in Pictures!
“Bridge to Nowhere” Foggy Mackinac Bridge – Mackinaw City , Michigan, photo by Michigan Nut
“Unless we move without delay to halt the deterioration of our land, our water and our air, our own children may see the last traces of earth’s beauty crushed beneath the weight of man’s waste and ruin.”
~Governor William Milliken to the Michigan legislature, January 1970
While “environmentalism” has become a polarizing term, it seems to me to be a concept that’s at the core of loving & caring for the Great Lakes State. One of my personal heros, Michigan Governor Bill Milliken, recognized this and he and his wife Helen fought strongly throughout their careers to enshrine protection of the natural bounty that they loved into the fabric of Michigan’s laws. It’s no surprise that every year the Michigan Environmental Council recognizes an individual for outstanding leadership, enduring commitment and extraordinary public service in protecting natural resources at the local, state and national levels with the Helen & William Milliken Distinguished Service Award.
The 2013 recipient has been announced, Dave Dempsey. Dempsey is the author of numerous books, a former member of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, environmental policy adviser to former Michigan Gov. James Blanchard, and member of the state’s Natural Resources Trust Fund Board.
“Dave Dempsey is the rare leader who is able to move effortlessly from talking about the arcane technical details of some issue, to explaining in vivid and powerful terms why that issue is so critical to the quality of life for the generations that come after us,” Chris Kolb, MEC president, said in a press release Monday.
“Dave’s contributions to a better Michigan through his public policy advocacy alone deserve our recognition and gratitude. However, when you add in his authoritative chronicling of Michigan’s environmental history through his books, it’s clear he has made a special, positive, and lasting impact on our state.”
There’s no doubt that Dempsey has been a champion of the Great Lakes, and this Sunday (July 14) you have a chance to do some championing of your own as dedicated groups from all over the state host Oil & Water Don’t Mix: A Rally for the Great Lakes to raise awareness about climate change and the dangers posed by an oil pipeline that runs through the Mackinac Straits. Enbridge Energy – the company responsible for the devastating July 2010 Kalamazoo River oil spill and over 800 other spills since 1999 – has been pumping oil through the Straits for 60 years. They are seeking to pump even more oil through the aging Mackinac pipeline – possibly including tar sands, the most toxic and hard to clean up if spilled.
The rally this Sunday, July 14 at noon at Bridge View Park in St. Ignace (just across the bridge) and there are numerous busses heading there from Kalamazoo, Lansing, Traverse City and other locations. Click for details or view the event on Facebook!
Check John’s photo out bigger and see more in his Bridges / Covered Bridges slideshow.
unretouched foggy morning, photo by Marty Hogan
Yesterday featured some of the worst fog I’ve seen in years as temps wandered up near the 60 degree mark and melted a good deal of our snow. It’s still fairly warm around the state but today temps will drop back into the teens by tomorrow. Can you say roller coaster?
Speaking of roller coasters, the Detroit News reports that 2012 was a year of weather extremes:
When it comes to weather, 2012 was one for the record books as at least 160 extreme weather records were set in Michigan, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Last year’s statewide weather broke records across the spectrum including: 139 new heat records in 44 counties, 18 rainfall records in 14 counties and three snow records in three counties.
Michigan’s weather seems to be paralleling the national trend of record breaking heat, rain and snow. Across the country, the Defense Council — an environmental action group — tallied 3,527 monthly extreme weather events, raising the bar over the 3,251 set in 2011, which was the most ever set in a single year since monthly weather was recorded in all locations in 1980.
The severe heat is also held responsible for several extreme weather events statewide. Michigan witnessed four large wildfires and four abnormally early tornadoes, including the EF-3 twister that devastated Dexter, which occurred in mid-March.
That tornado was the 2nd earliest since we started measuring that 60 years ago. Read on for more.
Marty took this shot of the lethal fog on Whites Bridge Road in Ionia County. See it background bigtacular and see more in his Ionia County slideshow.
More fog & mist on Michigan in Pictures.
Hot Air Balloon Ride-19, photo by alioops1956
Here’s a great set of photos from a misty hot air balloon ride over Grand Traverse Bay. Check it out background bigtacular and in Alison’s Hot Air Balloon Ride slideshow.
I’m pretty sure this is a balloon from Grand Traverse Balloon.
Green Point in Fog, photo by *ojoyous1*
I was paging through a copy of the AARP Bulletin (not mine … yet) and came across an interesting little article about the benefits of spending time in nature by Richard Louv. Louv wrote the book Last Child in the Woods, which introduced the concept of “nature-deficit disorder”. He writes:
A growing body of research links more time in nature — or in home, work or hospital environments enhanced through nature-based design — with reduction of stress and depression, faster healing time and less need for pain medication.
Health care professionals are taking note. In 2010, a pilot program in Portland, Ore., began pairing physicians with park professionals, who helped children and families get their green exercise or, as I call it, their dose of “vitamin N.”
Other benefits of vitamin N include enhanced use of the senses and higher work productivity. In 2008, University of Michigan researchers demonstrated that, after just an hour interacting with nature, memory performance and attention spans improved by 20 percent. In April, researchers at the University of Kansas reported a 50 percent boost in creativity for people who were steeped in nature for a few days.
Michigan is blessed with an amazing amount of opportunities to slip into nature for ten minutes or ten days so what’s stopping you?? Check out books and more at Richard Louv’s website.
Joy took this photo at the Green Point Nature Reserve near Elberta. Check it out bigger and in her Up North slideshow.
More nature on Michigan in Pictures!
Farmland Sundown, photo by karstenphoto
Near Montague. Check this out background bigilicious or in Steven’s sunset slideshow.
More sunset wallpaper on Michigan in Pictures.
powered by the sun, photo by Lou Peeples
The November show for the Exposure.Detroit photography group opens next Saturday (November 12) at 7 P.M. at the Bean & Leaf Cafe in Royal Oak. The show features the work of Lou Peeples and four more talented photographers: Kim Kozlowski, Sharon Foster-Lanzetta, Tim White and Mary Jo Boughton. Definitely check the show and Exposure.Detroit out if you can – these folks are great!
Lou took this shot on a late August morning in Grosse Pointe. Check it out bigger and in his Grosse Pointe slideshow.
More mist on Michigan in Pictures.
Sometimes, the sunrise is enough. Here’s hoping this morning and this weekend smile upon you…
Check this out bigger and in Wendy’s slideshow.
foggy flight, photo by suesue2.
metro beach marina, harrison township.
Check it out in Sue’s Awesome Autumn slideshow or get down with more parks in the Michigan Parks slideshow!
STreeFog-5, photo by richwyllis.
We’ve had a lot of lazy, hazy mornings lately. Hope you get some time to enjoy a nice breakfast this weekend!
Check this out bigger in Rich’s slideshow!
Michigan in Pictures 