It's going to cost how much?
"Program launched to aid Great Lakes cleanup; University works to provide science for US decisions" by John Flesher |
Associated Press, October 31, 2012
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — The University of Michigan is establishing a
research program designed to make sure the federal government bases
decisions in its billion-dollar battle to clean up the Great Lakes on
solid science, officials said Tuesday.
Shortly after President Obama took office in 2009, his administration
kicked off the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to begin solving
problems that experts said were seriously degrading the system
containing nearly one-fifth of the world’s surface fresh water. Among
them: invasive species such as zebra and quagga mussels, toxic
pollution, runoff that causes harmful algae blooms, and shrinking
wildlife habitat.
Congress has appropriated more than $1 billion toward the
initiative’s first three years, and funding has already been approved
for about 700 projects, including efforts to prevent Asian carp, an
aggressive invasive species, from reaching the lakes and starving out
native fish.
Related: Carp Sharks
The program has drawn praise from environmental groups, state
officials, and others who have long warned the Great Lakes are in danger
of becoming ecological wastelands. But some of the region’s leading
researchers say it should have a stronger scientific foundation to make
sure it produces long-term, system-wide solutions, not just temporary
fixes in particular locations.
Why?
That will be the primary goal of the new University of Michigan Water
Center during its initial three-year phase, when it will be supported
by grants of $4.5 million each from the university and the Frederick A.
and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation....
Supporters say a sustained effort over many years is needed to repair
more than a century of abuse and neglect.
Oh, that's why.
Obama has asked Congress for
an additional $300 million for the next fiscal year. Strong scientific
backing will be crucial to keep the money coming, said Allen Burton, director of the new program, who also runs the university’s Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecological Research.
Why? The weather is flying in the face of the fart-misters but the government grants keep coming.
From the beginning, Great Lakes advocates have debated how to divide
the federal cash between research and hands-on restoration work. The
great majority of the spending thus far has gone to projects in the
field — dredging polluted sediments from harbors, restoring shoreline
wetlands, removing invasive plants such as Eurasian milfoil, dismantling
dams to restore natural river flows.
That approach early on dovetailed with the administration’s stimulus
plan, which was pumping money into ‘‘shovel-ready’’ projects to get the
economy going and create jobs. Advocates said there was plenty of
evidence to justify quick action....
Related: Administration Telling the Truth About Stimuloot
I sure as hell hope this isn't another rip-off.
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