Conflicted

by Muskegon Critic

Sometimes I wish I were a conservative, simply for what I perceive to be their clean, clear path. Cut taxes, shrink Government. So simple. So easy to articulate.

But as a progressive I find myself often internally conflicted over jobs, sustainability, improving the middle class, environmental concerns. For example I love the notion that the St. Lawrence Seaway allows International shipping access to the Great Lakes region, making cities like Duluth, Minnesota one of the busiest harbors in America...but I hate, hate, hate, hate that the St. Lawrence Seaway has opened the door to hundreds of invasive species in the Great Lakes.

I want Michigan to manufacture again, and make STUFF and sell STUFF and get families back to work! But I want to reduce consumerism overall, and see people re-using STUFF and being less wasteful and being less dependent on buying STUFF.

continued at Daily Kos....

Victory! Local Wind Farm and Manufacturing Jobs by 2012

by Muskegon Critic

I can't help but feel like our pro-wind-farm movement in West Michigan helped to expedite Muskegon County's decision to proceed with a 150 MW wind farm in its massive waste water treatment facility. Fifty wind turbines the county hopes to begin construction on by 2012. (Thank you,  Muskegon County commissioners!)

Muskegon County ready to move forward with wind farm

MUSKEGON COUNTY — By the end of this calendar year, a wind-energy developer could be in place and Muskegon County officials likely will be considering specifics of the proposed wind farm for the county’s wastewater site.

County officials are planning to move rather quickly over the next couple months in setting up and selecting a wind developer for the planned project that would result in large turbines generating 150 megawatts of power.

Oh but that's not all...

continued at Daily Kos....

Lake Michigan Wind Farm Update

by Muskegon Critic

For those who have been following the ongoing West Michigan offshore wind farm saga, and for those who have given some generous donations in our fight, I'd like to provide a little update of what's going on.

I think the Big Lebowski said it best:

I often choose the Big Lebowski to express myself about the wind farm issue because I feel like some random slob drinking white russians who managed to haphazzardly stumble into an epic struggle with some of my pals.

The struggle for offshore wind power, and for a new industry in West Michigan continues.

continued at Daily Kos....

From Crumbling Decay to Green, Nourishing Life

by Muskegon Critic

As hard up as my town is at nearly 17%+ unemployment and with vacant factories...and as much poverty as there is, I still don't think of it as the sort of town where Americorps comes in to help out. But apparently it is. It is, indeed, a place where Americorps comes to help make the city a better place to live. A friend and I went to visit the McLaughlin Urban Farm in Muskegon...which is not an Americorps endeavor, by the way...it's a Community enCompass endeavor. The farm is about a half acre in the middle of the McLaughlin neighborhood where several abandoned and condemned houses had been plowed under and as of 2009 replaced with an organic, urban farm with a large hoop house and several mounds of composting leaves and vegetable matter. It's a for-profit urban farm whose goal is to employ people in the impoverished McLaughlin neighborhood, provide local residents with fresh produce, and replace crumbling buildings with green space.

continued at Daily Kos....