Slideshow

RECENT POSTS

The Saudi Arabia of the Midwest? Ohio Prepares for Natural Gas Future

Play

Natural gas extracted from shale rock, some say, is the most positive development in the nation’s energy outlook in 50 years.  Ohio sits atop some of the largest deposits.

Big name oil and gas companies are flocking to the Buckeye State in a frenzy of preparation for “fracking” – that’s the innovative and controversial technology used to drill through and “fracture” the shale.  It un-traps natural gas that lies within large layers of rock.

Ohio John Kasich is one of the industry’s biggest cheerleaders, saying it could be a real “game changer” for the state’s economy.  This week he also said tough, new regulations are needed to make sure “fracking” doesn’t harm the environment.  From our Changing Gears project, Mhari Saito and Dan Bobkoff have this overview on the new “natural gas economy.”

The “Google of Manufacturing?” One Company Shows a Possible Future

Depending on who you ask, American manufacturing is either: the way out of our financial mess, or it’s dead. Whatever you think, there’s no denying that manufacturing has changed. That’s the story of Thogus Products in Avon Lake, Ohio.

Play

Continue reading

Canadian Oil is Boosting Midwest Economy, but At What Cost?

Workers in Marshall, Michigan are still cleaning up an oil spill from last summer.

Green energy is often said to be the future of the Midwest economy. But old fashioned fossil fuels could be having a bigger effect on the region’s jobs and corporate bottom lines.

This is not conventional oil, though. It’s a thick, tar-like crude from the oil sands in Alberta, Canada. It’s sent here by pipelines, many which cross our rivers and the Great Lakes, and that has some worrying about a bigger risk to the region.

Play

Continue reading