Growing up in Southwest Detroit, Sonia Alvarado learned how to fix houses from her parents, both union carpenters. “There were always projects going on. I know a lot about construction and the trades because of both of my parents,” she said. “It was very much doing all the work, learning how to do stuff.” Later […]
Posted inAccountability
State regulators order independent audit of DTE, Consumers over outages and safety
DTE Energy and Consumers are getting closer scrutiny from the Michigan Public Service Commission. The MPSC, which regulates investor-owned utilities in the state, directed its staff Wednesday to begin an independent audit of electrical distribution systems owned and operated by the two utilities. The cost of the audits will be paid by the utilities, under […]
Posted inCommunity
Residents, activists discuss race, parks, and public space in Detroit
On a brisk Saturday afternoon a group of dedicated public space advocates gathered to discuss racial equity in Detroit’s parks. The event was sponsored by New Detroit and was a preview of its upcoming Just Lead: Advancing Racial Equity conference October 13-14 at the Detroit Marriott. Saturday’s speakers included Pulitzer Prize Winning author Desiree Cooper, […]
Posted inSolutions
Greening Michigan's cannabis industry
CO2 2022/2021 : 415.6 ppm / 413.38 ppm Dear Michigan Climate News readers, Will Michigan's lakes stay blue? Will Ann Arborites tax themselves to fund climate change action? Can the state's cannabis industry ever truly be green? All that and more in this week's exciting Michigan climate news roundup! Enjoy your week! — Nina Ignaczak, […]
Posted inCommunity
Longtime advocate honored for work to elevate Detroit River’s history as a terminus for the Underground Railroad
When Kimberly Simmons’ third great-grandmother Caroline Qualls arrived in Detroit, she had been chased by bounty hunters from St. Louis all the way through Wisconsin. Fortunately, she arrived at “Midnight” – the code name for Detroit on the Underground Railroad, and was ferried across the Detroit River to safety in Canada under the protection of […]
Posted inSolutions
Building a Black birding community in Detroit
Developing a Black-focused birdwatching group for people of color in Michigan took a dogged willingness to bypass those standing “in the way.” April Campbell remembers always loving birds, even as a child – though she didn’t know what to do about this curiosity until she reached adulthood. “There were no members of my family that […]
Posted inVoices
ICYMI: What is ‘utility redlining’ and why does it matter for DTE customers?
WATCH HERE LINK TO VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/planetdetroitnews/videos/6052050251490774/ Planet Detroit’s editor Nina Ignaczak spoke with We the People Research Director and Alex B. Hill and consultant Jackson Koeppel, co-authors of the policy brief Utility Redlining: Distribution in the DTE Service Area. We will also be joined by Shawn Patterson, DTE’s vice president of Environmental Management and Safety. […]
Posted inUncategorized
From the Headlines, Sept. 26 – 30
Unreformed, for now: Facing pushback from progressive lawmakers and Republicans, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WV, pulled a permitting reform bill from a short-term government funding package. Progressives opposed the bill’s relaxing of permitting regulations for oil and gas projects, while Republicans wanted to loosen restrictions more. Juan Jhong Chung, climate justice director for the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, said the decision to […]
Posted inCommunity
Dear Belle Isle: Local photographer invites you to write a love letter to our esteemed island
Detroit resident Amy Sacka has been taking photographs on Belle isle for a decade. She loves the water and nature, but her subject is the people who inhabit the island – Detroiters and Michiganders from all walks of life who share a reverence for the jewel of the Detroit River. “It’s really a refuge for […]
Posted inCommunity
Detroit’s new parks plan focuses on neighborhood access
The city’s plan aims to bring greenspace to within a 10-minute walk of more Detroiters over the next decade. City parks are an essential part of life for Cornerstone Village resident Chrysantha Norwood and her family. She often visits parks with her 7-year-old niece, Skylar, who she describes as “a park fan.” Their closest neighborhood […]