As spring expands across North America, trees, shrubs and flowers are releasing pollen. This fine, powdery substance is produced by the male structures of cone-bearing and flowering plants. When it’s carried to the plants’ female structures by wind, water or pollinators, fertilization happens. As pollen travels, it also triggers allergies in some 25 million Americans. Pollen exposure […]
Posted inUncategorized
Solar windows made in Michigan, Why Michigan has fewer electric vehicles, lifting the state's solar cap
CO2 2022/2021 420.87 ppm / 418.37 ppm TAKE OUR READER SURVEY HERE! Solar windows: Researchers at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University are developing transparent solar panels that could be used in place of normal windows, dramatically increasing the surface area available for solar energy on buildings. “(I)f a building can create its […]
Posted inCommunity
Hundreds of salamanders were getting crushed by cars — now Marquette cheers them on
By MAX COPELANDCapital News Service LANSING – It’s a chilly night in Marquette. About 40 degrees and rainy. But that’s not stopping dozens of people from gathering on a short stretch of road in Presque Isle Park. Because after a long, cold winter, blue-spotted salamanders are on the move. Hundreds of salamanders are emerging from their wintertime […]
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From the headlines- April 11 -15
Waiting for help: Many Detroiters continue to wait on financial assistance to help them recover from last summer’s devastating floods. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sent money to roughly 39,000 families, but 8,204 households are still waiting for aid and 14,163 have had their claims denied. Local utilities may not provide relief either. The Detroit Water and […]
Posted inGuides
How to celebrate Earth Day in Metro Detroit—without the greenwashing
An estimated one billion people have participated in Earth Day events every year on April 22 since the day was launched in 1970. But in the five decades since that first Earth Day, the day has, in many ways, been “greenwashed,” defined by the Oxford dictionary as “disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to […]
Posted inAccountability
As utility-scale renewables expand, some Midwest farmers are pushing back
This story was originally published by Grist. You can subscribe to its weekly newsletter here. By: Diana Kruzman, Grist In mid-March, about 80 people gathered in the auditorium of a local high school in Licking County, Ohio, a rural area about 40 minutes outside the state capital. The public hearing, set up to discuss a proposed 350-megawatt […]
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Waiting for flood help, Michigan's leaky gas wells, shrinking beaches
CO2 2022/2021 420.66 ppm / 419.32 ppm TAKE OUR READER SURVEY HERE! Waiting for help: Thousands of Detroiters are still waiting for financial assistance after last summer’s severe flooding. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sent money to 39,000 households but denied claims to 14,163, while another 8,204 continue to wait. And local utilities may […]
Posted inSolutions
Electrifying homes to slow climate change: 4 essential reads
The Conversation By: Jennifer Weeks The latest reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change show that to avoid massive losses and damage from global warming, nations must act quickly to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The good news is that experts believe it’s possible to cut global greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 through steps such as […]
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From the Headlines- April 4 – 8
Flood pain: The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s determination that much of Detroit’s Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood is a flood zone could make it harder for local groups to get federal funding. The designation could prevent developers from securing Community Development Block Grants and Home Investment Partnership funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and low-income […]
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Michigander Brandy Brown carves out her climate niche
This is part in an ongoing series about Michiganders working toward climate solutions. Know someone we should write about? Hit reply! SUBSCRIBE TO MICHIGAN CLIMATE NEWS! You can usually find Brandy Brown, a climate change and energy expert in Michigan, outside with her kids. Given the option, she’d prefer to live in the woods, rather […]