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 […]
Posted inUncategorized
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 […]
Posted inAccountability
Locally sourced food businesses grapple with fish consumption advisory on PFAS-laden smelt
In Southwest Detroit, Nick George, aka Dr. Sushi, runs a sustainable food business pairing Midwestern agriculture and produce with Japanese cooking techniques. It “grinds” him that more Michigan-based restaurants don’t use Great Lakes fish in their cuisine. He doesn’t see the point in importing fish, especially tiny ones, halfway across the world, he said, when […]
Posted inCommunity
New case study, federal assistance boost ‘smart neighborhood’ concept in Highland Park
Juan Shannon’s vision of a sustainable neighborhood in Highland Park got two boosts in recent weeks. In partnership with the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), Shannon’s Parker Village recently released a case study detailing the feasibility of using a microgrid to power its community. The report came just before last week’s announcement that the city […]
Posted inSolutions
Revolutionary changes in transportation, from electric vehicles to ride sharing, could slow global warming – if they’re done right, IPCC says
By: Alan Jenn Around the world, revolutionary changes are under way in transportation. More electric vehicles are on the road, people are taking advantage of sharing mobility services such as Uber and Lyft, and the rise in telework during the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the way people think about commuting. Transportation is a growing source […]
Posted inUncategorized
Michigan's Black terns at risk; Consumers Energy aims to decarbonize with methane + offsets
CO2 2022/2021 420.63 ppm / 421.21 ppm TAKE OUR READER SURVEY HERE! ‘Now or never’: A recently released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report stresses that emissions must peak by 2025 and be halved by the decade’s end to stave off catastrophic warming. “It’s now or never, if we want to limit global warming […]