Climate change, shifting populations, and infrastructure development in risky areas compound future flood loss risk. By Kimberly M. S. Cartier Residents of New Orleans are no strangers to floods and the losses that follow. From Katrina in 2005 to Ida in 2021, Gulf Coast hurricanes have cost the people of New Orleans hundreds of billions of dollars over […]
Posted inAccountability
Study questions reporting, transparency in popular federal Great Lakes restoration program; Detroit River cleanup lags
In a January report, scientific researchers spotlight reporting limitations in the multi-billion dollar federal Great Lakes restoration program that launched with fanfare in 2010. The program’s mission is to restore the Great Lakes to a semblance of what they were before the industrial era that peaked in the 1950s and 1960s. The program, officially known […]
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Land needed for solar farms, UM's climate goals
CO2 2022/2021 ppm / 418.1 ppm TAKE OUR READER SURVEY HERE! Real estate: DTE Energy is looking for 20,000 to 35,000 acres of land for solar arrays over the next 10 to 15 years, while Consumers Energy wants to acquire 40,000 to 56,000 acres by 2040. The search highlights the need for significant amounts of […]
Posted inAccountability
Detroit River dock collapse fallout: City in court with property owner, storage company to cease operations
The city and owner of a controversial dock that collapsed twice during the last three years are in court-supervised negotiations over bringing the property into compliance with local laws. The negotiations come after the city temporarily shut down the company in December, Revere Dock, and a second business, Detroit Bulk Storage, that leased the property. […]
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Michigan wheat farmers can’t make up for crops lost in Ukraine
By HOPE O’DELLCapital News Service LANSING – Michigan farmers can’t plant more wheat this year to make up for Ukrainian and Russian production that’s been lost to the ongoing war. Combined, Russia and Ukraine account for 30% of the world’s wheat production, said Scott Swinton, an agricultural economist at Michigan State University. According to Bloomberg […]
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Michigan’s recycling rate lags U.S. average
By SYDNEY BOWLERCapital News Service LANSING – The majority of local government leaders statewide, 86%, say recycling is somewhat important or very important to their community residents, according to a new study from the University of Michigan. However, Michigan’s estimated overall recycling rate is 18%, which lags considerably behind the national average of 32%. The […]
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What changes to Michigan’s PACE program could mean for sustainability financing
SUBSCRIBE TO MICHIGAN CLIMATE NEWS! Dear Michigan Climate News readers, We asked you what topics we should cover in this newsletter, and we got a resounding response — you want to stay up-to-date on climate solutions, politics, and policy. To that end, in addition to regular solutions-based stories, we will be bringing you this monthly […]
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CONVERSATION: WATER AFFORDABILITY & CLIMATE CHANGE IN DETROIT AND MICHIGAN
TAKE THE READER SURVEY HERE! Water is getting less affordable over time for Michiganders across race and geography. We discussed the problem and the solutions. Public health begins and ends with clean water. People must have access to safe drinking water to survive and access to sanitation to prevent disease. But challenges with water and […]
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From the headlines – March 21 – 25, 2022
Help on the way: Large amounts of money could be headed to Detroit to fix water infrastructure, prevent flooding and improve drinking water, among other priorities. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer reached a deal with the Michigan Legislature Thursday for a $4.8 billion spending plan to use Covid relief funds and federal infrastructure dollars to invest in things like cleaning up […]
Posted inVoices
Would gas tax breaks make a big difference when prices are skyrocketing? We asked 4 experts
The Conversation By: Jay L. Zagorsky, Erich Muehlegger, Sanya Carley, Theodore J. Kury With gasoline prices trending over US$4 per gallon nationwide, politicians are feeling the heat. In response, Maryland and Georgia have temporarily waived their state gasoline taxes to reduce the burden on consumers. Other states are considering similar actions, and some members of Congress have called for suspending the […]