Energy burdens: Late fees add to the utility burden for households already dealing with energy affordability, poor insulation, and damage from natural disasters. In 2017, African American families spent 43% more on energy bills than white households. Michigan’s two largest utilities, DTE and Consumers, have a 2% late fee, the highest charge allowed under state law. In […]
Posted inAccountability
Asthma makes more Detroiters sick than anywhere else in Michigan – and it’s getting worse
Public health officials say it’s ‘not clear’ why the disparity is growing Detroiters get asthma at higher rates than the rest of the state, a disparity that has risen sharply in recent years, according to a new report. In February, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) released its analysis of health and […]
Posted inSolutions
Manistee worm farmer aims to reduce greenhouse gasses with wrigglers
This is the first in an ongoing series about Michiganders working toward climate solutions. Know someone we should write about? Hit reply! SUBSCRIBE TO MICHIGAN CLIMATE NEWS! In Manistee, Michigan, hundreds of thousands of worms in large bins are feeding away at food scraps. The worms then poop, producing a compost that contains beneficial microbes, […]
Posted inCommunity
Great Lakes platform helps connect green investors with regional projects
The Great Lakes Impact Investment Platform features 40 projects representing nearly $4.5 billion in investment opportunities, including household energy efficiency retrofits, coal mine reclamation and solar development. Energy News Network by Kari Lydersen A two-year-old economic development partnership is helping to draw attention — and investment dollars — to sustainability projects in the Great Lakes region. […]
Posted inUncategorized
Imperiled: Indigenous maple-syruping in northern Michigan, ice fishing in Ohio, pond hockey in Minnesota
CO2 2022/2021 419.63 ppm / 416.51 ppm https://www.co2.earth/daily-co2 TAKE OUR READER SURVEY HERE! Painfully clear: Climate experts are weighing in on the most recent report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which found that the climate crisis is already significantly disrupting economies and ecosystems, a trend that will grow much worse if […]
Posted inVoices
OPINION: We need to investigate the links between air quality and lung disease in Wayne County
As the system director of thoracic surgery for the Henry Ford Health System, I see the results of lung disease on a daily basis in my patients. I realize that many of my patients suffer from both benign disease and lung cancer secondary to behavioral causes like smoking. But I also understand that many of […]
Posted inAccountability
Water shortages elsewhere threaten Great Lakes, author says
By KAYLA NELSENCapital News Service LANSING — As the megadrought in the Western U.S. worsens, calls for freshwater diversions from the Great Lakes to the West have grown increasingly popular. Last August, federal authorities announced a water shortage in Lake Mead, the largest source of freshwater for the Western states. At the same time, protective […]
Posted inCommunity
Ethnic slur prompts moth name change
By MAX COPELANDCapital News Service LANSING — The bothersome gypsy moth will now be known as the spongy moth. The Entomological Society of America made the change because the word “gypsy” is considered a derogatory slur against the Romani people. The word was dropped from its list of common names last July and the new name was […]
Posted inCommunity
Maple syrup farmers grow hopeful with ideal weather
By LINDSAY M. McCOYCapital News Service LANSING – Michigan maple syrup farmers sound optimistic that the industry will see a successful 2022 season after production declined in recent years. While the state ranks in the top 10 syrup producers in the country, it produced only 150,000 gallons in 2021, 20,000 less than the prior year. […]
Posted inUncategorized
From the headlines— February 28 – March 4, 2022
Crisis now: This week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its most recent report showing that climate change is already seriously contributing to threats like wildfires, heat waves and sea-level rise, and the window to act and prevent some of the worst outcomes is rapidly shrinking. Countries in the Global South have contributed relatively little to the crisis […]