The aspirational environmental justice goals of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and those of President Joe Biden were on full display last week as top executives from both administrations made the case for an increased focus on environmental justice. In his campaign, Biden made EJ a centerpiece embedding it in infrastructure and climate change plans. Whitmer […]
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PARKS REPORT – Riverside Park: Sick moves, views of the Detroit River, and geese grazing amid trash
View on Instagram >>> Find your way to this park! Riverside Park At the crossroads of industry and international commerce lies the scenic patch of Riverside Park located at 3085 W. Jefferson Avenue, directly underneath the Ambassador Bridge. This 29-acre stretch includes a skatepark, playground, dog park, basketball court, and picnic area. Visitors can reach […]
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From the Headlines – May 17-21, 2021
Recovery doubtful: RecoveryPark has seen better days. The project, which received millions in foundation funding and oodles of positive press in recent years, aimed to employ people facing obstacles due to incarceration and drug abuse. Last year, most of the farms’ approximately 20 employees, some of whom had been incarcerated, were laid off, and the farm […]
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COVID-19 brings renewed urgency to the fight over Detroit’s air quality
As residents contend with high rates of ailments like asthma and COPD, activists see an opportunity to leverage increased awareness brought by the pandemic. On the eastside of Detroit, Beniteau Street resident Robert Shobe is watching the construction of the expanded Fiat Chrysler Automobiles facilities rising up over his neighborhood and wondering how much more […]
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PARKS REPORT: Maheras Gentry Park
View on Instagram>>> Find your way to this park! Maheras Gentry Park Summer weather is finally here, and this weekend at Maheras Gentry Park there were lots of people enjoying themselves! A colleague and past Planet Detroit journalist Jena Booker gave me a tour of this park located at 12550 Avondale Street. She’d heard that […]
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From the Headlines – May 10-14, 2021
Still flowing: Petroleum continues to flow through Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac, despite Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s order that the company shut it down by May 12. Here’s the latest on the situation: Enbridge said that only the federal government has the power to shut down Line 5. But the U.S. State Department stated that the […]
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Zug Island: Reflections on an industrial icon in President Biden’s utopian future
An “idled” steel mill hangs by a thread as President Biden bets big on his futuristic infrastructure plan We’re in a period of transformation, it seems. I added the qualifier because in the era of Covid-19, not much is certain. We’re barely four years past former President Donald Trump’s retreat from environmental protection. A retreat […]
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PARKS REPORT: Skinner Playfield
View on Instagram >>> Find your way to this park! Skinner Playfield Denby students, teachers and neighbors recreated Skinner Playfield This week I’ve taken the first request to check out a park from one of our readers ! We love when our adventurers get involved! Beau recommended we visit Skinner Playfield located at 12800 Kelly […]
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MPSC considers requiring utilities to account for public health costs of future electricity generation
Electricity generation from coal and gas-fired power plants exact an inequitable health cost that utilities should account for when planning for the future. That’s according to testimony submitted on April 28 to the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) by the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center on behalf of 23 individuals and organizations. MPSC opened the […]
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From the Headlines – May 3 – 7, 2021
Heatwaves and blackouts: A new study examines the risk for concurrent blackouts and heatwaves in Detroit, Phoenix, and Atlanta, finding that power failures have increased by more than 60% since 2015. “A widespread blackout during an intense heatwave may be the deadliest climate-related event we can imagine,” said Brian Stone Jr., a professor at the School of City & […]