Paul Draus was doing a research project comparing Detroit and Berlin when he hit upon the concept of utilizing green spaces to benefit communities that have been impacted by system racism. He began calling the idea ” green reparations.” “I got interested in how former industrial spaces could be turned into publicly accessible green spaces,” […]
Posted inAccountability
PFAS contaminates groundwater, sewage sludge in Metro Detroit. Should we be alarmed?
State regulators have shown little concern for astronomical PFAS measurements in local groundwater and sewage effluent. Activists see it differently. In August of 2018, a video captured a geyser of frothy bubbles pouring out of a manhole and flowing onto the roadway for several days on Schaefer Highway near I-75 — perhaps the first “foam […]
Posted inSolutions
How environmental activists and attorneys – not politicians – beat Detroit’s toxic trash incinerator
After decades of activism, a citizen lawsuit closed the incinerator in a matter of months. The air pollution that made it difficult for residents at Detroit’s Robert Holmes Manor senior home to breathe inspired a poem from Linda Crittle, one of the apartment building’s residents. The fumes from vehicles on nearby Interstate 75 were one […]
Posted inUncategorized
From the Headlines
A stop to shutoffs: Detroit’s moratorium on water shutoffs will extend through the end of 2022, with the ultimate goal of ending them in perpetuity. The city will “work on a permanent water affordability solution at the state and federal levels,” said Gary Brown, director of the city’s water and sewerage department said Tuesday. But Brown noted moratoriums do not […]
Posted inCommunity
Profiles in the fight for environmental justice: Jeremy Orr
Jeremy Orr was working on a paper mill cleanup project as a community activist and organizer when he realized two things: that a person’s environment dictates their physical wellbeing and health, and that a lack of representation in decisions on the environment affecting Black and brown people was pervasive. When Jeremy Orr was in college, […]
Posted inSolutions
Michigan’s weakened environmental laws lead activists to embrace other tactics
A loose coalition of environmental attorneys and activists are increasingly confronting industry with a multi-pronged approach — suing to force companies to follow the law, stepping in during the permitting process and waging campaigns to raise awareness of corporate misdeeds. During the early 1970s, Michigan enacted a bold set of environmental laws that helped form an […]
Posted inCommunity
Profiles in the fight for environmental justice: Shimekia Nichols
Detroit resident Shimekia Nichols has learned that critical questions are the first steps toward attaining democracy in a sector long dominated by convention. Most of us pay our electricity bill without much question. We do so without inquiring what exactly we’re paying for; without asking to be apprised of frequent rate hikes; without demanding a […]
Posted inGuides
Ask Planet Detroit: How much will air pollution affect my child?
Dear Planet Detroit, How will children living in areas with high levels of air pollution in Detroit be affected? Specifically, how might it impact their choices and their futures? Sincerely, Concerned Dear Concerned, This is a great question with far reaching implications. Children suffer the most from environmental impacts, as developmental side-effects from adolescence can […]
Posted inSolutions
Huron-Clinton Metroparks gets serious about diversity in hiring
As the Huron-Clinton Metroparks looks to be recognized as one of the premier parks systems in the State of Michigan and the nation, its leadership has determined that taking steps toward hiring a more diverse workforce is a necessary step to get there. In a recent media release that HCMA states that it “understands that […]