Residents from Macomb, Wayne, and Oakland counties came together on a chilly evening Thursday, January 23 for a “Tri-County Environmental Justice Solidarity Rally” at the intersection of the three counties. About 60 people met on Dad Butler playground in Detroit to voice their concerns about environmental justice issues. Lauren Schandevel of We The People of […]
Posted inAccountability
Deteriorating conditions and soil tests raise concerns about dock collapse on Detroit River
The situation at the collapsed dock at the Detroit Bulk Storage facility in late November has continued to worsen, and experts are concerned that the risk of pollutants moving from soil or sediments into the river—and potentially into water intakes downstream—has increased. When Detroiters first learned of the collapse of a dock at the Detroit Bulk Storage facility on […]
Posted inCommunity
Planet Detroit’s top 5 Michigan environmental stories for 2019
Planet Detroit had such a great response to our top 10 local environmental stories of 2019, we thought we ought to do the same for stories across Michigan . So, without further ado… 1. The Michigan DNR, lawmakers made up stories about killer wolves (so they could have them shot) Perhaps the most shocking statewide reporting […]
Posted inCommunity
Planet Detroit’s top 10 local environmental stories for 2019
1. Water shutoffs in Detroit continue With activists sometimes alleging a “media blackout” on the subject, water was still being turned off for some of Detroit’s most vulnerable residents. This topic did receive some attention, although often it was strangely upbeat. Towards the beginning of the year, The Detroit News wrote that there was a “dramatic decline” […]
Posted inVoices
ESSAY: Parenting in an era of climate change
Metro Detroit writer Jenn McKee explores the landscape at the intersection of climate change, parenting, and the truth. Nobody can hold your feet to the fire quite like an eight-year-old. Seriously. My youngest daughter’s been pushing me on some pretty hard questions lately. And I’m not talking about death (we covered that ground pretty thoroughly […]
Posted inCommunity
Short Film: MOTHER
By Lauren Santucci Many people are aware that Southwest Detroit is Michigan’s most air-polluted neighborhood. The statistics are bleak—with high rates of asthma, emphysema, and poor birth outcomes. It’s also a place where residents find themselves in a position of having to choose between their community and their health. The video centers on Thomasenia Weston, […]
Posted inCommunity
Why climate activists and U-M administrators clashed over plans for carbon neutrality
Photo via Climate Action Movement at the University of Michigan By Miriam Francisco In 2011, the University of Michigan announced its intention to cut carbon emissions by 25 percent by 2025. But seven years later, carbon emission reduction had stalled at just 5 percent. So after U-M President Mark Schlissel announced a new planning committee […]
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On the environmental legacy of L. Brooks Patterson
Plenty of reminiscing these past two weeks has centered on the life and legacy of Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, who passed away on August 3. Planet Detroit took some time to delve into how the county executive’s 29-year career has impacted Metro Detroit’s environment. So what was Brooks’ environmental legacy? Here’s a rundown: Natural Area […]
Posted inSolutions
Why Detroit’s new Sustainability Action Agenda links climate action with quality of life
The first thing Joel Howrani Heeres wants you to know about the new Detroit Sustainability Action Agenda is that it is not just a climate plan. “I felt it really wouldn’t communicate as well if it was just focusing on climate,” Heeres, director of Detroit’s Office of Sustainability, says. “I wanted to focus on the full spectrum […]
Posted inAccountability
Detroiters pack hearing on new DTE Energy plan
In his opening remarks at the June 20th public hearing for DTE Energy’s new Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), Norman J. Saari–one of three appointed commissioners for the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) who will decide what happens with the plan–expressed his surprise at seeing so many people come out for what might seem like a dry and […]