Detroit resident Amy Sacka has been taking photographs on Belle isle for a decade. She loves the water and nature, but her subject is the people who inhabit the island – Detroiters and Michiganders from all walks of life who share a reverence for the jewel of the Detroit River. “It’s really a refuge for […]
Posted inCommunity
Detroit’s new parks plan focuses on neighborhood access
The city’s plan aims to bring greenspace to within a 10-minute walk of more Detroiters over the next decade. City parks are an essential part of life for Cornerstone Village resident Chrysantha Norwood and her family. She often visits parks with her 7-year-old niece, Skylar, who she describes as “a park fan.” Their closest neighborhood […]
Posted inCommunity
Can energy justice be measured? A new research project aims to do just that
The Energy Equity Project (EEP) offers a national roadmap for how to eliminate disparities in clean energy access It’s only been a few months since a punishing heatwave cloaked Detroit and the surrounding suburbs. Temperatures rose above 90 degrees for several consecutive days, which ignited warnings about the risks of dangerous illnesses like heatstroke and […]
Posted inUncategorized
Are Michigan's corporations driving green energy investment?
CO2 2022/2021 : 415.7 ppm / 413.08 ppm Dear Michigan Climate News readers, In this week's issue, we have the latest headlines plus our monthly state policy update. And please join us on Friday, Sept. 30 at noon for a conversation on "What is ‘utility redlining’ and why does it matter for DTE customers?" SIGN […]
Posted inSolutions
Northern-Michigan-based nonprofit forms peer group to help farmers face climate change, practice 'carbon farming'
This is part in an ongoing series about Michiganders working toward climate solutions. Know someone we should write about? Hit reply! SUBSCRIBE TO MICHIGAN CLIMATE NEWS! There’s an old adage that predicting the weather is more art than science. Rapid and drastic changes in weather brought on by climate change make this statement even more […]
Posted inUncategorized
Policy Tracker: Huron River incidents revive calls for polluter pay laws
SUBSCRIBE TO MICHIGAN CLIMATE NEWS! Dear Michigan Climate News readers, This edition of our monthly policy tracker explores We aim to help keep you up-to-date on the latest state and federal government policies impacting climate and the environment in Michigan. Please let us know if we're hitting the mark by emailing us at nina@planetdetroit.org. And […]
Posted inCommunity
Belle Isle study lights way for savings
By ERIC FREEDMANCapital News Service LANSING – The installation of a state-of-the-art street lighting system on Belle Isle – located on the Michigan side of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario – was a major step forward in saving energy and electricity while improving safety for visitors. Now five years later, a new study […]
Posted inUncategorized
From the Headlines- Sept 19 – 23
Robin v. warbler: Not for the first time, Michigan is trying to give its state bird – the stalwart robin – a sendoff. Rep. Greg Markkanen, R-Hancock (yep, that’s in the U.P.) introduced a bill that would replace the robin with the Kirtland’s warbler, a denizen of sandy jack-pine barrens in just three northern Michigan counties. It’s […]
Posted inSolutions
Vacant to vibrant: How Mama Shu transformed abandoned lots in Highland Park into a place for children
This is the first in an ongoing series to introduce Planet Detroit readers to residents who bring beauty and community to the vacant lots in their neighborhoods. We begin our series recounting the story of Mama Shu and Avalon Village in Highland Park – perhaps one of the most ambitious and iconic examples of vacant […]
Posted inAccountability
One of Detroit’s most powerful families is displacing east side residents
Co-published with BridgeDetroit. In May, a representative for Crown Enterprises, a real estate firm owned by the Moroun family, knocked on Savannah Lewis’ door and offered her $90,000 to move out of the home she has lived in for six decades. The 92-year-old said she was given three days’ notice to decide and 30 days […]