How green is your governor?
Rick Snyder was the first Republican running for governor to be endorsed by the Michigan League of Conservation Voters (MLCV), a lobbying group that advocates for conservational and environmental laws...
View Article4 things from Gov. Snyder's "special address" on energy and the environment
Yesterday, Governor Rick Snyder gave his “special address” on energy and the environment . In it, he said it is impossible to ignore the connections between economics, energy, and the environment while...
View ArticleSierra Club report: Pollution hits southeast Michigan's poor hardest
Detroit and its downriver suburbs have some serious pollution problems. And according to a new Sierra Club report, the greatest effects fall on poor, largely non-white communities. The report deals...
View ArticleCitizen groups flex some muscle in fight against Detroit's petroleum coke piles
By now, you’ve probably heard of Detroit’s pet coke piles. They’re a byproduct of refining Canadian tar sands oil at Detroit’s Marathon refinery, and the ashen piles are definitely an eyesore on the...
View ArticleHow one city in Wisconsin may change how we protect the Great Lakes
A water dilemma is brewing in Wisconsin. The city of Waukesha (near Milwaukee) is asking for permission to tap into Lake Michigan for drinking water — to the tune of 10.1 million gallons per day....
View ArticleWhat will the country's farm bill mean for Michigan?
It’s official. The country will have a farm bill. On Friday, President Obama plans to sign the nearly $1 trillion bill into law on his trip in East Lansing. On today’s show we take a closer look at the...
View ArticleMichigan gets ready for EPA's proposed carbon rules
On Monday morning, the Environmental Protection Agency released the federal government’s plan to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. The agency's calling it the "Clean Power Plan." The EPA...
View ArticleCarbon tax finds bipartisan support when funds are delegated to a specific...
Economists often argue that we should use the market to fight climate change. Cap-and-trade legislation died in Congress back in 2010. Some people think a tax on carbon dioxide is a better solution,...
View ArticleMaking the Great Lakes safer for swimming, fishing and drinking the water
Just in case the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement isn’t on your summer reading list, here’s the gist of it: It’s an agreement between the U.S. and Canada. One of the goals of that agreement is to...
View ArticleMSU study finds partisan politics influence public views on environmental policy
These days, getting pretty much any kind of environmental policy made into law involves a lot of fighting and delay. New research from Michigan State University finds Americans are becoming more...
View ArticleCritics say new Ohio law isn't enough to protect Lake Erie from fertilizer...
The recent Toledo water crisis has farmers in Michigan and Ohio on the defensive. They’re pointing to a number of voluntary efforts they’re making to reduce phosphorus runoff to Lake Erie. That runoff...
View ArticleBellow Island's herring gulls helped get DDT banned
If there's one pesticide most everyone can name, it's DDT. When the U.S. government banned DDT in 1972, it was seen as a great victory for the environment. But you might be surprised to learn that tiny...
View ArticleState Senate passes bill preventing local regulation of bags
While some cities across the U.S. are passing plastic bag bans and taxes, local governments in Michigan may not get to join in. The state Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would prevent local...
View ArticleWhat happens if there's an outright denial of climate science from the White...
This year is likely to be the hottest on record. Scientists with the World Meteorological Organization announced that recently, as world leaders met in Morocco to talk about limiting the impacts of...
View ArticleThe environment gets a few quick mentions in State of the State address
The environment came up a handful of times in Governor Snyder’s State of the State address. The governor was often light on details, and he didn't talk about the Flint water crisis until halfway...
View ArticleDoes the free market or government regulation drive more use of renewables?
A new survey finds a majority of Americans (54%) lean toward regulations as the best way to increase our use of renewable energy versus relying on economic markets alone. Cary Funk is the associate...
View ArticleMichigan mayors vow to uphold Paris Agreement in wake of U.S. abandonment
Story updated June 9 at 2:07 p.m. In the wake of President Trump leaving the Paris Climate Agreement, several dozen mayors across the U.S. have created a coalition to uphold the goals of the accord in...
View ArticleA majority of Americans want the federal government to do more to protect air...
A majority of Americans say the federal government isn’t doing enough to protect air and water quality. That’s the latest from a national Pew Research Center survey . The survey found 69 percent of...
View ArticleClimate change will be costly, especially for at-risk communities
On Black Friday, the federal government released its National Climate Assessment. Compiled by 13 federal agencies, the landmark report spells out the consequences we’re already seeing — and that we’ll...
View ArticleStateside: Medical marijuana shortage; Pentagon’s PFAS controversy; Detroit’s...
Today on Stateside , Michigan regulators allow unlicensed dispensaries and growers to reopen in midst of a medical marijuana shortage. Plus, a software engineer who traded building software for...
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