Town leaders say they’re powerless to stop data centers from moving in. And residents who’ve tried to recall officials over data center votes have struggled to get those efforts on the ballot.
Isabella Figueroa Nogueira
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Think you’re getting old? New study says Michigan sturgeon may live to 400
Some lake sturgeon swimming in the Great Lakes today may have been alive for centuries, according to new research that suggests scientists have significantly underestimated the fish’s lifespan.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
With no penalties for failure, many Michigan communities miss recycling goal
Michigan set a goal for 90% of urban households to have curbside recycling access by 2026. But with no penalties for missing the benchmark, many communities are still grappling with the costs and infrastructure needed to expand recycling.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Seedling data shows Michigan forests under pressure from climate change, deer, disease
For the past three decades, MSU researchers have gone to Manistee National Forest to see which seedlings survive and how that will affect the future of Michigan’s forests.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan bald eagle success story faces new threats
Severe weather and food challenges threaten one of the nation’s greatest conservation comebacks.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Grand Rapids to ‘restore the rapids.’ But how will it keep out lamprey?
Starting July 1, Grand Rapids will begin removing four downtown dams in a two-year effort to restore the natural rapids that gave the city its name. But officials are still studying how to remove a fifth dam and still keep out invasive sea lamprey.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Takeout trash is piling up at Michigan universities. There’s no easy fix
Universities like Michigan State University and the University of Michigan are struggling to manage a shift toward convenience dining, which has made reducing single-use waste increasingly difficult even as campuses expand composting and recycling programs.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan restricts buckthorn, other plants as landscapers cry foul
Advocates celebrated Tuesday after Michigan officials voted to ban or restrict six invasive plant species. Advocates said the decision helps the state catch up with neighboring Great Lakes states that already regulate many of the plants.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
In school cafeterias, kids fight Michigan’s food waste problems
Michigan schools are increasingly adopting composting programs that divert food waste from the landfill while teaching students sustainability.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan gets $108M in Monsanto settlement to clean up PCB contamination
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced a $108 million settlement with Monsanto Co. over long-term PCB contamination in the state, with the funds directed toward cleanup and restoration of affected natural resources.