At the tip of Michigan’s Mitten, the rural county has become a model for keeping trash out of landfills.
Michigan Environment Watch
Michigan Environment Watch examines how public policy, industry, and other factors interact with the state’s trove of natural resources.
Great Lakes News Collaborative
Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television, The Narwhal and Michigan Public work together to report on the most pressing threats to the Great Lakes region’s water. This independent journalism is supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. You can find all of the collaborative’s stories here.
Shockwave
The Great Lakes region is in the midst of a seismic energy shakeup, from skyrocketing data center demand and a nuclear energy boom, to expanding renewables and electrification. In 2026, the Great Lakes News Collaborative will explore how shifting supply and demand affect the region and its waters. Read the series here.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Timing could be everything in Michigan fight over DTE natural gas plant
The outcome of a contentious dispute over a $1 billion natural gas plant planned for St. Clair County could hinge on whether DTE Energy must comply with new state guidelines for power plant proposals.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan environment roundup: Foxconn, Flint and Enbridge
This week’s can’t-miss journalism about Michigan’s natural resources.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Greetings from Mackinaw City, where Line 5 fears threaten a way of life
Bridge Magazine embarks on a year-long tour of Michigan at the tip of the Mitten, and finds that jobs, tourism and schools aren’t the biggest worry. It’s fear of an Enbridge Line 5 leak in the Straits of Mackinac.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Flint’s recovery begins with a carrot: How a unique program is healing the city.
A Michigan-grown food incentives program has steered veggies to the water-poisoned city. It’s spread nationwide to thousands of families on public assistance.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Why aren’t Michiganders eating their fruits and vegetables?
A small fraction of Michigan adults are consuming recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, increasing dietary disease risks.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Trump would ax funding for Michigan-grown healthy eating incentives
A $100 million grant program – championed by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan —that funds programs like Michigan-created Double Up Food Bucks could soon end.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan environment roundup: Fertilizer could fuel $65B economic boon
This week’s can’t-miss journalism about Michigan’s natural resources.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Two-in-five large Michigan industrial plants exceeded water pollution limits
Over a 21-month period, Michigan sites reported 196 excessive discharges of pollutants, including hydrogen sulfide, chlorine and mercury, a report shows.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
No joke: Ann Arbor is removing deer ovaries. Lawmakers aren’t laughing.
Ann Arbor is spending big bucks sterilizing car collision-inducing, garden-destroying deer. Some unhappy hunters and lawmakers want to ban the practice.