New research suggests that microplastics act like a chemical sponge, soaking up contaminants such as persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals. Those chemicals, in turn, appear to be causing deformities in larval fish.
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.
Water’s True Cost
As the nation prepares to pour hundreds of billions of federal dollars into rescuing water systems, the Great Lakes News Collaborative investigates the true cost of water in Michigan. Read the series.
Ready or Not
The Great Lakes region is frequently touted as one of the most climate-resilient places in the U.S., in part because of its enviable water resources. But climate change also threatens our water. The Great Lakes News Collaborative explores what it will take to prepare. Read the series.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
In Michigan, flooding from climate change reveals economic inequity
Experts say disasters reveal “two different stories,” as poor communities struggle to rebuild, while richer neighbors can afford to fix damages.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Is the Line 5 tunnel a bridge to Michigan’s energy future or a bad deal?
With climate action on the state and national agenda, critics of Enbridge Line 5 warn that investing in new pipeline infrastructure undermines Michigan’s pathway to carbon neutrality. Experts say it’s not so simple.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
In flooded Michigan neighborhoods, who should pay for sea walls?
For two straight summers, residents of Detroit’s Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood watched water pour into basements and pool in streets, a result of coastal flooding that will become increasingly common throughout the Great Lakes as climate change progresses.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Report: Lake Michigan is ‘running a fever.’ More storms, less fish possible.
A federal study finds that climate change is warming even the deepest waters of big lakes, which could shorten their winters and have a ripple effect on their health.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Small towns like Ishpeming put off water upgrades. The bill is now due.
Rural Michigan is trying to balance the urgent need for updated sewer and water infrastructure with the financial constraints faced by towns with aging and shrinking populations.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan communities turn to wetlands to prevent damage during floods
Devastating Midland floods would have been worse were it not for the sponge-like properties of a newly-restored wetland along the Shiawassee River. As climate change brings more intense rainstorms to Michigan, the incident is an example of how wetlands could help mitigate flood threats.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
As Michigan climate changes, Grand Rapids uses green space to mitigate floods
Changing climate threatens to bring more intense storms and worse floods to the Great Lakes region. In Grand Rapids, one park takes neighborhood stormwater runoff and stores it until it returns to the earth.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Too few farmers are curbing pollution in Lake Erie. Should they be forced?
As climate change complicates Lake Erie’s algae problem, scientists say farmers must do far more to reduce phosphorus runoff. But will enough farmers change their ways without a government mandate?
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
In fight for statewide septic code, Michigan property rights a big barrier
A significant number of residential septic systems need repair or replacement, but efforts to enact a statewide code have been hampered by the expense and disagreement over what events would trigger an inspection.