Michigan Environment Watch

Residents must transport their departed loved ones out of state to undergo the 'natural organic reduction process,' which transforms the human body into soil. Only 12 states allow the practice.

While you can’t pack up a real Christmas tree along with the decorations now that Christmas is over, you can recycle it in a number of ways.

Hunters have harvested more bucks this year in Michigan than they did in 2023, though the total number of deer killed in the state has fallen.

The legislation poises Michigan to exempt massive “enterprise” data centers from sales and use taxes on their equipment, saving the industry an estimated $90 million through 2065.

Amid climate concerns and frustrations with DTE Energy’s high outage rate, the city is planning a ‘sustainable energy utility’ that backers tout as a cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable option.

The $50 million grant to the proposed UP mine drew angry shouts from opponents. Lawmakers also authorized money for an Ypsilanti supercomputing center, a Redford Township diesel engine maker, and Dow Chemical.

Democrats want to raise some fees by 50% or more and switch to an ‘opt-out’ model for recreation passports. The state says costs haven’t kept up with inflation.

A new study in the journal “Urban Ecosystems” found that high blood lead levels in robins can accurately predict where soil is contaminated.

The US and Canada are working together to stop a massive fish from gobbling up Great Lakes greenery.

The law aims to counter local pushback that is slowing efforts to replace fossil fuel power with green energy. But it faces challenges. Here’s what to know.

Michigan’s transition to green energy is plagued by fights over placing wind and solar arrays on farmland and forests. But fewer balked over plans to build a green energy plant on abandoned industrial land.

As climate change increasingly shapes the Great Lakes region’s ecology and economy, scientists plan to use underwater robots to gather previously inaccessible data they say will help communities adapt.

A binational group of fisheries experts made the declaration Wednesday, after seven decades of effort to recover the fish from a collapse caused by invasive species and overfishing.

More than 70 townships and counties challenge how Michigan went about implementing a new law allowing the state to overrule local authorities on siting big energy projects.

At the Eagle Mine in Marquette County, a $145 million federal grant-funded project promises to turn dangerous mining waste into valuable metals and chemicals. Proponents hope it signals a new era of cleaner, more efficient mining. But some are skeptical.

Data server farms are big business. But it takes a ton of energy to store data in the cloud, prompting concerns among environmentalists. Michigan is poised to give the servers tens of millions of dollars in tax breaks.

Michigan was hailed as a national leader when it set PFAS drinking water limits in 2020. Now, chemical company 3M wants the limits voided.

The season starts Friday. You asked, we answered: Why isn’t year-round hunting? Why are deer so numerous even with so many hunters? What about a commercial hunt?

The incoming president is expected to resume the environmental rollbacks that were a signature of his first term in office, while prioritizing oil and gas and dismantling Biden-era electric vehicle and climate policies.

Residents who want to avoid raking their leaves this fall may do so with peace of mind. Experts say leaving the leaves can be beneficial for insects and other critters that rely on them.