Longtime Great Lakes advocate Jane Elder’s new book, Wilderness, Water and Rust, (available from Michigan State University Press) is a compelling story of both progress and backsliding in policies and practices affecting the Lakes. It is also a memoir of growing up in Michigan and more than 40 years of fighting for a clean environment… Read more »
Earth Day has always been about action as much as education. But in a complex world with complex environmental problems, where do we begin? Here are eight specific actions you can take protect the world’s greatest lakes: Pare down plastics Plastic pollution is growing exponentially, with some of the highest concentrations of microplastics in the… Read more »
By Daniel Macfarlane Daniel Macfarlane is an Associate Professor in the School of the Environment, Geography, and Sustainability at Western Michigan University. He is also a senior fellow at the Bill Graham Center for Contemporary International History, University of Toronto, and President of the International Water History Association. His research and teaching focus on the… Read more »
By Jim Olson, FLOW founder and senior legal advisor Recent reports show that four decades ago, Congress was advised that citizens in our cities and towns would face lead poisoning from lead pipes in municipal drinking water systems. Nothing was done. The failure of Congress to address this crisis then and now is a window… Read more »
In his timely and profound new book, Unbottled, Daniel Jaffee tackles the threat that commercialized, packaged water poses to water as a public good. His message is more than an alarm bell – it offers hope and suggestions on how to fight back. Maude Barlow, a globally recognized water steward and friend of FLOW, calls… Read more »
When you get a speeding ticket, you don’t get 43 years to pay it. And when you contaminate a river with toxic materials — a much bigger hazard than going 45 in a 40 – you shouldn’t get 43 years to stop doing it and pay a fine. But there’s a double standard in Michigan… Read more »
Michigan is once again free to enact environmental protections critical to the health of our environment and residents. Updated July 31, 2023 On July 27, 2023, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 14, which passed the State House of Representatives on June 28 by a 56-52 vote. With her signature, the 2018 state statute that… Read more »
On their way out of office in late 2018, former Governor Rick Snyder and the lame-duck Legislature delivered a body blow to Michigan’s environment by enacting a law intended to thwart state rules that go beyond weak federal minimums. This seemingly abstract law in fact repudiated 50 years of efforts by state officials to act… Read more »
During Michigan’s 2023 Drinking Water Week, May 7-13, filling knowledge gaps is a critical priority. Knowing the source of your drinking water is crucial, and so are threats to its safety and legal and environmental defenses to its contamination. One surprising fact to many is that 45% of Michigan’s population drinks water from underground sources…. Read more »
Bringing about cleaner air, water, land and health is not a simple task. Sometimes it is a long fight with uncertain results until the very end. We asked several of Michigan’s foremost environmental change makers to give us their thoughts. We asked them about the keys to successfully advocating for the environment. And what advice… Read more »
