Policy Brief: Impacts of Anaerobic Digesters (PDF) Anaerobic digesters are facilities that decompose organic waste, separating biogas from solids and liquids, called “digestate.” Biogas can be used on-site or processed into purified pipeline-grade biomethane for electricity or transportation. On confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), a biodigester may be a cover on a cesspit…. Read more »
The environmental community has achieved a major victory – although temporary – in convincing legislative leaders to press the “pause” button on a set of bills that would pose a significant threat to the Great Lakes. Slated for a final vote in the House of Representatives on the last day of session before the summer… Read more »
Traditionally, we have counted five Great Lakes. For decades, school children have been reminded of them via an acronym, HOMES, standing for Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. Some, however, argue that there are at least six Great Lakes. One would be Lake St. Clair, at the center of the watershed. Without this lake, freighters… Read more »
Friends of FLOW, As a descendant of early Montana homesteaders, I’ve been blessed to spend much of my life close to pristine trout streams and millions of acres of wilderness. I’ve pulled lambs, witnessed calves being born on open range, and found myself way too close to grizzlies and bison. Both the responsibility of an… Read more »
You probably don’t know it, but this first week in June, Michigan is observing Great Lakes and Freshwater Week. It’s certainly appropriate. Michigan has an astounding array of waters. As Governor Whitmer said in her proclamation, “during this week, we encourage Michiganders to learn more about the unique wonders of our Great Lakes and freshwater… Read more »
On December 16, 2016, FLOW (For Love of Water) formally requested that the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) cancel its approval of Nestlé’s application to more than double its groundwater pumping for commercial water bottling from a well northwest of Evart, in Osceola County. After conducting an independent assessment, FLOW’s environmental attorneys determined… Read more »
By Jim Olson “With my Grandma I like to walk along the beach and find Petoskey stones. With my Grandpa I like to go in Lake Michigan and body surf the waves,” my 11-year-old granddaughter Ava Bachmann reflected in late August when she stood with me along the shores of West Grand Traverse Bay. We… Read more »
“I’ve spent my whole life surrounded by water, with the exception of spending time in the desert. Living on the desert floor in Tucson, like 25-35 square miles, this urban sprawl is happening, and there’s no requirement for people to demonstrate that they have access to water. I thought to myself, ‘How is this sustainable?’ It drive me to focus on water law,” said FLOW executive director Liz Kirkwood in this testimonial about the impact we’ve had during the past decade.
By Liz Kirkwood, FLOW Executive Director Because we are celebrating FLOW’s 10th anniversary throughout 2021, I have been reflecting with gratitude on how far we have come over the last decade—thanks to you and others in our community of supporters—in securing water justice throughout the Great Lakes. And because there is still so much we… Read more »
While the word “water” was not on the November 8 statewide general election ballot in Michigan, it was present on the ballot in various local communities and in different, more subtle ways across the Great Lakes State. In some of Michigan’s 276 cities and 1,240 townships, voters considered new regulations to safeguard water resources and… Read more »
