A growing number of Great Lakes communities are concerned about climate change. Ann Arbor is applying for a grant to identify what it can do to adapt to this new reality.
Ann Arbor has already started to take weather changes such as increased precipitation and greater frequency of extreme rain into account when planning new projects. A Great Lakes Climate Assessment Grant would provide funds for the city to catalog these efforts so University of Michigan researchers can determine what types of investments are working best here and in other communities.
Environmental Coordinator Matthew Naud says it's not just more rain the city is looking to handle, "If we're going to have more high heat days should we be using blacktop on the roads or would concrete be better because it's going to reflect more light and reduce that kind of heat and baking."
Naud thinks the grant will be attractive because other communities across the region are facing similar problems. He says this will help Ann Arbor funnel money into areas that are most worthy of investment by identifying which changes are working and which ones aren't getting results.
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter— Andrew Cluley is the Ann Arbor beat reporter, and anchor for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him acluley@emich.edu.
