air pollution

State environmental officials say Michigan's effort to decrease ozone pollution has lead to better air quality this year. Ava Harmon reports.

The 2026 midterm elections have concluded, and the Democrats will take control of both chambers of Congress next year. For this month's "1st Friday Focus on the Environment," Ann Arbor Congresswoman Debbie Dingell shared her thoughts and predictions on what Democrats may accomplish on the environmental front.

Approval for Michigan projects to capture carbon dioxide emissions and store them underground could happen at the state level under bipartisan bills passed in the Michigan Senate Thursday. Colin Jackson has more.

Canadian wildfires have played havoc with air quality in Washtenaw County and the state of Michigan for the past few summers. Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian is the chief medical executive for the state of Michigan. She joined WEMU's David Fair to look at the short and longer-term implications.

Michigan environmental activists say a Trump Administration plan to pull back from clean air regulations would hurt the state. Colin Jackson has more.

Michigan’s air quality has nosedived in recent weeks, due to wildfire smoke from Canada. At one point, Detroit was listed as the third most polluted city in the world. The blanket of haze that has covered the region, including Washtenaw County, has prompted several air quality advisories. WEMU's Caroline MacGregor talks to Dr. MeiLan Han, Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care at the University of Michigan Health, to get a better understanding of how particulate matter from wildfire smoke affects our overall health.

An air quality alert remains in effect for Washtenaw County and is expected to continue for the next couple of days. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor reports.

We all know that air pollution is bad for the environment and our health. A new study out of the University of Michigan now shows that it is contributing to a loss of independence among older adults. The study also shows that the economic impact of that loss comes in at an estimate of over $11 billion. WEMU's David Fair spoke with the lead author of the study, Dr. Sara Adar, about the findings.

The United Auto Workers strike against the Detroit Three ended with the union claiming significant gains over past contracts. Among those that supported the union through the strike was the Ann Arbor-based Ecology Center. In addition to gains for workers, it says the contracts are important for our future environmental health. WEMU's David Fair took a look ahead and practical impacts of the deals with the Ecology Center’s Climate and Energy Program Director, Charles Griffith.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has a new director. Phil Roos was recently appointed to the position by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Roos will be charged with taking on a number of initiatives aimed at improving the quality of Michigan's air, land and water. In his first media appearance since taking charge of EGLE, Roos discussed his plans with WEMU's David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak.