climate change

The federal administration has laid off hundreds of staff from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the impact is already being felt locally and in region. Moving forward, there is the potential NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab in Ann Arbor could be shut down. WEMU's David Fair spoke with Nicole Rice about where it stands now and where it may be headed. Rice is among those already fired from the lab in Ann Arbor.

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.

Ann Arbor officials have been improving the city’s ability to mitigate floods caused by increasingly frequent and heavier rainfall. WEMU’s Ana Longoria reports.

You may have noticed there have been some changes in the nature of our weather. Climate change is cited as the reason for some notable changes in precipitation patterns in our corner of the world. What does that tell us about the near- and longer-term future in Washtenaw County? WEMU's David Fair discussed this with Dr. Drew Gronewold, Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability.

Jonathan Taylor Overpeck is an American climate scientist and globally recognized climate researcher. Since 2017, he has served as the Samuel A. Graham Dean and Professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor caught up with Overpeck to discuss where we stand with climate change today.

A globally recognized climate researcher with the University of Michigan says the U.S. lags behind countries that have embraced solar and renewable energy over fossil fuels. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor reports.

Allergy season is getting longer and more intense, according to a University of Michigan Health allergist. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor reports.

Scientists, almost unanimously, cite climate change as an existential threat. There are differing opinions as to when we will reach a tipping point of no return. With the new federal administration attempting to roll back climate policies and funding for programs and research, what will happen next? WEMU's David Fair and Michigan Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak find out in their conversation with Julia Cole, Chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences in the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

The U.S. Justice Department is preemptively challenging potential Michigan climate change lawsuits targeting oil and gas companies. We have more from Rick Pluta.

In June of 2020, the City of Ann Arbor adopted its A2Zero Plan. Its goal was to move the city to full carbon neutrality by the year 2030. Under the best of circumstances, it presented a difficult task. With the new administration enacting funding cuts and some new local challenges, it may be nearly impossible to hit the target date. WEMU's David Fair talked with Ann Arbor Energy Commission member John Mirsky about what comes next.