environment

The Ann Arbor Planning Commission has approved a rezoning and site plan for a new apartment complex on West Huron. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

We often ask ourselves how we can make a difference in the health of our environment at home. One of the answers is to build a rain garden. There are now well over 1,000 rain gardens in Washtenaw County as the Water Resources Commissioner's Office has scaled a decentralized network to capture and filter stormwater. It's making a difference, and the effort will expand this year. WEMU's David Fair gets more details in a conversation with Rain Garden Coordinator, Susan Bryan.

Eastern Michigan University students spearheaded a recent effort to transform the annual Southeast Michigan Stewardship Coalition (SEMIS) Community Forum into a zero-waste event for the first time. Thanks to their efforts, 250 pounds of food and other materials were composted, and 165 pounds of unused food were recovered and donated to Ypsilanti-based Hope Clinic, resulting in less than a third of a bag of waste from the event going to a landfill. Lee Van Roth talked about the event and what it may lead to with SEMIS Coalition Director Anna Balzer.

As energy bills continue to rise the Michigan League of Conservation Voters is renewing the push for the passage of a state Ratepayer Bill of Rights. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

Local restaurant and wholesaler Juicy Kitchen is nearing reopening after a freezer fire that forced the Maple Road establishment to close this past September. WEMU’s Ana Longoria reports.

It’s A2ZERO week in the City of Ann Arbor. Mayor Christopher Taylor joins in with a signed proclamation at tonight’s City Council meeting. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

The University of Michigan collected more than 16 tons of reusable goods during the spring student move-out. It was a record for the long-running program design to reduce landfill materials. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

The City of Ann Arbor is preparing to add electric vehicles to its A2ZERO Home Energy and Yard Care Rebates program beginning in July. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has the details.

Circuit Court Judge Kevin Cox on Wednesday granted a permanent injunction blocking Wayne Disposal from accepting radioactive waste from the Manhattan Project. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

The march toward carbon neutrality in Ann Arbor continues. In enacting the measures needed to make the A2ZERO plan work by the goal date of 2030, it has to be approached from a variety of angles. That includes boots on the ground. That’s where the Ann Arbor Climate Corps comes in. It helps bridge the gap between city policy and neighborhood level implementation, and it’s been working so far. But now, there is the potential elimination of federal AmeriCorps funding. Maggie Halpern is program manager for Ann Arbor Climate Corps. In her conversation with WEMU's David Fair, she talks about what options are being considered, should that come to pass, and the work the Climate Corps will continue doing in Ann Arbor.