-
New buildings in Ann Arbor will not be allowed to install natural gas connections. That’s if a proposal from the city’s planning commission is approved. WEMU’s Josh Hakala reports.
-
The nature of transportation in America is changing. There is a strong move toward electric vehicles with the major automakers committing to the change. Most of that is about personal transportation. But the public transportation sector is adapting and evolving, too. The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority recently conducted a study looking into how best to create a fleet of zero emission buses. There are choices to be made and challenges to overcome. WEMU's David Fair explores those issues with AAATA CEO, Matt Carpenter.
-
Officials at the Ypsilanti public school district woke up to news Wednesday that they will be receiving 10 new zero-emission buses as part of the EPA’s plan to eliminate diesel-polluting buses in the country. WEMU’s Cathy Shafran reports.
-
When you, or a loved one, has to have surgery, environmental protections are probably the last thing on your mind. But it is an issue that needs to be addressed. As much as 8-10% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the country emanate from medical facilities. Michigan Medicine is looking to significantly cut down its impacts while continuing to providing crucial care services. Dr. George Mashour is chair of Michigan Medicine's anesthesiology department, and he joined WEMU's David Fair to explain the process of identifying and implementing solutions.
-
On this post-election Wednesday, we talk public transportation. The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority asked voters to approve a five-year, 2.38 mill tax levy to expand services and help meet climate and economic equity goals in the community. AAATA CEO Matt Carpenter discussed the plans with WEMU's David Fair.
-
If the City of Ann Arbor is to achieve carbon neutrality by the year 2030, some community changes are needed. As work on the expansive A2Zero plan continues, Ann Arbor will be promoting a move away from natural gas. As WEMU's Taylor Pinson reports, Friday's “Electrification Expo” is aimed at educating the public on the various options available to them.
-
Most residential homes and commercial buildings rely heavily on gas power. It leaves a significant carbon footprint at a time when the community is rushing to become carbon neutral. The movement is gaining steam, and, this week, residents can learn more at an electrification expo. WEMU's David Fair got into the details of it all with Julie Roth from the City of Ann Arbor's Office of Sustainability and Innovations.
-
Voters in Ann Arbor will decide an issue in November that could very well determine the success of the city's A2Zero plan to reach carbon neutrality by the year 2030. WEMU's David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak, discussed the stakes with Kris Olsson, who is part of a group advocating for passage of the Community Climate Action ballot proposal.
-
Do you prefer books or reading your favorites on an e-reader? We’ll look at the ecological impacts of both choices and explore why other sustainable initiatives are more likely to positively impact the overall health of our environment. David Fair is joined by the director of the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan's School of Sustainability and Environment Greg Keoleian on this week's "Issues of the Environment."
-
The International Panel on Climate Change has issued a dire warning about inaction in addressing the climate crisis. The latest report spells it out but also provides some guidance on what local governments and communities can do to prevent catastrophic consequences. Climatologist and Huron River Watershed Council planner, Daniel Brown, joined WEMU's David Fair to look at the global, national and local measures that need to begin right now.