AltWeeklies Wire
From Motown to Coketownnew

The petroleum byproduct known as "petcoke," which is derived from an extraction process involving tar-like bitumen from the oil sands of Alberta, Canada, and is turned into gasoline and other fuels sits, exposed, along the bank of the Detroit River. Everyone agrees it is unsightly, but is it unsafe, too?
Metro Times |
Curt Guyette |
06-12-2013 |
Environment
Michigan Debates the Future of Wind Powernew
Gov. Jennifer Granholm says the state can make a transformation from the "rust belt" to the "green belt" by aggressively pursuing policies that promote clean energy alternatives to the burning of fossil fuels.
Metro Times |
Curt Guyette |
05-11-2010 |
Environment
Get the Buzz: Why Bees are a Sweet Addition to City Lifenew
When I was a kid, my mother used to make a big jar of honey and fresh-squeezed lemon juice every winter. The thick, bittersweet concoction was our cough medicine, and we would gladly line up for a spoon of that rather than cod liver oil or castor oil — both of which were also freely passed out among us.
Metro Times |
Larry Gabriel |
03-16-2010 |
Environment
Fish Fry: Worst-Case Scenarios for Carp in the Great Lakesnew

Scientists, lawyers and the hosting politician had the to-be-expected persuasive presentations at a forum about what it would mean for Lake St. Clair and the Great Lakes if Asian carp breach barriers to rivers and canals in Indiana and Illinois and enter Lake Michigan.
Metro Times |
News Hits staff |
03-02-2010 |
Environment
Will Backroom Deals Keep Detroit's Garbage Incinerator Burning?new
The July 1 deadline for deciding the long-term future for disposal of Detroit's garbage has come and gone, but we can't tell you with any certainty what that future will be.
Metro Times |
Staff |
07-14-2009 |
Environment
What Role Will Recycling Play in Detroit's Future?new
The issue of recycling is wrapped up in the broader debate about what to do with the massive incinerator in Detroit that burns the city's trash, as well as garbage trucked in from the suburbs, creating steam and electricity in the process.
Metro Times |
Curt Guyette |
06-03-2008 |
Environment
Peter Anin: Covering Great Lakes Water Warsnew
A Q&A with the journalist whose book Great Lakes Water Wars is the definitive chronicle on an issue of importance to the Midwest and the nation ... let's be less parochial, two nations as a whole.
Metro Times |
Sandra Svoboda |
04-09-2008 |
Environment
Will Detroit Keep Incinerating Trash, or Seek a Greener Future?new
Confronted with that same dilemma more than two decades ago, the city responded by constructing the largest municipal waste incinerator in America. We went for the big burn -- and have been paying for it in a big way ever since.
Metro Times |
Curt Guyette |
04-08-2008 |
Environment
Who'll Pay to Keep Lake St. Clair's Water Safe?new
From the local to federal levels, officials who tend to the vital Lake St. Clair watershed say they're making progress, but they're also worried about the future, about water levels, about the threat of invasive species. They're particularly worried about where they'll find the money to continue their efforts.
Metro Times |
Sandra Svoboda |
04-01-2008 |
Environment
Tags: environment
Can the Motor City Become a Green Giant?new
An ecologically progressive vision for Detroit's future.
Metro Times |
Larry Gabriel |
11-13-2007 |
Environment
Tags: environment
The Environmental Justice Movement Hits the Citynew
For a long time people thought an environmentalist was a white guy hiking through the woods hugging trees. There are still plenty of tree huggers out there, but the environmental movement has moved to the city.
Metro Times |
Larry Gabriel |
10-30-2007 |
Environment
Tags: environment
Is the Holy Light a Compact Fluorescent Bulb?new
Rev. Charles Morris believes the faith community has the responsibility to lead the way to salvation from fossil fuel dependence and pollution while embracing renewable energy sources.
Metro Times |
Sandra Svoboda |
10-16-2007 |
Environment
Tags: environment
Opposition to Ethanol is Growingnew
As Michigan rushes ahead to build new plants that will turn corn into fuel for our cars, trucks and SUVs, an unusual assortment of opponents is trying to douse what critics call a "frenzy" for this alternative to gasoline.
Metro Times |
Curt Guyette |
08-21-2007 |
Environment
Blueprints Go Greennew
Environmentally friendly buildings gaining popularity, certification.
Metro Times |
Sandra Svoboda |
07-17-2007 |
Environment
Tags: environment
Driving to the Brinknew
Every time Congress considers raising CAFE standards, the automakers wail and howl.
Metro Times |
Jack Lessenberry |
07-10-2007 |
Environment
Tags: environment