Manoomin Stewardship Plan workshop participants in wild rice beds. Image: Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy
Land

A New Paradigm: How climate change is shaping mental landscapes in the Great Lakes

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By Mia Litzenberg

In a weekly Good Grief Network session held on July 25, time and space were created for participants to reflect on their feelings of uncertainty in an unstable environment over Zoom. Trained facilitators kept time for each participant to speak while the other participants bore witness as listeners. The overarching rule was no cross-talk, which means not directly responding or referring to what a person shared. The session began with a grounding exercise, where participants closed their eyes and imagined themselves in a safe space in nature. They were encouraged to embody any sensory details associated with this place.

Moms Clean Air Force demonstrates an electric school bus in front of a manufacturing facility as a part of its national Let’s Get Rolling Tour in 202. Courtesy photo
Air

Inside is not the answer: Air quality in the Great Lakes

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By Mia Litzenberg

In the Detroit area, people experience unsafe levels of particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and ozone in the air they breathe. These pollutants are blamed for adverse health effects such as heart disease, respiratory issues and cancer. The University of Michigan is part of an ongoing Detroit research partnership, Community Action to Promote Healthy Environments (CAPHE). CAPHE identifies sources of air pollution, measures its impact on residents and empowers the community to take action. CAPHE found that outdoor air pollution has caused people to miss a total of 500,000 days of work and 990,000 days of school.