Recent News from the Ecology Center

Diverse crowd of protesters holding up signs - center sign reads: Clean Water is a Human Right #Waterislife

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Founded in 1970, the Ecology Center serves one purpose: protecting healthy people and a healthy planet. We believe that the central question of our time is how human beings are going to thrive in the world without destroying the earth's ability to sustain us. This can only be achieved with your support.

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We believe the central question of our time is how are we going to thrive in the world without destroying the earth’s ability to sustain us.

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Opportunity to Give Feedback on Ann Arbor's Recycling & Composting Outreach and Education

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Attention Ann Arbor residents and business owners: Do you have ideas to help build Ann Arbor's recycling and composting outreach program? If so, we could...
            

Press ReleaseAnglers Find ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Every Fish Tested from Huron and Rouge Rivers

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Community anglers found toxic PFAS at high levels in 12 species of commonly-consumed fish, putting subsistence anglers at elevated risk

Ann Arbor, MI, February 23, 2023...

The Ecology Center Applauds Nearly $500 Million of Clean Mobility Incentives in Governor Whitmer’s Budget Proposal

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     On Wednesday, Governor Whitmer released her budget proposal, which is being lauded by a diverse group of non-profit organizations across the state. Among the billions...
            

Press ReleaseClean Mobility, Energy Efficient Homes Get Boost in Gov. Whitmer’s Budget Proposal

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     LANSING, Mich. – A diverse group of non-profit organizations today applauded Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s budget proposal for including investments in clean mobility, energy efficient homes...
            

Bad News: Chemical Recycling Greenlit in Michigan

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Chemical recycling is a dangerous distraction from desperately needed solutions to address the plastic pollution crisis we face across the globe. Michigan advocates are now...
            

Eating Great Lakes Fish Presents a Sobering Risk

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     A new report expands on the Ecology Center's testing of freshwater fish for PFAS; finds alarming PFAS levels in Great Lakes freshwater fish with subsistence...
            

An Equitable and Just Transition to Electric Transportation

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     By Sarah Hughes, Ecology Center Guest Writer

Now that electric vehicles are starting to take off, with sales doubling over the last two years and capturing...

Spread Cheer Not Waste: Bringing Back the True Holiday Spirit

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Frenzied buying beckons the arrival of the holiday season, fueled by attractive deals and discounts readily available with a tap of our finger. But, with...
            

Environmental Organizations Ask Governor Whitmer to Veto Harmful Chemical Recycling Bill

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     December 12, 2022

Dear Governor Whitmer,

We are writing to urge you to veto the solid waste reform package (HB 4454-61, with Senate substitutes) due to the...

Peer-reviewed PublicationRapid screening methods to detect hazardous chemicals

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Since 2015, the Healthy Stuff Lab has done innovative testing on a wide variety of consumer products for hormone-disrupting chemicals with a relatively inexpensive analyzer....
            

Healthy Stuff Lab Develops Rapid Screening Methods for Detecting Chemicals of Concern

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     What hazardous chemicals are lurking in everyday products? The government, non-profit, and private sectors are heavily invested in addressing this question as many toxic chemicals...
            

We Voted to Restore Our Rights. Now It’s Time to Re-write the Future.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     We woke up November 9 to a new day in Michigan. Voters had approved constitutional amendments to protect voting rights and reproductive rights – liberties...
            

A Livable Planet Is Always on the Ballot

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     After the 2016 election, a 28 year old Michigander decided she was tired of political polarization and cynicism about the government's ability to improve people’s...
            

Vote Yes on Proposal 3 for Reproductive Freedom

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Earlier this year, when the Supreme Court released its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Ecology Center released a statement expressing our...
            

Tell REI: Stop Polluting the Outdoors with PFAS

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Update: On February 22, 2023, REI announced it will ban PFAS in all textiles and&nbsp;cookware from its suppliers, in a major update to its “Product...
            