By Trilby MacDonald, Ecology Center Writer

“Plants exist on the thin margin where sunlight and matter meet. They convert light into food, forging the living world from thin air and photons.”
 — Zoë Schlanger, The Light Eaters

The sun’s limitless energy has fueled life on Earth since the beginning. For thousands of years, humans have searched for ways to harness that energy. Today, technology has advanced enough that, when conditions are right, the average home can generate nearly all of its energy needs from rooftop solar. Households could save tens of thousands of dollars on electricity bills over the life of their systems.

In Michigan, most solar arrays still appear on middle- and upper-income homes — people who can afford the upfront costs that lead to long-term savings. But residents in Southeast Michigan are proving that solar power isn’t just for wealthy homeowners in sun-soaked states. It’s a practical path to lower bills, fewer blackouts, and greater energy independence for everyone. Through creative financing, community networks, and determination, Michiganders are showing that solar can be both practical and affordable for the average person.

Michigan imports around 85% of the fuels used to produce its electricity — including coal, natural gas, and uranium. Only about 15-18% of in-state generation comes from local resources like wind, solar, or hydro. “We spend billions every year sending our energy dollars out of state,” says Missy Stults, Ann Arbor’s Director of Sustainability. “Local solar keeps money here and makes us more resilient.”

Meet Southeast Michigan’s Solar Pioneers

Solar panels are not a new idea. Charles Fritts installed the first ones on a New York City rooftop in 1884, though his panels only converted about 2% of sunlight into energy — barely enough to power a toaster. Today’s solar cells can reach up to 23% efficiency and work well even in cloudy states like Michigan. Despite these advances, only about 1% of Michigan homes have solar panels. So why aren’t more households getting their power from the sun?

Only about 25% of homes get enough direct sunlight to make it worthwhile, and upfront costs can be significant. For Ann Arbor’s Brigit Macomber, overcoming these hurdles meant thinking outside the box. Their shaded Cape Cod roof and tricky gables made it impossible to put panels on their rooftop panels. So they put panels on their sunny garage and worked with a local contractor to build a small “solar porch” over their front walkway topped with solar panels. Their limited energy use meant that investing in a backup battery didn’t make financial sense, so they plan to purchase an EV when vehicle batteries can serve as home backup power. “An electric vehicle has this huge battery, even more powerful than most of these house backup batteries,” they explain. Macomber’s creative solar solution is working out well. “I’ve been meaning to do this for a really long time.”

Steve Yalisove, in Webster Township, experiences frequent power outages in his neighborhood. He considered investing in a backup generator — until he saw the price tag. “The quote came in at $18,000 for a generator that I’m going to use like three days a year, and it doesn’t add value to the house.” Instead, he looked into solar. With the federal tax rebate, the price of solar panels and a 13kW backup battery came to $19,000. “According to Zillow, solar adds up to 3% value to the house,” and he points out that the system should pay for itself in less than a decade and save his family $2,000 a year on energy. “Solar panels pay homeowners twice — once on the monthly savings, and again when they sell their house,” he says.

The downside is that Yalisove’s panels don’t generate enough electricity for him to run his appliances and air conditioner as much as he’d like. 

A typical home solar system can run between $10,000 and $15,000, with a backup battery adding another $10,000. Even after rebates, upfront costs remain out of reach for households on a tight budget.  

The median household income in Ypsilanti is just over half that of Ann Arbor’s, yet the city outranks Ann Arbor in solar adoption. In fact, Ypsilanti ranks 37th in the nation for solar generation per resident. Dave Strenski’s grassroots group, SolarYpsi, is a big part of the reason why. “We’re kind of a loose group of volunteers that’ve been around for 20 years,” says Strenski. “And over that time, we’ve gotten Ypsi from zero percent solar to 1.7 megawatts of solar and brought in maybe a half million dollars worth of funding and grants.”

SolarYpsi has made residential solar accessible by using volunteer labor and raising funds to help cover equipment costs. The group has installed solar panels free of charge on 154 sites in Ypsilanti. While the city can’t afford a full-scale municipal program, it does offer a $2,000 rebate for residents installing solar. Between the free installation and local and federal rebates, most residents can pay off their panels in about six years. “We need to bring solar power to the people that need it the most — low-income people,” says Strenski.

Watch Our Video Interview with Dave Strenski of SolarYpsi

Overcoming Barriers

Homeowners in Michigan cities that lack public and private support for solar adoption still have options. Michigan Saves is a nonprofit “green bank” that offers loans up to $50,000 for solar, batteries, and energy efficiency upgrades. These loans are designed to be repaid through cost savings, and participating contractors must meet quality standards to protect homeowners.

Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) are another option, where a solar company installs and owns the panels and the homeowner buys the electricity at a set rate, often below utility prices. However, PPAs aren’t available in all areas and can be complicated by Michigan’s utility regulations.

Group-buy programs like Solarize Ann Arbor also help make solar more affordable. By organizing neighbors to go solar together, these programs negotiate bulk discounts, lowering installation costs for everyone involved.

Even with financing in place, technical barriers can still prevent residents from getting solar. Roof direction, tree cover, and local permitting rules can derail even well-planned projects. Dave Friedrichs, owner of Homeland Solar in Ann Arbor, has installed solar on over 1,000 rooftops across Washtenaw County and notes that suitable sites are more limited than many homeowners realize: “Only about twenty-five percent are oriented the correct way or have the right dimensions — roof or ground — to allow them to have solar.” 

Solar alone also can’t always cover a home’s full energy use, especially in Michigan’s dark winters or in homes with high energy needs. “It’s good to figure out your annual usage,” advises Friedrichs. “It’s common to use 8,000 to 10,000 kilowatt hours, even 12,000. But a single electric car that’s driven daily might use 4,000 or 5,000 a year for itself.”

EVs as a home power source

After Steve Yalisove installed his home solar system, he bought a 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 electric vehicle. His energy usage immediately jumped 50%. He plans to add additional panels to his roof that will increase his solar power from 10,000 kilowatt hours (kW) to 15,000 kW a year, “with some losses because of the fact that DTE will not give us full credit for power exported to them,” he explains. But even if it’s not quite enough to recharge his EV, he’ll still save money: “Recharging from the grid overnight translates to about a dollar a gallon of gas. I’m okay with that.” 

But Yalisove is frustrated by the fact that his EV’s 80kW battery could easily meet all his home power needs during a blackout if only he could find a way to connect to it. The U-M engineering professor can’t resist a tech challenge and will attempt a workaround. 

First, he figures he’ll need to buy a Vehicle to Load Adapter for about $300. Then comes the technical part. He emails, “I believe I can have a transfer electrical box installed with the critical low power circuits I need to run the essential things in my house. Then I can connect a reverse feed circuit breaker from my vehicle to load adapter to run the low power circuits (less than 1.4kW) if I end up in a situation where I run out of power from my Powerwall.” 

This method requires a licensed electrician to perform the work. It can also be impacted by local regulations. But one thing is for sure: Future generations of EVs will be equipped to easily serve as backup home batteries. It’s one more reason why going electric makes sense. 

State Policies Drive Local Innovation

In 2018, Michigan replaced its traditional net metering system with a Distributed Generation Tariff. Under this system, homeowners earn credits for surplus solar energy sent back to the grid — but at rates lower than the full retail price, typically around 7 to 10 cents per kilowatt-hour compared to retail rates of about 16 to 18 cents. Residents can still make money, but solar advocates see this as a step backwards. 

A promising new effort is Solar for All, a federal program through which Michigan is receiving $156 million to help low-income households access solar power, either through home installations or participation in community solar projects. Currently in its pilot stage, the full program is expected to launch in 2026.

Ann Arbor offers a variety of ways to make solar more accessible. Beyond Solarize, residents can participate in the city’s innovative Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU). The SEU is an opt-in, supplemental service that works alongside DTE’s main grid, allowing residents to install city-owned solar and pay only for the energy they use. Residents who don’t have the right conditions for solar can also join future microgrids that let neighbors share power.

Under Michigan law, private companies are generally prohibited from sharing solar power across property lines. But Ann Arbor established the SEU through local authority and overwhelming voter approval, making it exempt from state restrictions. This allows the SEU to offer community solar and neighborhood microgrids that share clean energy within city limits. As Missy Stults, Ann Arbor’s Director of Sustainability, explains, “No single part of this is unique, but together, it’s transformative,” describing how the SEU combines proven ideas into a new model for community-driven energy. The SEU includes programs for businesses, nonprofits, and multifamily housing, ensuring the benefits of clean energy reach all parts of the community.

From DIY innovators and city-led programs to private financing and new government incentives, Michiganders are proving that solar power works — even in a state with cloudy skies and regulatory hurdles. The bad news is that the 30% federal rebate was canceled under the GOP's "Big Beautiful Bill," and homeowners only have until December 31, 2025 to claim it.  But even without the rebate, homeowners can still improve reliability and save thousands on their energy bills by going solar. 

There’s never been a better time to explore solar energy. Find out how you can harness the cheapest source of electricity — the sun!

An interview with Sanctuary Farms, co-founder, jøn kent

by Andrea Jacoby, Ecology Center Environmental Storyteller, Rackham Fellow

Less than 50 yards down Lakeview Street, off busy Mack Avenue near the edge of Detroit proper, Sanctuary Farms is a lush, quiet oasis that feels far removed from bustling city life. Bees buzz in the farm’s hives near the large hoop house, in which a crop of tomatoes, cilantro, and basil grow protected from the harshest light of the afternoon sun, while across the street, raised planters scent the air with mint. To the right of these planters sits a growing orchard with young fruit trees; on the left, a compost pile that well exceeds my 5’2” height. Now in its fourth season, Sanctuary Farms’ project – to restore the land and our connections to it, our food, and our larger ecosystem through stewardship rooted in reparative justice – exceeds a simple mission of growing food (though that is one of the many things they do). The philosophy of stewardship that guides Sanctuary Farms and Sacred Spaces is their coined acronym, WASANA (Water, Air, Soil, Agriculture, and Nature Access), which, by serendipitous coincidence, is also a Thai name translating to “lucky” or “fortunate.” 

We were fortunate to sit down with jøn recently to talk about some of the ways in which Sanctuary Farms and Sacred Spaces enact WASANA through programming, advocacy, and collaboration (including as a partner organization of Ecology Center and Clear the Air). Born in Detroit, kent, a co-founder of the farm, Taubman College master’s student alumni, and former Hollywood actor (now he can be found on stages in the Detroit area), centers deep connection in his approach to the farm: the plants, the compost, the earth, the city and its citizens all have parts to play in realizing a transformative vision of food justice in Detroit. 

(This interview has been edited for clarity and length.)

Andrea Jacoby: How did you start Sanctuary Farms?

jøn kent: I started Sanctuary Farm with Parker Jean, who is a brother of mine in this work. We were both in a situation where we were 27 — close to 25, because I usually say that was our quarter-life crisis — where we were just trying to figure out, like, how are we going to do something that was going to be a benefit to not only ourselves but the community and the environment? He mentioned that compost wasn't being fully done at the magnitude that it could be done in the city. This was, like, late 2019, then speeding into 2020, COVID was happening. We brought back an idea that I wanted to do back when we originally met at Santa Monica College to start a farm and I said 'why don't we start a farm too?' And unbeknownst to us at the time, we were on the journey of closing the food loop.

AJ: So how does one start a farm?

jk: I think the biggest thing is knowing where you want to root yourself. And being ambitious and passionate enough to move past your ignorance, but also being humble enough to learn. One of the biggest ways, and another thing, because we live in a world that requires it, you're going to have to have a little bit of money. Or at least try to figure out how to get access to the certain amount of money that you need to get started out.

AJ: How did you decide to root yourself in Detroit?

jk: I'm from Detroit.

AJ: You're from Detroit!

jk: Yeah, I have the great pleasure.

AJ: Is [Parker] from Detroit?

jk: He is not from Detroit. He is from Texas originally. But as life would have it … He has ancestry here. His great-great-grandfather immigrated here as an Italian immigrant. Raised his great-grandfather, and then his great-grandfather raised his grandfather, grandfather raised his mother here. They moved to California. Then their mother would move to Texas. So it's kind of retracing back to his roots.

AJ: So it makes a lot of sense, then, to decide. Where are we going to do this project? We're going to root ourselves in Detroit.

jk: Yeah. Yeah, you know, Detroit has a very rich history of farming — even, like, pre-colonial. Then, you know, hopping over the colonial age where you get into the V-gardens, Victory Gardens that were big around the country [during WWII]. Then you get into Farm-A-Lot programs during the Coleman Administration. Then you get into kind of the modern-day urban farms that took hold because of the massive amounts of austerity and systemic injustices that people had to endure. So, they just went back to the roots, and all puns intended.

AJ: You mentioned closing the food loop. What do you consider as Sanctuary Farm's mission, and how does closing the food loop figure in?

jk: Closing the food loop means that we want to make sure that this cycle is regenerative and in line with most of how nature operates. We, as species, are the only ones that I have been able to come across that create trash. And trash essentially means something that cannot be put back into use. That is not in line with the true harmony of nature. Everything, either biotic or abiotic, are all regenerative in nature. We want to get back to that indigenous way of living. So what that means is we're making sure food waste is not going to the landfill to push out methane, which is a very hard greenhouse gas. That could be used instead to create compost. We need really healthy soil, and that, unfortunately, is being impacted too by the proliferation of a lot of single-use plastics.

AJ: What are some ecological challenges that urban farms face that farms in traditional rural settings might not?

jk: I would say there is a lack of funding that comes from the federal government. A lot of programs are based on acreage and a traditional monocropping style of farming, and a lot of urban farms that I have come in contact with are mostly on the side of being regenerative permaculture. But there are a lot of commonalities that urban and rural farmers face. Farming is not something that a lot of young people are venturing into, so we're seeing our agricultural population dwindle, both on an urban and rural scale. There's also, particularly in spaces that are Black and Brown, that still face a lot of environmental injustice. So, as much as there is some difference, there is a lot of alignment in the challenges that we face. I think the biggest thing that really kind of connects us all is I think generally people who are in the space of agriculture want people to have access to good food, and they want to have a good living doing that work.

AJ: How does Sanctuary Farms benefit the surrounding community? Where have you seen the food that you're producing already impacting the community? Where do you get to watch the fruit…

jk: Fruits of our labor?

AJ: Yes, exactly!

jk: We're actually in the process of revamping our farm. We're really scaling back our agricultural production right now.

We have an outside growing area over there [pointing to the land further down the block] where we stripped out the grass and are now just growing yarrow, because we had, like, wood chips in the middle for the walking area. We want to redo that. The hoop house is our only growing space at the moment.

We got into this work, you know, saying, oh, we want to be able to provide fresh produce to community members at a very low cost. But in the process of doing that, as a business, we started to run away from that mission because we were trying to figure out how to make ends meet. We started to sell to high-end restaurants, until we started to think, you know, this is not what we got in this for. A lot of this work is very philanthropic in that it wants to just make sure that people have access to good food. Our whole food systems in general needs a recalibration of our connection to why we got into this work. Is it to make money, or is it to feed people good food? And a lot of times, those are at odds with one another, and we need to really situate which one matters most. 

So now we have created Sacred Spaces, which is a sister organization to Sanctuary Farm. Sacred Spaces is a non-profit. Sacred Spaces will focus on farming, programming work, volunteer days, and teaching. Sanctuary Farms now would just be focused on the composting cultivation to bring that to market, so we can really hone in on our passion for giving away produce to people for free, if not for very low cost.

AJ: What are some ways that folks who want to get involved with this work can contribute? How can community members participate?

jk: We have this great opportunity called Rooted in Riverbend: Closing the Food Loop, in which we're going to be offering cooking classes, gardening classes, we'll be giving away free CSA boxes, and also composting classes. So it's kind of a robust program to connect the community to the work that we're doing and to provide an outlet for education and spaces in which they can grow and compost here. We're also big on food sovereignty, and what that means is that people have actual control and say over what is grown. And also, they have food justice and access to food directly in our community. The far-out goal is to be able to put some of this land into a community land trust, and that we're able to grow enough food to feed all the residents within Riverbend, about 2,600 people. I do think it's very doable with the amount of land that's in the neighborhood. And [we also want to promote] nature equity. Right now, we're sitting in our nature nook. We want folks to be able to know that they have the opportunity to freely come out and just be with and in nature. 

AJ: What are some recent additions that you're really excited about?

jk: There's just so much. As I mentioned, we're working to acquire most of the block to turn most of it into a nature sanctuary, so we're working with landscape architects and our community members to push that work forward. We're, of course, doing the Closing the Food Loop programmatic work, which I really hope folks will tap into. We're gonna be doing some events out here. We have our June 20th Summer Solstice event coming up.

We're also going to be doing a Fall Equinox to just show love and respect to the seasons and show gratitude to the ancestors and nature. 

I'm involved in a lot of policy work — pushing for the composting and that it can be increased on a decentralized scale, both backyard, community, and industrial. I'm also involved in the policy for urban farmers in Detroit. I believe, in order to scale the work that's happening in the city of Detroit. We need our council and mayor to subsidize some of this work. Especially at a time where we're seeing a lot of divestment at the federal level, how do we build that local autonomy?

AJ: What are some of the challenges that you’ve faced so far in policy work? For example, you mentioned that, like, you're trying to advocate for composting. What does advocating for compost look like in practice?

jk: Well, I think, using Riverbend as a microcosm for the City of Detroit, Detroit has faced so much divestment. Composting is just not a priority for a lot of people. When people are hungry and people need new roofs, when people don't have good mass transit to get to work, and you're like, 'we should compost.' They're like, what are you talking about, bro? You have to really reach people where they are, to show them that this is not going to be an encumbrance on your lifestyle, and this is also something very important for the land and community. That's something I've had to learn a lot about, because, you know, when we did some door knocking over here and told people about the work that we're doing, people would be like, "cool, alright," [as he says in a dismissive tone] you know.

AJ: "That's fine, but what does it have to do with me?"

jk: Mm-hmm. And it took me a while to understand that, because, you know, I'm an environmentalist. I've been able to make a pathway financially to make sense of this where a lot of folks are struggling, you know? How do we, again, reach people where they are? There's that, and then there's also people in positions of power who don't see this being feasible. They just see it being cumbersome, because it's another thing. Meanwhile, some of these people don't even live in Detroit, and where they live, they have composting services. But outside of that, I'm really encouraged by the community of folks that are diligent and are moving this work forward and care about this work. We have a very strong, strong environmental justice and food sovereignty movement, centering equity, and want to make sure that it goes to the most vulnerable of communities, particularly Black and Brown.

AJ: How does compost help the soil?

jk: Compost is a great soil amendment. Think of compost as like a supplemental pill you would take after a workout. You shouldn't be popping it in every day, you could actually kill a plant with too much compost, but with the proper proportion it could really help activate it stronger than regular dirt. We tested the soil here before we started composting and gardening, and it was, you know, in the clear. When we started, we didn't really have access to resources to see before and after we've composted in the area, and what that's done to the soil. We have observations that we feel that it has done great for the soil here, but we would like hard data to prove that. We do have hard data to show that our compost is very high quality. I'm very happy and impressed with what Parker [Jean, co-founder and Director of Operations at Sanctuary Farm] has been able to create, and Dan [Szczepanski, who runs the farm’s compost operation] has been able to extend.

AJ: Can you tell us about what work you've done with the Ecology Center so far?

jk: Shout out to the Ecology Center. My first introduction to the Ecology Center was through Jeff [Gearhart, Ecology Center Research Director] when we put up the air quality monitor. We were able to make connections with the folks at JustAir. And shout out to the folks there, Darren [Riley, Co-founder of JustAir] and the rest of the team. Through our connection made through Jeff, with Just Air, they then put another air quality monitor down the street. A second project that we're currently working on is our PFAS testing with the composting. As we know, PFAS are very dangerous chemicals that are in everything and everyone at this point. Erica [Bloom, Toxics Campaign Director at Ecology Center] and Gillian [Miller, Senior Scientist at Ecology Center] reached out to us to do a study on our compost and see what was in there — not so much the likelihood, because we kind of already know it's going to be there, but what is the extent of it, how much, and what exactly? We're part of Clear the Air as well, which is a coalition co-founded by the Ecology Center. And we’re working with the Ecology Center on funding for the Materials Management Plan at the county level. 

AJ: How do you see collaboration emerge as a core value in your work here?

jk: I'm a person that just naturally believes in abundance. You just can't tell me what I can't do.

I knew people who knew people, and knew this work. Some of the people … like Erma [Leapheart, of Sierra Club Michigan], I never got the chance to really work hands-on with her, but I've always respected her, and I always thought she was just so graceful. And when that opportunity came up to work in water, I was like, okay, I'm calling her. I was just kind of forming a relationship. I also called Tepfirah [Rushdan] — she was at KGD [Keep Growing Detroit] at the time, which is a great organization that does a lot of work for urban growers across the city of Detroit. I also was in community with Canfield Consortium – there were more funds to be had if there was a partnership between us, so I reached out to them. They're just a couple neighborhoods away from us. I actually need to call them. It's been a minute. I'll just close off on … We were able to lobby the city to build Wabash systems for urban farmers across the city of Detroit. That's gonna be rolling out in a couple months or so. Pretty amazing what advocacy and lobbying could do, when we work together. 

###

During the hourlong drive back to Ann Arbor, the very first thing I resolved as I mulled over our conversation was to get a compost bin. Ann Arbor, as jøn alluded, is a community blessed with a robust municipal compost program of the kind that Sanctuary Farms is working on building at this very moment. Talking with him reminded me that I already divert portions of my trash into alternate streams when I separate plastics, paper, and metal for recycling. Diverting food waste, first into a countertop bin and then into a curb cart, is even easier for me than the average person. Speaking for myself, the only reason I think I hadn’t been doing it all along was that I needed to be reminded why it was important.

While contributing in our small ways will always be important, systemic change is necessary to create a sustainable future for everyone. Despite our pessimism in the wake of the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill, which has gutted much of the federal financial support for environmental programs and initiatives (among the many other terrible outcomes forecasted), all is not lost. What we can and must do is turn to our local communities to make the changes we need to see. Recycle Ann Arbor is one of the largest recycling programs in the country. Ypsilanti is one of the top 20 solar-producing communities per capita in the entire United States thanks to the Solar Ypsi community-led project. If programs like these don’t operate where you live, the work of Sanctuary Farms and Sacred Spaces have shown us that all it takes to get things moving is having a “well, why couldn’t we?” attitude and just enough to get started.

Besides the few that have taken on a zero waste lifestyle, all of us produce trash on a daily basis. Much of the trash we produce ends up in landfills in and outside of our state. In an ideal world, we would not need landfills, as everything would be repurposed, reused, recycled, or composted. Unfortunately, we currently rely on landfills as the final resting place for most of the trash we produce individually and industrially. The methane gas created by the organic materials (food scraps, yard clippings, and paper) that end up in landfills is the third largest source of industrial methane emissions after oil, gas, and livestock sectors. It accounted for 14% of U.S. methane emissions in 2022.

However, methane gas emissions are often underreported, under-addressed, and underregulated. In many cases, methane is placed low on the priority list for policy makers, despite the fact that reducing emissions can make a major impact on slowing down the climate crisis and protecting human health. Mike Garfield, Ecology Center Director, stressed that unlike many issues that frequently require major federal levers to make significant dents, “methane emissions can be and needs to be addressed locally. There are many local opportunities to make a significant impact.” This is because trash collection and waste management is a state and local matter. Garfield also stated that now is the time to take on these state and local level opportunities to address this issue. 

“[A] small action can directly improve lives locally and globally.” - Melissa Cooper Sargent, Ecology Center Environmental Health Advocate

Melissa Cooper Sargent, Ecology Center Environmental Health Advocate, also described the landfill methane issue as a “low hanging fruit we’ve been ignoring.” “There are many easy things individuals can do that are no cost or low cost that would make a real difference in the climate change issue. It is an issue where an individual’s small action can directly improve lives locally and globally. It can be a ‘feel good’ type of thing that actually has real reverberating effects.” 

Ecology Center is leading the local fight against landfill methane emissions in Michigan. We are working on bringing awareness to it by sharing crucial information about the current state of the problem, advocating for stronger protections, and encouraging community involvement through collective and individual actions. Unless they live next to a landfill, most people are unfamiliar with how they impact our environment and health. This is why we want to create conversation about landfills and our trash!

Landfill Methane: An Odorless and Colorless Super-Pollutant

Methane gas is an odorless and colorless super pollutant. It comes from: 1. The breakdown of organic matter in places like swamps and landfills. 2. The formation of fossil fuels deep underground over time.

Methane is approximately 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term and a major contributor to the acceleration of global warming. The gas has dangerous explosion risks, but it is difficult to monitor without special sensors. It also contributes to ground-level ozone, which can worsen breathing problems, heart disease, cancer and strokes. Worse still, methane is released alongside a host of other toxic air pollutants. All this combined gives it its super-polluter status. 

EPA Regulations Are Not Enough

One of the major issues with landfill methane is that many landfills are often in violation of federal regulations. Industrious Labs, an environmental nonprofit, concluded that EPA’s regulations are not enough to prevent landfills from emitting methane at rates that accelerate climate change. In many cases, landfills are releasing higher amounts than facilities report to the government. According to the EPA’s ECHO Database, in 2023, 90 landfills were operating in violation. Similarly to Industrious Lab’s conclusion, the Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) satellite analysis showed that total US emissions were double what the EPA reported. While the EPA reported 3.7 million metric tons of methane released from landfills in 2021, EDF estimates over 6 million metric tons of methane were released into the environment. 

Landfills are often created in low-income and underprotected communities of color — we do not see landfills in the richest neighborhoods right next to billionaires’ homes. This means landfills harm poor communities the most through their odors, toxic chemicals, and other factors. If landfills cannot meet the current EPA regulations and emissions are frequently underreported, the actual scale of health impacts are hidden and being ignored under a convenient “out of sight, out of mind” thinking. Though the poorest communities are impacted the most, the negative repercussions of landfills impact all of us whether we smell it or not. 

Masking Methane as “Green Energy”

Methane gas is often “green-washed” as renewable energy. Landfills with energy facilities sell it to local utilities companies, but methane converted gas (RNG) cannot replace our current natural gas consumption rates. Furthermore, it releases greenhouse gases that are more harmful, and RNG is more expensive than other renewable energy sources available. 

Cooper Sargent points out that this is causing a disincentive and limiting investment and promotion of waste reduction (especially food waste.) There is no need for companies to care about where the waste comes from or what ends up in landfills as long as they can collect enough methane to benefit from it. Waste import is one way these companies wreak financial benefits while they offload the health harms onto local residents. 

Additionally, food waste methane is difficult to collect (2023 EPA Report). There is data that show for every 1,000 tons of food waste, landfills emitted 34 metric tons of methane that was not captured by the gas collection system. Methane as “green energy” is being conveniently used by companies to prioritize their profit and convenience over people and the planet. 

Michigan: The Land of Landfills and Food Waste

Many people think of Michigan as the Great Lakes and beautiful landscapes. This breathtaking imagery leaves out an uglier fact — Michigan has the highest number of landfill waste per resident in the nation.  

Currently, Michigan’s fees paid to landfills to dump trash are the lowest in the Midwest at 36 cents per ton, which attracts a lot of trash imports (for context, Ohio’s tipping fee is $4.75 and Wisconsin’s is $13.) Because of this, Michigan residents are bearing the negative impacts caused by other states’ trash. In April 2025, Democratic lawmakers reintroduced legislation to increase the landfill fee to $5 per ton, which could help to significantly reduce out-of-state waste. 

Michigan’s high number of landfills has led to it being the sixth largest emitter of landfill methane in the country. In the state, Wayne and Oakland counties have a high concentration of landfills, with Wayne County having the three of the top five landfills emitting methane. High methane emissions means high concentrations of organic materials. Michigan also ranks 8th in the nation for landfilled food waste from “pre-consumer” industrial food producers (restaurants, grocery stores, agricultural) as well as residential food waste. 19% of landfilled waste in Michigan is food waste that could be composted instead, a 13.5% increase from 2016, meaning that our food system is inefficient, leading to an increasing amount of waste and economic loss. 

Improving our food waste diversion system can lead to less waste, less methane, and more money. Without a more efficient food waste diversion system, we are dumping money right into the landfills to rot. Michigan urgently needs infrastructural and policy updates to tackle this issue. 

Michigan would significantly benefit from a statewide commercial food waste diversion policy that would require and help food producers (e.g. farms, grocery stores, restaurants) prioritize recycling and composting unsold or unused organic materials. Only a limited number of registered composting sites accept food scraps, leaving many commercial businesses and local residents without composting options. Local farms and organizations are working to address this, but in cities like Detroit, compost is restricted under outdated rules that limit compost to gardening, making grassroots operations difficult. But that is not stopping people from finding a path. For example, Sanctuary Farms is working to build Detroit’s composting system through a local network of small farms and organizations banding together. 

(Check out the Waste Dashboard for Michigan for more information)

Calling For Stronger “Best Practices” 

“If landfills are benefiting financially by selling the energy, they should be required by law to prioritize human health and safety.” - Mike Garfield

The Ecology Center and our partners are pushing the state to put in place a requirement for “best practices” for landfill operations and management. We are advocating for the following 5 key best practices: 

1. Better Gas Collection: Requiring automated wellhead tuning systems that continuously monitor press and gas quality to reduce methane leaks in real time.
2. Stronger Pollution Controls: Ensuring all flares and treatment systems are enclosed and destroy 99% of methane. Require regular performance testing and monitoring of flow rates to track effectiveness.
3. Better Landfill Covers: Limit the size of active dumping areas and require timely cover installation to reduce emissions. Require methane-oxidizing biocovers for long-term unused areas.
4. Modern Methane Monitoring: Adopt satellite, drone, and continuous monitoring techniques to monitor the landfill and help guide repairs. These tools are cheaper, safer, and more effective than old-fashioned walking surveys that miss or ignore large areas.
5. Public Transparency: Require landfills to provide public, accessible reporting of all monitoring data and corrective actions so communities know what’s happening.

(more on the 5 best practices on our landfill methane page)

Best practices are easy to implement and necessary to hold landfills to an operational standard that prohibits poisoning our bodies and land. Garfield stressed that, “if landfills are benefiting financially by selling the energy, they should be required by law to prioritize human health and safety.” Companies should not be allowed to profit on a business model that is contingent on harming people and the planet. The call for landfill best practices that protect community health is a low baseline to set. And yet, these simple requests are considered highly demanding restrictions that cannot be achieved without establishing strong laws and regulations because companies habitually prioritize profits over people.  

In Michigan, all counties are currently required to update their materials management process (MMP) every 5 to 10 years. To ensure that the updated MMP effectively prioritizes the best practices for landfill operations and includes a robust food waste diversion system, Ecology Center is working with people who are involved with the MMP planning meetings in various municipalities. We talk to local leaders about the data and why the best practices are necessary. Trash is not a glamorous topic, but it cannot be overlooked, so we work to bring light to it so that informed discussions contribute to the MMP updates. 

Our Privilege to Protect Michigan’s Exquisite Views

We create trash every day, but we hide it away in disgust as if it never existed. Looking away does not make landfills that exist just outside of our selective framing disappear. The landfills are already part of Michigan’s landscape whether we like it or not, but there is still time to act so that Michigan does not turn into a giant mitten-shaped landfill.

The Ecology Center is committed to approaching this issue head on. We are encouraging our local community to be involved. This is not an issue that we can offload to someone else to deal with. We must face the reality of our trash problem because destroying Michigan’s beautiful landscapes is not a right we have as state residents. We are in fact gifted with the privilege to protect it. Let’s work together to save what makes living in this state so divine.     

This Planet Detroit Article has some useful tips on where you can start.

Co-authored by Molly Burger, Ecology Center Clean Transportation Coordinator & Trilby MacDonald, Ecology Center Writer

Road funding in Michigan is a growing concern among state government officials as revenues continue to fall short of what’s needed to fix highways, roads, bridges, and supporting infrastructure, and debts from previous bond financing come due. As policymakers discuss solutions to make up the revenue gap, the question of whether increasing fuel efficiency or the growth of electric vehicles is contributing to those shortfalls is frequently a topic of debate. This policy brief is an attempt to dig into the details of this debate and to explore some fair and reasonable approaches for moving forward.  

First, let’s start with a basic primer.  State revenues to support the maintenance of Michigan roads is primarily collected in two ways: 

1. Yearly vehicle registration fees
2. Gas taxes paid at the pump. Part of this tax is designated as “highway funding” and part is designated as a “sales tax” which goes towards other services like schools. 

A smaller portion of state funding also comes from an earmark of income taxes, marijuana excise taxes, and other restricted funding.  

Since fully electric cars (BEVs) don't use gas, drivers of EVs have also been assessed additional registration fees, or surcharges, to make up for what they don’t pay at the pump. Drivers currently pay an additional EV surcharge of $160, which is on top of their annual registration fees each year. Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs) pay an additional $60 in annual surcharges. Heavier models of these vehicles (over 8,000 lbs) pay an additional $100 fee.   

Many people overlook these EV and PHEV surcharges when comparing the gas taxes that drivers pay, leading to unfair claims that EVs drivers don’t pay their fair share. According to our analysis, however, the evidence indicates that EV and PHEV drivers actually pay more than drivers of their gasoline counterparts.  

Battery Electric Vehicles [BEVs] are paying significantly more

To compare the fees and taxes that EV and non-EV drivers face, we identified popular Michigan EV models with gas model versions. Comparing the electric and gas versions of the same model helps to ensure that the discrepancy in road funding contribution is the result of different tax levels applied to electric and gas cars as opposed to other differences between vehicle models.

Take the Ford Mustang. The driver of a 2025 electric Ford Mustang (the Ford Mustang Mach-E) will pay about $410 in road funding this year (registration fee + $160 EV surcharge). At the same time, the driver of a 2025 base model gas Ford Mustang will only pay about $363 in road funding (registration fee + gas tax). That's $47 more that the Mach-E driver is contributing to Michigan roads than a gas Mustang driver. 

This overcontribution by EV drivers is also observed in other popular EVs in Michigan when compared to their gas counterparts.

• An electric Chevy Equinox driver contributes $40 more per year than a gas Chevy Equinox driver.
• An electric Chevy Blazer driver contributes $47 more than a gas Chevy Blazer driver.
• An electric Ford F-150 driver contributes almost $60 more than a gas Ford F-150 driver.
• The driver of an electric Chevy Silverado, a heavy EV, contributes a whopping $218 more toward road maintenance than the driver of a gas Chevy Silverado. 

On average, drivers of popular EV models pay $47 more in road funding taxes per year when compared to their gas versions.

Current Legislation (HB 4183) could result in BEV’s paying hundreds more in EV surcharges

Under Michigan law, BEVs and PHEVs pay an extra registration fee based on the state’s gas excise tax rate. HB 4183 would shift the 6% sales tax on gasoline into the excise tax so more money goes to roads. This change wouldn’t raise the total price per gallon for gas drivers, but it would increase the official excise tax rate by 20 cents. Because EV fees are tied to that rate — not the total tax at the pump — this “swap” would automatically trigger a big jump in EV surcharges, from $160 to $260 for battery electrics and from $60 to $110 for plug-in hybrids. Gas drivers wouldn’t see much change in what they pay, but EV owners would be paying far more — an average of $147 more than their gasoline counterparts.

Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) drivers pay more, too.

Another type of electric vehicle, Plug-in hybrids [PHEVs], can run entirely on electricity for everyday driving (typically in the 20-40 mile range) and can switch to gas on longer trips. Since PHEV drivers pay gas tax at the pump, their surcharge is lower — currently at $60. But they still end up paying $14 more than gas cars in road funding when all is said and done. 

As mentioned above, HB 4183 would also have an impact on the fee that PHEV drivers pay, raising the fee from the current $60 to $110. This increase would result in PHEV drivers paying an average of $64 more than their gas car equivalents, and is illustrated in the graph below.

The Exception: Hybrid vehicle drivers [HEVs] 

There have also been calls to place fees on drivers of hybrid vehicles that run on gas alone. Hybrids are more efficient than regular gas cars because of a small battery that is powered up while the owner drives and brakes. This power is then returned to the car. On average, drivers of popular hybrid models save about $27 per year in gas taxes compared to regular gas drivers. 

Biggest Highway Funding Loss is from New Gas Cars

Close to 99% of all registered cars in Michigan are still gas powered and contribute to gas taxes. However, thanks to engineering advances in new engines, transmissions, and weight reduction, nearly all gas-powered cars have become more efficient, not just hybrids. This means that drivers of newer and more-efficient gas powered cars and trucks are paying less at the pump than drivers of older vehicle models. Since most cars are driven for about 14 years,  most of the older, higher-tax-paying models are now being replaced with newer, lower-tax-paying models.

To provide a picture of the potential loss in revenue these replacements imply, we compared the gas taxes paid by the most popular car models in Michigan in 2025 that were also produced in 2010. 

The blue bar in the chart below represents the gas tax paid today by a driver of a 2010 model. The orange bar represents the gas tax paid by a driver of the 2024 model of the same car. The result: owners of the 2024 models are paying an average of $43 less per year than owners of the 2010 models. 

More efficient gas cars are great — both for the environment and our wallets. Still, when these lower contributions per new car are then applied across the millions of vehicles on Michigan roads, these lower contributions to road funding can really add up. 

To illustrate this point, we estimated the FY 2024 potential revenue loss represented by the top 5 best selling models in Michigan, which incidentally were all gas-powered. Cumulatively, as shown in the table below, owners of these new gas vehicles contributed over $4 million less in 2024 than owners of older models of these same cars, most of which were likely retired. 

Conversely, owners of the top 5 BEV models in Michigan cumulatively contributed more than $700,000 in additional highway funding in 2024 compared to owners of their gas equivalents.  Owners of the top 5 PHEV models paid nearly $100k more. 

Conclusion: 

Figuring out the best way to fill the gap in road funding revenue is a complicated question. But raising EV fees without addressing the real reasons for declining gas tax contributions would unfairly penalize a small but growing group of cleaner vehicle users — while ignoring the primary source of lost revenue. Passage of HB 4183, without additional provisions that would prevent a hike in EV fees, would further penalize drivers that are already paying more in overall highway funding compared to their gasoline driver counterparts. 

Instead, Michigan policymakers should consider:

• Modernizing the road funding model to better reflect all vehicle types.
   
• Adjusting the language in HB 4183 to ensure that EVs owners don’t get hit with a big fee increase. 
   
• Evaluating usage-based fees that are fair and sustainable.
   
• Encouraging EV adoption to reduce emissions, improve air quality, and support local jobs.

Bottom Line: 

EVs aren’t draining road funds — they're actually overcontributing. Let’s stop the blame game and find solutions that allow all drivers to pay their fair share.

Analysis & Expertise provided by Charles Griffith, Ecology Center Climate & Energy Program Director and Molly Burger, Ecology Center Clean Transportation Coordinator

The US Senate narrowly passed its version of the federal budget reconciliation bill on July 1st, but there may still be time to reduce some of the damage to healthy people and a healthy planet that this bill will cause if enough people speak out. 

The Big Betrayal of a Bill harms millions of people to benefit the most privileged, committing egregious acts against vulnerable people in the form of cuts to healthcare and food assistance.

It’s been less widely reported, but the bill also undertakes an egregious decimation of environmental protections for clean air and clean water, and does horrific damage to a booming clean energy industry and advanced automotive sector that provides Americans with good-paying jobs while securing energy independence for our country. 

Instead of bolstering America’s opportunity to gain energy independence, lower energy costs, ensure energy stability for growing energy needs, and minimize the environmental harm caused by energy use and production, this bill once again doubles down on outdated, polluting sources of energy - coal and gas. It also doubles down on using more petroleum for powering our cars and trucks, rather than supporting a transition to cleaner and increasingly electric vehicles.  

• This bill will increase energy costs – raising Americans’ electricity bills by 10% or  $400/year.
• The bill will kill energy and manufacturing jobs – eliminating over 800,000 jobs & threatening over $500 billion in investment in the U.S.
• The bill will undermine grid reliability – at a time of rapid load growth and heat waves it will reduce energy capacity installed on the grid by 50% over the next 10 years.
• The bill eliminates tax credits for new and used electric vehicles, commercial clean vehicles, and fueling infrastructure. This could cost consumers up to $200/year in increased transportation costs, and would stall the American-made EV industry, resulting in significant job losses across the auto industry. 

According to Climate Power, the bill will kill jobs and send energy costs skyrocketing. The full repeal of energy tax credits will disrupt hundreds of new factories poised to provide thousands of good-paying jobs for Michigan. Since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, private companies have announced $39.8 billion in new clean energy projects, creating over 25,357 jobs. This bill’s repeals to the IRA puts Michigan’s economy in jeopardy, threatening these new investments and employment. It’s estimated that as many as 226,610 jobs in Michigan will be put at risk.  Unfortunately, Michiganders’ energy bills are already going up. Further increases will force many to choose between paying for energy, food, or taking care of their health. 

For Michigan’s healthy climate future to be realized, this bill must be stopped, and there may still be time. Contact your representative in the House, especially if they are a Republican. Many Republican legislators are nervous about passing a bill that gives tax cuts to the super-wealthy while harming many of their constituents through job losses, Medicaid, and food assistance cuts. There may be time to sway more NO votes and force amendments to this bill or stop it altogether. 

For a detailed account of this bill's impacts, check out this 20+ page doc from S2 strategies.

Sample Script to Make a Call to MI Representatives: 

Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME] from [TOWN/CITY]. 

I’m calling about the budget bill that is before the House right now

I’m urging you to stand against the aggressive attacks on our health and our pocketbooks that are in this bill. 

It is simply outrageous to me that the bill would take billions of dollars in clean energy tax credits and investments away from Michigan households, workers, and businesses, on top of ripping away Medicaid and nutrition assistance for the most vulnerable.

In Michigan alone, $39.85 billion in investments and 25,357 good-paying jobs are at risk if clean energy programs are repealed. We could see our energy bills increase by hundreds of dollars.

You must not vote to pass any version of the budget reconciliation bill with cuts to these vital programs that are lowering energy costs for families, reducing deadly pollution, and making it easier for businesses to transition into the clean energy future. 

Stand up for the health and safety of our communities. Stand up for lower energy costs. Do what’s right and oppose attacks on these critical programs and our health. 

Thank you for your time.   

Sample Script to Make a Call for all US States

Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME] from [TOWN/CITY]. 

I’m calling about the budget bill that is before the House right now

I’m urging you to stand against the aggressive attacks on our health and our pocketbooks that are in this bill. 

It is simply outrageous to me that the bill would take billions of dollars in clean energy tax credits and investments away from US households, workers, and businesses, on top of ripping away Medicaid and nutrition assistance for the most vulnerable.

• This bill will raising Americans’ electricity bills by 10%.
• The bill will eliminate over 800,000 jobs & threaten over $500 billion in investment in the U.S.
• The bill will undermine grid reliability and reduce energy capacity
• The bill eliminates tax credits for electric transporation that could cost consumers up to $200/year in increased transportation costs.

You must not vote to pass any version of the budget reconciliation bill with cuts to these vital programs that are lowering energy costs for families, reducing deadly pollution, and making it easier for businesses to transition into the clean energy future. 

Stand up for the health and safety of our communities. Stand up for lower energy costs. Do what’s right and oppose attacks on these critical programs and our health. 

Thank you for your time.   

By Andrea Jacoby, Ecology Center Environmental Storyteller, Rackham Summer 2025 Fellow

For Clear the Air's Air Quality Awareness Week, May 3-10, the Ecology Center partnered with Arboretum Detroit. They got to work in East Detroit, planting new trees that will help keep members of the local community breathing fresh, clean air. These trees are part of Arboretum Detroit‘s ongoing mission to cultivate a world-class arboretum in downtown Detroit, repurposing vacant lots that would otherwise sit empty. 

Arboretum Detroit‘s tree-planting efforts are one way to mitigate the environmental damage of the past decades. “Trees are important to air quality, and this is a community that is impacted by a lot of things that influence and cause poor air,” says Kathryn Savoie, the Director of Equity and Environmental Justice here at the Ecology Center.

Traffic and heavy industry take substantial tolls on air quality for urban residents, which means that planting trees is an essential step in improving air quality for Detroiters. Pollutants in the air can create serious health consequences. “There are different standards that are measured on a state level. Particulate matter (PM) comes in two different sizes. There is particulate matter 2.5, which is a very fine, small particulate matter. And then there's PM 10, which is a little bit bigger,” explains Salam Beydoun, the Environmental Justice Organizer at the Ecology Center. “The really dangerous kind of PM is the really, really small one, the 2.5, which actually is so small it gets into our bloodstream, it can cause bronchitis, it can cause COPD, it can cause asthma, as we see a lot of the population has. And so, a lot of this is environmental. What people breathe affects how they live, ultimately. People might think that asthma is purely hereditary or genetic. Still, it can be from your environment as well, which is what we see, especially for folks living in the shadows of industries who are polluting their air.”

“There's a hazardous waste trafficking and processing facility to our west. There's a giant scrap yard, the intersection of two major interstate freeways, and the legacy of the trash incinerator. We lived here for 30 years, with the trash incinerator cooking and blowing fumes our way. A lot of things that we couldn't see and smell and things that we could smell. And it was terrible,” recalls Birch Kemp, the founder and co-director of Arboretum Detroit.

The incinerator, which the Ecology Center helped to get shut down in 2019, burned over 5,000 pounds of garbage per day – nearly 55 million pounds over its 30-year lifespan. The hazardous waste facility and the highways continue to pollute the surrounding areas: highway traffic produces many different kinds of air pollution that can affect people's health, and the hazardous waste facility was recently fined by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) for some of its environmental violations.

Organizations like Arboretum Detroit promote tree-planting as a  way to mitigate some of the harm caused by sources of environmental damage. Trees and bushes can capture over 50% of the particulate matter from polluted air, trapping harmful particles so the community doesn't inhale it as dust. People living in areas especially affected by air pollution can see the benefits of events like May's tree planting immediately.

“There's past pollution; there's present pollution from the freeway. And, while the incinerator is gone, it's still left contaminants in the soil. So we need to keep planting things that are going to pull it out,” says Cornwall Corridor Community Project president and Arboretum Detroit Volunteer Charon Nogues. While cleaning the air, the trees also capture pollutants in soil and water, as Nogues alludes, thereby improving the condition of Detroit's other natural resources at the same time.

Planting with Arboretum Detroit gives volunteers a sense of contributing to something bigger – sometimes much bigger. Having first heard about Arboretum Detroit's work on the radio and becoming instantly interested in preserving the giant sequoias while greening Detroit and cleaning the air, Charon stated, “I would say the most enjoyable part of doing this is to be a part of it all, it's exciting.”

For Kemp, this project also serves as a source of catharsis during difficult times. “This work is so important to me because, like any conscious, rational person, I think I'm filled with ecological grief in this, in this moment, you know, climate change, global warming, all kinds of abuses to the earth,” he says. “Planting trees allows me to be in a hopeful moment and a hopeful projection into a healthier future. And, to deal with that, to be with other people who feel the same and want to connect with the earth instead of just hearing the terrible news all the time. So even though it's a small thing, 700 trees is not a lot of trees, but it's 700 more trees than were here five years ago.” 

Once these green spaces are available, they offer the surrounding community an opportunity to engage in activities such as taking yoga classes outdoors, learning, playing, and simply being in nature. Spending time in nature has proven benefits for individuals‘ “psychological well-being, cognitive, physiological, social, spiritual, and tangible material goods (such as food.)”

“The thing I like most about this kind of event is just people coming out together, meeting new people, and getting involved and making a difference in our community. You know, everybody cares and wants clean air. People want trees because they help improve our community and make it more pleasant to live in. And so it has multiple benefits, to come together and [build] community like this,” says Savoie. “I'm really happy to be out here today planting trees with other people and meeting new friends and getting people involved in caring for our community.”

You can get involved with Arboretum Detroit by visiting their website to find ways to volunteer and support their work. Or, if you aren't local to Detroit or SE Michigan, ask around in your communities for opportunities to plant more trees, be it your yard, your neighborhood, or your local parks. As the slogan used by Arboretum Detroit says, “Help us, help trees, help us.” Remember that we are all connected and mutually need each other and our trees to thrive. You can also get involved with protecting our right to breathe clean air by visiting the Clear the Air website. And, of course, the Ecology Center thanks you for your continued support as we fight for a just and healthy future for people and the planet. 

Clear the Air, co-founded by the Ecology Center, is a Michigan state wide coalition focusing on local air quality issues,  bringing awareness to the Cumulative Impact of pollution, and building a state level policy platform to ensure our right to breathe clean air. Many Michigan communities, including many in SE Michigan, such as Detroit, are subject to dirty air due to factory and freeway pollution. Clear the Air is calling for a statewide policy to make smarter decisions about pollution permits, decreasing permits allowed in areas that are already surrounding by factories that emit air pollution. A cumulative impact policy will lessen pollution and help to clear the air. 

Following last year’s success, Clear the Air and its partner organizations (including the Ecology Center) organized Air Quality Awareness Week 2025, which took place on May 1, 2025 to May 10, 2025. The week included both in-person and online events. It is an official event recognized by the city of Detroit.

Recap Overview: 

“Environmental justice is where all of the injustices meet” - Salam Beydoun, Ecology Center’s Environmental Justice Organizer 

Salam Beydoun, the Environmental Justice organizer at the Ecology Center, gave us a recap of this year’s events. As an integral members of Clear the Air, Salam works closely with community partners to organize outreach and education efforts such as community air filter workshops. She stated that environmental justice issues like air quality is important because “environmental justice is where all of the injustices meet” as there are so many factors that influence the cumulative impact (e.g. socio-economic impact, health outcomes etc.) 

Beydoun emphasized that one of the key highlights of the week for her was seeing people in person and experiencing the joys of community. She said it was “beautiful to be in person and form natural relationships in the community.” So much of our lives are virtual, including work meetings, but these types of events are not simply about education or political organizing; Salam emphasized that “we need joy” along with environmental justice actions. She explained that all of the events are designed to be about collective learning for everyone including organizers like herself. For Beydoun, the public comment event helped her understand why public comments are important and feel more confident about making them. 

She encouraged people to check out the Clear the Air website and join their mailing list to stay informed about upcoming events, actions, and resources. 

The coalition is in the process of making resources available on their website including a cool Air Quality Zine made by Beydoun herself. Physical copies of the Zine is available at various Clear the Air events. 

She also stressed that organizations should apply to become partners. Organizations do not need to focus on air quality specifically. Many environmental justice issues are interconnected and Clear the Air is always looking to expand its reach to work collectively with partners across different sectors. For example, one of the newer Clear the Air partners, Arboretum Detroit, plants trees in Detroit to help clear the air of pollution.  

Beydoun thanked all of the organizers and attendees of Air Quality Awareness Week 2025 for a wonderful experience. She is looking forward to next year's annual awareness week and hopes to build on the success of the previous two years. 

Upcoming events: 

• This summer, there will be several FREE Box Fan Filter building workshops where people will learn how to make a DIY box fan filter and take it home (with all materials provided).
• Lansing Education Day later in the year. 

More information about upcoming events coming soon on the Clear the Air website. 

Air Quality Awareness Week 2025 Schedule & Photos

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Clear the Air Press Conference + Policy Platform Roll Out 

(10 AM; O’Shea Park) 

Hosted by Clear the Air 

Air Quality Awareness Week kicked off with a press conference at O’Shea Park with passionate and energizing speeches by the following people: Theresa Landrum (Original United Citizens of Southwest Detroit 48217), Raquel Garcia (Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision), Roshaun Harris (Eastside Community Network), Nick Leonard (Great Lakes Environmental Law Center), Rev. Sharon Buttry (Detroit-Hamtramck Coalition), George Perdue (School Craft Improvement Association), Maricela Gutierrez (Industrious Labs), and Salam Beydoun (Ecology Center) 

Saturday, May 3, 2025 

Tree Planting + T-shirt Printing 

(3 PM to 6PM; 3300 Farnsworth, Detroit MI)

Arboretum Detroit and Clear The Air hosted an event to learn about how trees contribute to our air quality, while taking action by planting Giant Sequoias and native understory trees and shrubs. This is part of a Filter Forest that will be a vegetative buffer along one of the busiest streets in their neighborhood, on the south end of the Arboretum’s network of parks. At the event, Ocelot Print Shop also provided a live screen printing experience, so attendees went home with a t-shirt to show their participation in the event and to represent our fight for clean air.

Sunday, May 4, 2025 

Cinco De Mayo Parade 

(12 PM; Patton Park)

Clear the Air and Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision (SDEV) was part of the Cinco De Mayo Parade in Patton Park so we invited people to join us in the parade to help support our right to breathe clean air. Being part of this event was also important because Spanish speaking communities in southwest Detroit continue to be heavily impacted by air pollution. 

Monday, May 5, 2025 

Panel Discussion: How do communities organize around air quality?

(6 PM - 8PM; Eastside Community Network)

Kristy Allen of JustAir facilitated a panel discussion and workshop on community organizing. JustAir brought in the following local organizers, legal advocates, and environmental activists to talk about the power of community led air quality data: Nick Leonard (Great Lakes Environmental Law Center), George Perdue (Schoolcraft concrete crushing zoning), Mark Covington (Georgia St Collective / DHCBHE), and Theresa Landrum (Original United Citizens of Southwest Detroit/ OUSWD 48217). The workshop was centered on helping residents prepare to submit a public comment at the City Council meeting on Tuesday morning.

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

City Council Public Comment at Formal Session 

(9:30 AM; Coleman A. Young Municipal Center)

One of the main pillars of Air Quality Awareness Week is to take collective action for our right to breathe clean air. This is why we organized an event dedicated to making our voices heard. Public comments are an important way that the local and federal government get direct input from the community. But for many people, it may be intimidating to make a public comment in person or they might not know how to participate. By going together, city government is able to see the community of people who are passionate about this issue. We are dedicated to making these opportunities accessible so we also organized a carpool from Eastside Community Network and published instructions on how to participate online. Local students whose school works closely with Eastside Community Network (ECN) had a field trip to the city council meeting to make their comments in person. 

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Film Screening of Descendant

(5:30 PM; New Lab in Michigan Central)

Green Door Initiative (GDI) hosted a screening of a documentary titled Descendant (Margaret Brown, 2022) at New Lab in Michigan Central. The film took attendees on a powerful journey through the story of Africatown, a town created by the kidnapped Africans smuggled to America after slavery was abolished, and the impact of that crime on its descendents living there. Africatown is an area that is heavily impacted by industrial pollution and highlights the importance of seeing this issue as part of a long history of violence towards the black community.  The film was followed by a vibrant post screening discussion. Beydoun mentioned that the discussion was emotionally powerful with many attendees speaking up about their connections to the history covered in the film as well as sharing personal family stories that helped to bring the community together. (The film is available on Netflix)

Virtual Film Screening of Unbreathable 

(6 PM; Zoom)

The Students of the "Environmental and Social Justice: A Place-Based Perspectives (HNRS 4302)” course at Western Michigan University hosted a virtual screening of the documentary film Unbreathable: The Fight for Healthy Air (2020) followed by a discussion with Maggie Stoger, filmmaker, professor, and Executive Director of the Center of Environmental Filmmaking at American University. The film delves into the history of the Clean Air Act and the ongoing fight for air quality in communities like  “Cancer Alley” in Louisiana affected by environmental injustice. 

During the discussion, Stogner mentioned that one of the reasons Cancer Alley is featured in the film is that the area had the highest COVID-19 deaths because the coronavirus latched onto the pollution, which intensified the spread. This highlighted how air pollution can have broader consequences. Stogner stressed that “we need to fight all that harder” because social and environmental justice always go hand in hand, especially since the most impacted areas tend to be low-income and/or communities of color. (This 30-minute film along with Stoger’s new film on Clean Water are both available for free on Kanopy. Public library card or a university affiliation is necessary to access the film.) 

Thursday, May 8, 2025

Film Screening of Unbreathable (Spanish Subtitles)

(6 PM - 8 PM; Vámanos)

Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision (SDEV) hosted a screening of Unbreathable with Spanish subtitles at Vámonos to help local communities learn about the history of this fight for healthy air. 

Saturday, May 10, 2025

Public Health + Air Quality Resource Fair

(10 AM - 3 PM; Wayne County Community College Downriver Campus) 

Just Air hosted an event where Wayne County Health, Human, and Veterans Services (HHVS) distributed mobile air quality monitors and digital inhalers for eligible Wayne County residents. At this event community health partners also tabled to share more about their public health and air quality programs.

Saturday May 17, 2025 

Pollution to Solutions Bike Tour

(10:30 AM - 1 PM; The Stoudamire / Eastside Community Network)

Clear the Air in partnership with the Eastside Community Network hosted a bike tour of some of the pollution our community struggles with as well as community groups that are addressing air quality and promoting environmental justice. The tour was equipped with 10 portable air monitors to ride with and engaged riders along the way around what their monitors picked up. 

By Trilby MacDonald, Ecology Center Writer

Voters expect the government to serve the people and lawmakers to champion their interests. When this doesn’t happen, lawmakers are sometimes voted out. The idea behind energy democracy is that, like the government, utility companies should be accountable to the communities they serve. Access to clean, affordable energy should be a right, not a privilege. The current reality is that privately owned utility companies have all of the power of government but none of the responsibilities. Like any corporation, their primary responsibility is to make money for shareholders. With DTE and Consumers Energy pouring hefty campaign contributions into both parties, lawmakers have little incentive to hold them accountable. 

Energy democracy envisions a future where renewable, decentralized, and community-owned energy systems provide affordable and reliable power for everyone.

Tony Reames, Tishman Professor of Environmental Justice at U-M, underscores the importance of this shift:

 "Energy democracy means ensuring that every community, especially those historically marginalized, can access affordable, reliable, and clean energy." 

The Principles of Energy Democracy

The goal of the energy democracy movement is to shift control of the energy sector from utilities to people, creating resilient, affordable energy systems. With greater control over their energy supply, consumers can adopt clean, reliable, and affordable energy systems — even generating and managing their own local power. However, utilities’ commitment to maximizing profits means they will do everything they can to maintain the status quo. Communities must work much harder to take charge. 

Michigan has a long way to go before true energy democracy can become a reality.  Utility companies spend millions of dollars in ratepayer money lobbying lawmakers to discourage locally owned renewable energy systems. Lisa Wozniak, Executive Director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, points out the role that utility companies play in shaping energy policy to their advantage. "One of the most important things people need to understand is that our two monopoly utilities play a huge role in politics in Lansing. We passed good clean energy legislation in 2023, but it could have been stronger. Those utilities made sure it wasn’t."

Mia Breznau, a student activist at Western Michigan University, explains how grassroots education plays a role in energy democracy: "The main thing that our group focuses on is peer education — talking to other students about this issue because our education system isn't letting them know what's up and what they can do. Then we do a lot of community work, bringing people together, creating a sense of community, and turning that into action." Her words embody the essence of successful social movements: shared values, collective awareness, and a deep sense of belonging that sustain community-driven change over time.

Rafael Mojica coordinates community projects for Soulardarity, a nonprofit working to expand solar energy in Highland Park. He emphasizes the importance of local energy ownership. "We don’t like to just say community solar. We like to say community-owned solar," he explains. "We want a system that is delivering a service to the public that is owned by the public, managed by the public, maintained by the public." His vision of a publicly-owned energy system may seem far-fetched, but communities across the country are finding creative ways to take their power back. 

Ann Arbor is leading by example, and has created a variety of programs that reduce financial barriers to renewable energy. Missy Stults, Director of sustainability for Ann Arbor, emphasizes the need to offer residents a variety of ways to take advantage of clean energy. "We have to find solutions that acknowledge the system has been extractive. We need to try to correct that to the full extent we can, and we need to recognize that one solution is not going to work for the entire marketplace. We're going to need lots of different things for different situations." 

The Failures of the Current Energy System

While energy democracy is a bold vision, an energy system that perpetuates inequality and injustice is clearly broken. Alexis Blizman, Legislative and Policy Director for the Ecology Center, describes the extent of utility companies’ power: "The utilities spend an absolute fortune lobbying the legislature ... They pay for influence and that leaves the consumers out in the cold and heat."

This outsized influence leads to policies that allow for multiple rate increases a year. DTE requested another rate hike in April of 2025 after securing a $217 million increase for metro Detroit customers in January. "Rates are going up every year … Each utility is filing a new rate case almost as soon as the Commission makes a decision on their previous one, and each request is larger than the last” Blizman notes, explaining how residents are forced to shoulder the greatest burden of rate hikes while industrial customers have negotiated favorable deals. 

Tecreshia Rana, a volunteer with the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, describes the struggle: "I think the fact that energy is natural and we have to pay an arm and a leg for it is ridiculous. People have to take second jobs just to keep the lights on." For people like her, energy democracy is not just a policy goal — it is a matter of survival. 

For all the money they have to spend on energy, residents are not getting good service. Decades of neglect have left energy infrastructure in disrepair, leading to blackouts, gas leaks, and unsafe conditions. Power outages in Michigan increased 79% between 2011 and 2021 compared with the previous decade. 

Community-Led Solutions 

Grassroots organizations and forward-thinking cities are proving that energy democracy is possible. In Highland Park, the nonprofit Soulardarity has installed solar-powered street lights equipped with free wifi, helping the community improve connectivity and reclaim control over its energy infrastructure after DTE removed streetlights due to the city’s unpaid bills. "We should be demanding no more blackouts. We should be demanding far more affordable rates," says Mojica, who is working with Soulardarity to install solar street lights across the city. 

In 2023, Ann Arbor residents voted to create a Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU), a city-run initiative that provides affordable ways for residents to use solar power. Through the program, residents can have solar panels installed on their homes at no upfront cost, paying only for the energy produced. In the next phase, the SEU will create microgrids that allow neighbors to share power, making the city’s energy system more resilient.

The Political Battle for Energy Democracy

While community-led solutions provide hope, utilities have lobbied aggressively to block policies that would allow for more community-owned energy generation. "Utilities are lobbying to stop any type of energy generation to be community-owned," Blizman explains.

Groups like Taking Back Our Power are working to let voters decide if utilities should be allowed to use taxpayer money to lobby lawmakers. "If anti-lobbying can get on the ballot, it could pass."  Blizman stresses that a powerful, well-coordinated campaign would make this possible. 

The Path Forward

A strong public engagement and education campaign will be necessary for energy democracy to succeed. Tecreshia Rana reflects on her own journey: "Before I joined MEJC (Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition,) I didn’t even know I had rights ... Awareness is everything." Education is particularly crucial for young people, who will shape the future of climate and energy policy. Mia Breznau emphasizes the need for better climate education: "The youth voice is one of the most powerful things we can leverage for issues like climate change. But I think the one thing that's dampening that is the lack of education ... Bringing full-scope climate education into our school system can teach students why this issue matters so much."

Advocates are working to change the rules so that energy prices are fair and grid improvements are planned wisely. They want to make sure that when utility companies decide on prices, they also think about what people can afford, and that rates are designed to ensure true affordability for all.

A Movement, Not Just an Idea

Energy democracy is not just about transitioning to clean energy — it is about ensuring that the transition is just, equitable, and community-driven. "Energy justice work is more than just an idea. It is a movement." says Tony Reames.

The fight against utility monopolies and rising energy costs is a fight for justice. Through grassroots activism, policy reform, and creative community energy initiatives, a cleaner and fairer energy future is within reach.

By Yuki Nakayama, Ecology Center Environmental Storyteller Fellow

The More Life, Less Stuff campaign advocates for spending less, buying local, finding local community, centering experience over shopping, and much more. Along with buying less, repair is a big component of the More Life, Less Stuff lifestyle. Repair encompasses a wide range of activities. Previously, I shared a story about mending clothes and discovering new life in our old clothes. In this story, I want to talk about repairing electronics and other household items.  

In Shinto folklore, there is a belief that objects that have been loved for a long time become a type of spirit or yokai called “tsukumogami.” Though this belief originates in Shinto, it is not viewed as a highly religious concept — rather, it’s frequently used as a way to teach children the importance of caring for objects. This idea has become a principal part of Japanese culture, even making appearances in anime like Tsukumogami For Rent (2017). Like many families in Japan, I was taught tsukumogami as a type of honor or reward one is blessed with only after caring for an object long-term, which is probably why I still prefer using treasured items over purchasing new things. 

There are specific objects that I will prioritize repairing so I can continue to use them for one reason or another. Even if they get to the point where they are no longer repairable, I will still keep them as precious treasures in my memory box. My 2005 iPod (4th gen with the click wheel) is a good example of the type of precious object I care for. I requested this iPod as a gift from my father right before I left for college decades ago, when I realized I would not be able to bring all of my CDs and MDs (yup, I had those too) with me to my dorm. Since then, this iPod has traveled around with me and I still continue to use it regularly. 

Like many other objects I own, I always thought I would stop using my iPod when it became unrepairable, but it has outlasted many of my other devices. One of the reasons this iPod has outlasted others is because of the way it was built. The casing is not difficult to take apart to replace the battery, and batteries with the necessary voltage that will fit the casing continue to exist. During my most recent excursion to Apples and Oranges, a local repair shop, to get the battery replaced for both my iPod (4th gen) and iPod Nano (2nd gen), the repair costs for the iPod were dramatically cheaper than the Nano. The iPod Nano is technically “newer” than the iPod, but the older iPod had less obstacles to take apart than the iPod Nano to make repair possible. 

This issue of device accessibility is an important aspect of the right to repair movement happening all over the world. When things are not repairable, they end up in the trash. A conscientious consumer will most likely take the broken device to be recycled for parts, but in many cases, it simply ends up in a landfill. The need for rare minerals for advanced technology like our smartphones have led to large scale human harm. Repair is not just about extending the life of an object out of financial necessity or sentimentality, it is about understanding the global impact of the technology industry on the environment and human health. 

Free Local Repair Clinics

Getting started with repairing an object can be daunting, especially when you do not have the necessary tools or expertise. There are local resources that can help. In addition to repair shops like Apples and Oranges, there are free repair clinics in Ann Arbor such as Fix It Fridays at Maker Works (once a month on Fridays from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.) and Thursday Repairsdays at All Hands Active (Every Thursday 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.). These repair clinics are run through a network of volunteer experts that offer their knowledge, skills, and time to those in need. Though they cannot guarantee that your item will be fixed, they do their best to assess what kind of repair the object might need. On April 19th,  I attended a Fix It Friday Event at Maker Works. 

Maker Works is a community space that offers tools, space to work, and classes on a wide range of subjects. Founded in 2011, it started with a very simple idea: have a space where anyone can come in to make anything they want. Josh, the executive director of Maker Works, noted that the goal is not just to provide access to tools and technology or to fix broken objects, but to help eliminate the various hurdles to getting started with your maker journey, especially for underrepresented communities. Repair is just one of many functions of this space.  

At the Fix It Friday event, he emphasized that there is joy in helping people care for their treasured items, like the only remaining chair from the very first Chinese restaurant to ever open on Main Street in Downtown Ann Arbor. Each object that is brought in has its own history and stories. 

“If you get stuck, we’re always here to help” - Josh, Executive Director of Maker Works

He said that Maker Works exists to offer classes, tools, space, and support to everyone. They hope to inspire and encourage people, teaching that we are all capable of learning how to make and repair things. For example, seeing someone repair a broken object can empower someone to tackle the repair themselves in the future. According to Josh, roughly 20% of repair requests that come in are lamps, so they have started classes specifically on lamp repair basics. The class is not just about the how-tos; it provides hands-on experience to help people to gain the confidence to try other repairs on their own. 

I took my old VCR, which had started to eat the tapes whenever I tried to rewind, in the hopes that they might be able to fix it. I was helped by a lovely gentleman who used to work at a television station in the 1960s and had experience dating back to the very first videotape players networks used. I made the mistake of not bringing a VHS tape to reproduce the issue to get proper diagnosis for the problem, so there was not much that could be done during this visit. But I enjoyed opening up the VCR, learning about how it works, and talking to the volunteer about his experience with the old school videotape players. The event was not just about getting items fixed; it was about connecting with new neighbors I would not have otherwise encountered. 

Community-Based Repair Economy

“[Repairs are] challenging and entertaining” - Greg Miller, local business owner, engineer, and repair person. 

Alongside repair shops and clinics, there are other local communities that develop an ad-hoc repair economy. These types of community repairs also fulfill a crucial need. Unlike repair shops and clinics, which often require you to bring in the item, community repair requests accommodate larger items that cannot be moved or that the owner is unable to carry, especially benefitting older and/or disabled residents. 

Greg Miller, local real estate business owner and engineer, is one of many that participate in such community-based repair activities. He is part of his neighborhood tool cooperative and offers repair services through introductions and community apps like Next Door. He provides welding, small engine repairs, and other services for a small fee to cover parts and his labor. However, this is not his main source of income. He takes on these requests because he finds them to be “challenging and entertaining” activities that allow him to prevent objects from ending up in the landfill while helping people.

He is a trained engineer, but his interest in repairs started at a young age out of necessity due to financial constraints. This included repairing his own car and things from the side of the road. He mentioned that his chainsaws were roadside finds, which he repaired. He emphasized that he “enjoys learning new skills and values having skills.” He is not afraid to dive into something new. For example, he bought his first welder with no prior experience because he wanted to learn to use it. Like any beginner, he was not very good at first. He attributed his willingness to self-learn and experiment to the fact that as an engineer he is “used to things not working the first time around,” which makes failure the default until it starts to work.    

Greg mentioned that he finds this work necessary because the low cost of international labor has resulted in fewer local repair shops and production of repairable products, which means more things end up as trash. He emphasized the role of community support, such as lending and borrowing tools, instead of buying a device you use just a few times. He gave an example of how he needed a leaf blower to use on his farm, which he borrowed from a neighbor off of Next Door instead of buying one. He said it wasn’t about the money of purchasing or renting, but about not buying unnecessary things that collect dust in your home or end up in a landfill after just a few uses. He stressed the importance of asking your local community before buying, because there may be someone who is willing to lend you a tool or a hand. 

One of the most eye-opening tips Greg gave me during our conversation was that repair does not always have to be about returning an item to its ‘like-new’ or original state. For example, one of the concerns about repairing my iPod Nano was whether there was a battery on the market that would fit its specific casing. However, Greg pointed out that if the goal was simply to get it to work, I could drill a hole in the casing and attach a battery externally, which would actually allow for a bigger battery. Repair can be flexible, depending on what you need and want. 

Don’t Be Afraid To Repair! 

Many of us may feel inadequate or simply too limited for time to do any repairs. Repairing frequently requires specific tools and skills one might not immediately have, but through this process I learned that it is not as scary as it seems and that there is a lot of freedom in this activity. The worst case scenario is that the object is unrepairable, but you would not know if it is or isn’t repairable until you try to repair it either yourself or through supportive local “fix it” communities. Take the time to look into your neighborhood for the rich knowledge and expertise that is just a few steps away from you to preserve your precious treasures. 

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to make our air dirtier by rescinding critical state laws to regulate car and truck pollution. We need your help in asking our US Senators to vote NO on three Congressional Review Act resolutions (H.J. Res. 87, H.R. Res. 88, H.J. Res. 89). Using the Congressional Review Act to appeal the tailpipe emission limits set in California could set a dangerous precedent for using the CRA to override state laws and implement broad-reaching federal statutes and bans. 

For the sake of public health, we can’t let this happen. One hundred thirty-one million Americans live in counties with unhealthy ozone levels and particulate pollution. Cars, SUVs, and trucks are the largest source of that pollution, which causes asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, premature births, lung cancer, and premature deaths. States with dirtier air should have the right to set stricter standards than the federal government, and that is especially true now that the current administration is threatening to roll-back those standards.  

Not only will passing the CRA resolutions be detrimental to public health, but it would also hurt the American economy by throwing clean transportation investments and the emerging electric vehicle industry into disarray. This threatens the loss of jobs here in Michigan, as well as other states where significant new investments have been made.   

The adverse effect on the economy doesn’t stop with job losses– the CRA resolutions that eliminate clean car emission rules will also cause increased costs for  consumers, eliminating savings on fuel and maintenance costs.  This is especially true for rural and lower-income drivers who have to drive long distances for work.  

Improperly applying the Congressional Review Act (CRA) would set a dangerous precedent that could lead to its misuse for other executive actions, including Medicaid waivers and changes to K-12 education plans. Rescinding these waivers without requiring EPA to justify its reversal based on its public health mission would be a big mistake.

For the health of people and the planet, the support of thriving communities and their economies, and our democracy, we urge you to join us in calling on lawmakers to stop this overreach of power and vote NO on the Congressional Review Act resolutions (H.J. Res. 87, H.R. Res. 88, H.J. Res. 89).

TAKE ACTION NOW!

Or, Call Your U.S. Senator: 

Michigan U.S. Senator Slotkin: 202-224-4822

Michigan U.S. Senator Peters: 202-224-6221

Look up their phone number here, and use this script: 

“Hi, my name is _______, and I’m a constituent (or title) living in _______, ZIP code _______.

I’m calling to urge Sen.________ to vote ‘no’ on these unlawful attempts to use the Congressional Review Act to overturn EPA waivers for vehicle pollution programs (H.J. Res. 87, H.R. Res. 88, H.J. Res. 89). I’m very concerned that if Congress uses the CRA improperly, it could create a precedent that allows it to be used on anything at all — from Medicaid waivers to changes to K-through-12 education plans.

Will Sen. ________ vote against these unlawful CRA resolutions when they come to the floor in the next few weeks?”