January 14, 2026
- Downtown Newsmagazine
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Here are five Michigan environmental stories to watch in 2026 - including big decisions about data center regulations, the Line 5 pipeline and the Palisades nuclear plant. (Kelly House/Bridge Michigan)
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Scientists say the Trump administration is not just ignoring climate change but likely making it worse - embracing fossil fuels and withdrawing from the global fight against it - as the planet continues to warm. (Lisa Friedman/The New York Times)
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced plans to regulate phthalate chemical exposure for factory workers used in plastics production - health experts and advocates say that will do little to protect the general public from health impacts. (Jake Spring/The Washington Post)
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California is free of all drought and dryness for the first time in 25 years. (Clara Harter/Los Angeles Times)
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New research claims in 2025 the entire AI industry released as much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as New York City. (Robert Booth/The Guardian)
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The Trump administration is pulling the U.S. from dozens of international climate organizations and treaties - including the bedrock global climate agreement United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the top United Nations climate science body and more. (Somini Sengupta, Lisa Friedman/The New York Times)
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In just one year, New York City’s congestion pricing has reduced air pollution in and around the city. (Kristin Toussaint/FastCompany)
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A new analysis finds in 2025, the US suffered a billion-dollar weather or climate disaster every 10 days. (Matt Simon/Grist)
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According to recently received government records, the EPA is considering limiting its ability to use new science to strengthen air pollution rules. (Lisa Song/ProPublica)
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Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) has released its yearend report showing progress on several persisting issues - including delisting Muskegon Lake as an Area of Concern while continuing to fight algal blooms in Lake Erie. (Kyle Davidson/Michigan Advance)
And then there’s this...
The costs of climate change on everyday Americans – economists estimate the effects of global warming and climate change is already costing US households up to $900 per year. (Matthew Zeitlin/Heat Map)
