Prairie fires were a natural part of the landscape before European settlement. Most prairies were eventually turned into farmland. Because they're vital habitat to pollinators and other wildlife, plus are beautiful in their own right, prairies are being restored. Occasionally, they need to be burned to survive.

Michigan has far to go to meet net zero carbon emissions, but progress is being made. Researchers say we need to look farther ahead and prepare now for the technical challenges that must be overcome.

The transition to cleaner energy in Michigan could get an assist through transmission lines to renewable energy from solar and wind in the Great Plains states.

Solar and wind energy are sporadic sources of power. Even with enough production to power the entire state of Michigan, storage is needed to keep supply steady with demand. Batteries alone won't suffice.

The reliability of electric power and the resilience of the grid are major obstacles to the transition to clean energy as Michigan law requires. The mostly wood and wire grid in some places is a century old.

We're using more power, some of the electric grid is a century old, and severe storms caused by climate change are battering the distribution system, all while trying to make the transition to renewable power and clean energy.

Michigan is experiencing drought conditions in places. Rain would be good, but too often spring rains become intense storms because of climate change.

Chronic wasting disease, a fatal neurological ailment, kills deer. It's been slowly spreading through Michigan. Washtenaw County is the 15th county where the disease has been detected in deer.

The University of Michigan Research Seminar In Quantitative Economics' economic outlook for 2025-2026 projects slower job growth and new inflationary pressures due to tariffs.

More than a decade after the Flint Water Crisis, another lawsuit has been settled. This one with the engineering company Veolia North American (VNA).