• Energy

EVs Continue to Take Off, Possible Biden Victory Would Boost Industry

• #30x30
• Detroit
• electric vehicles
• Ford
• GM
• Hummer
• Rare Earth Minerals
• SUV

General Motors (GM) is pushing ahead aggressively with the development of electric vehicles, with its Detroit factory – recently renamed “Factory Zero” — being retooled to begin to build its Hummer EV electric truck late next year.

Why This Matters:  The investments in electric vehicles are clearly market-driven, but it cannot hurt to have Presidential frontrunner Joe Biden on the campaign trail talking about using the federal purchasing power to transition the federal fleet to electric vehicles.

• Food

Cover Crops and Compost May Be Key To Improved Soils for Urban Agriculture

• compost
• cover crops
• Detroit
• food desert
• food insecurity
• produce

By Julia Fine, ODP Contributing Writer An ongoing study in Detroit on the potential to recondition soils in urban areas to enable locally-grown agriculture is producing promising results, Brian Allnutt reported in Civil Eats. The study out of  Michigan State University-Detroit’s Partnership for Food Learning and Innovation, is working to find the “quickest, cheapest, and […]

• Sustainability

GM Wants to Dominate EV Market, Takes Aim At “Pain Points”

• batteries
• cobalt
• Detroit
• EVs
• General Motors
• Tesla

Last week, the CEO of General Motors rolled out the company’s extensive plans to manufacture electric vehicles across all its brands and vehicle models and it even hopes to rejuvenate its luxury Cadillac brand by offering high-end EVs that will compete with Tesla, according to The New York Times.

Why This Matters:  GM is making a big bet on EVs and looking to leapfrog all the other conventional vehicle companies – and make money on these EVs right from the start.

• Politics

Democratic Debate Tonight: What Might CNN Ask?

• climate change
• CNN
• Democratic Debate
• Detroit
• frontline communities
• Sunrise Movement

The second Democratic debate tonight and tomorrow night, which is being held in Detroit, offers CNN an opportunity to ask some environment/climate questions that are particularly of interest due to the local audience who are drawn from a “frontline community” as conceived of in the Green New Deal that has been endorsed by several candidates. 

• Land

Green Roofs for a Green Detroit

• Detroit
• green roof
• MI
• urban greening
• urban heat island effect

As more cities develop plans to combat climate change and increase sustainability, green roofs are becoming an increasingly popular option to combat the effects of a warming planet. As CNN reported, research conducted by Michigan State University found that green roofs are great at cooling buildings, reducing flood risk, slashing polluting emissions and providing spaces for […]

• People

Hero of the Week: Mama Lila Cabbil, Michigan Water Warrior (1944-2019)

• clean water
• Detroit
• Detroit People's Platform
• People's Water Board Coalition

As Black History Month draws to a close, we can think of no better hero than Mama Lila Cabbil, who is being remembered this week in Michigan for her tireless work on civil rights and environmental justice, and as a founder of the People’s Water Board Coalition and the Detroit People’s Platform.  She passed away […]