How might climate change affect Michigan?

How will Michigan look in 2100 if we do not mitigate climate warming?

The five great lakes taken together form the largest group of freshwater lakes on earth making up 84% of North America’s surface fresh water and about 21% of the world’s fresh surface water. Currently we are experiencing milder winters with a corresponding  decrease in ice formation. Ice on the Great Lakes minimizes water evaporation which causes significant shifts in water level. 

• Lower water levels disrupt shipping, recreation, and ecosystems.

• Warmer water encourages toxic, harmful Algal Blooms affecting water quality.

• Invasive species can spread more easily, disrupting ecosystems.

• Disruption of winter activities and impact species like whitefish and trout that rely on icy conditions

• Shipping disruption that impact the supply chain and jobs

• Shifts in agriculture from fruit to vegetable, nut and warm-season grass crops.

• Increase in crop disease, pests, extreme weather events, drought and/or excessive precipitation.

What's happening in our neck of the woods, Van Buren County?

In 2012 we had an early warming in March, followed by a few hard frosts and our fruit crop was all but wiped out. The fruit trees were eerily empty. Between 2017 and 2021 we had excessive precipitation followed by significant flooding of our lakes and rivers with millions in losses of property. The water table was extremely high, flooding  roads for months and making planting and harvesting crops in flooded and mucky fields difficult to impossible. 

We continue to have warmer winters with less snow. The lakes are not freezing over, disrupting water conservation and consequently, water levels. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Detroit District, the record high water levels on Lakes Michigan and Huron in 2019-2020 caused significant erosion, flooding of homes/properties, and damage to coastal structures and infrastructure.

A 2020 report by the University of Michigan's Graham Sustainability Institute estimated that homes and structures located in seven Southeast Michigan counties faced over $200 million in costs to address erosion caused by the high water levels. (Source: Graham Sustainability Institute Report)

Michigan can potentially become a climate immigration destination if the heat in the south becomes unlivable. 

• This will strain our water resources and strain sustainable agriculture.

• We will need a substantial and sustainable investment in infrastructure and housing. 

• In addition to Agriculture and manufacturing we will need to focus on tech, healthcare, finance and services to create more jobs and tax revenue.

• Energy sources need to shift faster from fossil fuels to renewable sources.

Attached is a Video on climate warming in Michigan by Dr. David Karowe professor of Biological Science at WMU. Why is there a climate emergency in Kalamazoo? www.youtube.com/results?search_query=why+is+there+a+climate+emergency+in+kalamazoo+michigan+ 

Potential solutions or mitigation:

1. Rapid transition to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and geothermal to replace fossil fuels for electricity generation.

2.  Boost energy efficiency across all sectors - buildings, transportation, manufacturing through better insulation, electric vehicles, and optimized processes.

3. Protect and restore natural carbon sinks like forests, wetlands, and oceans that absorb and store carbon dioxide.

4.  Shift to sustainable agriculture practices that reduce emissions from livestock, fertilizers, and land use changes.

5. Invest in carbon capture and storage technologies to remove CO2 directly from the atmosphere and industrial emissions.

6. Transition to a circular economy that minimizes waste and maximizes reuse/recycling of materials.

7. Adopt policies promoting clean energy like carbon pricing, fossil fuel divestment, and elimination of subsidies.

8. Develop green infrastructure like zero-energy buildings, better public transit, and climate-resilient urban planning.

9. Support family planning and education to stabilize global population growth.

10. International cooperation on emissions reductions through agreements like the Paris Climate Accords.

Implementing a combination of these technological, nature-based, policy, and social solutions at a rapid, global scale over the next 20 years gives the best chance of limiting warming below 2°C or 1.5°C targets.

Sources: IPCC, IEA, World Resources Institute, UN Environment Program, scientific literature.