Sunset over Lake Michigan Photo by Abigail Ferguson
For this podcast episode I spoke with Diana Shultz. She has lived in Michigan for her entire adult life with her husband, Don. When I asked to interview Ms. Shultz, she did not want to be recorded but she said I could quote her.
We first spoke of how much she likes living in Michigan. Her whole family lives here and they come to visit every so often. She has 5 children and nine grandchildren ranging in age from 24 to 7 years old.
Mrs. Shultz explained to me that she and her husband travel down to Florida during the winter. She says she likes the summer in Michigan but she detests the cold. They would usually go down for a month starting in February. However, she has not gone for the past two years. They did not go in 2020 because of Covid-19 and they did not go in 2019 because it was so mild in Michigan she did not see the point of traveling for better weather.
Michigan is not the first state I think of when I think of climate change. It is known for the beautiful trees changing color in the autumn, the variety of produce available throughout the year, and of course the famous Great Lakes. However, climate change is visible if you know where to look.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the winters in Michigan are a tell tale sign that climate change is evident in Michigan. Since the 1970’s, the ice coverage on the Great Lakes has decreased 63%. The warmer temperatures have also created heavier rainfall. This is causing the water level in the Great Lakes to increase.