Michigan sues Big Oil

Posted on by farlane
Mercedes Benz C350 Plug-In Hybrid by Rich

Mercedes Benz C350 Plug-In Hybrid by Rich

The Guardian shares that in a first of its kind complaint, the State of Michigan has filed a complaint accusing big oil of being ‘cartel’ that fuels climate crisis and high energy costs:

…the state’s attorney general, Dana Nessel, accused four fossil fuel majors and the top US oil lobbying group last month of acting as a “cartel” to stifle the growth of renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs), while suppressing information about the dangers of the climate crisis. The conduct, the lawsuit alleged, violates federal and state antitrust laws.

The companies’ “collusion” drove up Michigan utility costs and slowed the transition away from gas-powered cars, according to the filing. Absent the industry’s efforts to repress clean technology, EVs “would be a common sight in every neighborhood – rolling off assembly lines in Flint, parked in driveways in Dearborn, charging outside grocery stores in Grand Rapids, and running quietly down Woodward Avenue”, it said.

Electricity costs in Michigan have surged, with average residential rates increasing by nearly 120% in the last two decades. And though electric car adoption is increasing, EVs and hybrids accounted for less than 4% of total registered vehicles statewide last year.

Rich took this photo at the North American International Auto Show way back in 2015. It won Best Photo in their 2015 Photo Contest & you can see more below and in his Detroit 2015 NAIAS gallery on Flickr.

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Detroit Photo Meetup: You Gotta Have Art

Posted on by farlane

Detroit Institute of Arts by Coretta Billy

A lot of the photographers I feature on Michigan in Pictures as well as many readers are from the Detroit area. If you are and are interested in growing your skills and/or your network of photographers, I encourage you to check out the “Click & Create: Detroit Photography Meetup” this Saturday, Jan 24th 10:00 AM at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

They write: “Join us for a photography meet-up designed to spark creativity across all ages and skill levels. We’ll explore the space together, work from shared shot lists, compare styles, and trade inspiration as we capture fresh perspectives in the heart of the city …. Meet inside the Woodward Entrance. Bring your camera or phone. No flash photography. No tripods or extra equipment. Just your eye, your curiosity, and your creative energy.”

Coretta Billy shared the event with me. She specializes in portraits & events, and is of the photographers who will be in attendance. You can follow her on Facebook and view & purchase her work at corettabillyiecphotography.com.

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Testing the lights on the Gordie Howe Bridge

Posted on by farlane
Testing the lights on Gordie Howe International Bridge

The Gordie Howe International Bridge shares an interesting article & video on their ongoing Aesthetic Lighting Testing than 6,000 programmable, energy-efficient white LED fixtures have been installed across the bridge towers, stay cables, back span, piers, approach span and bridge deck. Each fixture is designed to last more than 100,000 hours with linear lights having the longest lifespan lasting up to 280,000 hours (10 to 30 years!).

Check out the video below along with some nighttime photos shared by the Bridge Authority, and see lots more about the Gordie Howe Bridge on Michigan in Pictures!

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Get ready for the 2026 Detroit Auto Show!

Posted on by farlane
Detroit Auto Show by Montez Miller / Tell Us Detroit

Detroit Auto Show by Montez Miller / Tell Us Detroit

The annual Detroit Auto Show kicks off today at Huntington Place in Downtown Detroit. This annual celebration of automotive design & car culture runs January 14-25, 2026 & features new models, test tracks, and all kinds of auto related fun.

Montez Miller of Tell Us Detroit was there for an early look with Autot Show officials and new Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield. You can follow Tell Us Detroit’s coverage on Facebook, click to check out her video with some photo highlights of the preview, also also see highlights in the Detroit Auto Show’s hype video featuring GMac Cash. It’s really a great experience for car lovers!

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Detroit 2026 Calendar by Chris Ahern Photography

Posted on by farlane
Detroit 2026 Calendar by Chris Ahern Photography

2026 Detroit Calendar by Chris Ahern Photography

The latest Michigan photo calendar we’re featuring is the 2026 Detroit Calendar from Chris Ahern Photography. The calendar features brand-new images of Hudson’s Tower, Michigan Central Station, Ambassador Bridge, Gordie Howe Bridge, Campus Martius, the Detroit Riverwalk, Belle Isle, the downtown skyline, and more with many never before released!

Click to order the calendar on Chris’s website & for sure follow him on Facebook or your social media of choice!

PS: Even though it seems impossible, this is a 100% real photo of Detroit’s Hart Plaza taken during the Movement techno festival.

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Triple Dip Polar Vortex coming for Michigan

Posted on by farlane
Shark Attack - Triple X by Jill N. Hamilton-Krawczyk

Shark Attack – Triple X by Jill N. Hamilton-Krawczyk

Accuweather shares that much of the US and definitely Michigan is facing a rare “triple dip” polar vortex:

“This Arctic air outbreak can be attributed to a displacement of the polar vortex,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said. “The outbreak this week will be the first of probably three such rounds with it. Another cold blast is likely next week and a third the week after that,” Pastelok explained. “The waves of Arctic air will lead to significant surges in energy demands.”

I originally shared this photo way back on April 1, 2010 along with a pretty funny spoof, and I am very happy to bring it back along with several more that Jill shared from The Heidelberg Project in Detroit, a truly astonishing work of activist art. See many more in her excellent Detroit gallery on Flickr & stay warm people!!

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Drive safely this Thanksgiving!

Posted on by farlane
Thanksgiving Day Parade by Joel Williams

Thanksgiving Day Parade by Joel Williams

Bridge Michigan reports that AAA Michigan is predicting that 2.3 million Michigan residents will drive at least 50 miles between Nov. 25 and Dec. 1, a 1.4% increase from last year that could be higher given continuing air travel delays. mLive shares that the roads could be quite a bit less than optimal with a powerful winter storm expected along with tumbling temps on Wednesday. Snow totals over 3 FEET are possible in the UP with as much as 1 to 2 inches per hour falling. The Lower Peninsula (see NWS Weather Story below) will have high winds as well & wet, heavy snow close to 2 feet in inland Northern Michigan with less as you move south and east. All in all, it looks like a good time to allow more time for your holiday travels!!

Joel has more photos of the parade including the frankly disturbing giant head parade corps in his Detroit Thanksgiving Parade 2014 gallery on Flickr. I also shot a video last year of many of the Big Head Marchers last year!

just don’t look into their eyes by Joel Williams
Big Head Blessings by Joel Williams
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Michigan Central Railway Tunnel

Posted on by farlane
Sinking last tubular section Michigan Central RR tunnel by Albert Duce

Sinking last tubular section Michigan Central RR tunnel by Albert Duce

One of the fun things about Michigan in Pictures is the way that the photos I share raise questions that I am then obliged to find the answers to! That is the case today after someone asked “Where does the Holiday Train cross over from Canada?” The answer is the Michigan Central Railroad Tunnel which the Henry Ford explains was the answer to a wintertime challenge:

Ferrying railroad cars across the Detroit River was time-consuming and expensive — and sometimes impossible through winter ice. The Michigan Central Railroad opened a tunnel between Detroit and Windsor in 1910. The tunnel’s sections were built on land and then towed and sunk into position. This innovative construction technique saved the railroad some $2 million versus more conventional methods.

The Diesel Shop shared the photo above and continues the explanation:

The tunnel was constructed utilizing the immersed tube method in which tunnel sections are prefabricated and then sunk to the bottom of the river. Immersed tube construction is generally faster and cheaper than the alternative of boring a tunnel into the earth. The Michigan Central Railway Tunnel was the first immersed tube tunnel to carry traffic. The tunnel, built at a cost of $8,500,000, is 1 3/8 miles in length from portal to portal.

Here’s a cool video tour of the Michigan Central Railway Tunnel & some shots of the tunnel via Wikipedia’s Michigan Central Railway Tunnel entry.

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How to see the CPKC Holiday Train this Saturday

Posted on by farlane
Holiday Train Rolling through Detroit by Craig Hensley Photography

Holiday Train Rolling through Detroit by Craig Hensley Photography

The CPKC Holiday Train is set to roll through Michigan this Saturday November 22nd. My post about the train last week generated so many questions and so much interest that I decided to share some more info about this very cool Canadian project. Since its first journey in 1999, the CPKC Holiday Train has collected over 5 million pounds of food and raised more than $26 million dollars for community food banks in Canada and the US!

The estimated time that the train will pass by Michigan Central Station in downtown Detroit is 6pm, but it could be (and usually is) later. The train passes through southwest Detroit including Melvindale, Allen Park (est 6:30 – 7:30pm), Taylor, and Romulus before passing through Adrian (est 10pm – 2am) on its way out of Michigan near Munson. I’ll add updated information & answers to questions on this Facebook post about the Holiday Train.

Craig Hensley has been shooting the Holiday Train for years (check out these 2023 pics!). He put together a sweet Google Map of the Holiday Train’s route through Michigan that includes suggested viewing locations. He notes notes that the train is not making stops in Michigan and will be traveling at night so be smart and keep a safe distance from the tracks!! Head over to his website to view & purchase his work.

Also, Detroit photographer Montez Miller reports that she has a friend in Windsor who is a police officer & will let her know when the train is leaving customs so you should probably follow her for that and also her amazing work as a photographer for the red hot Detroit Pistons!!

UPDATE: Montez adds that cpkcr.com will provide LIVE TRAIN TRACKING, but it won’t go live until the train starts to move. She also shared some good Metro Detroit locations where you can watch the Holiday Train!

  • CPKC railway, a few minutes from tunnel/bridge in Windsor
  • Railroad in Windsor
  • Southwest Greenway/Michigan Central Station
  • Delay/Southwest Detroit/111 Gates St
  • Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park (parking lot)
  • Airport (Romulus)
  • Wayne Rd/94
  • North Side of airport along 94
  • Social House Group – Belleville, MI same plaza as the Belleville Secretary of State office and Jet’s Pizza
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See the Canada Pacific Holiday Train when it rolls through Michigan

Posted on by farlane
2025 CPKC Holiday Train at Michigan Central by Snappd by Sean Photography

2025 CPKC Holiday Train at Michigan Central by Snappd by Sean Photography

The 2025 CPKC Holiday Train will tour Canada and the United States November 19 through December 21st raising money, food and awareness to support food banks across their rail network. Professional musicians play free concerts from the brightly decorated train’s stage, and CPKC donates to the local food bank at each stop and encourages all attendees to make a monetary or heart-healthy food donation! Since its inaugural journey in 1999, the CPKC Holiday Train has raised more than $26 million and collected approximately 5.4 million pounds of food for community food banks in Canada and the U.S.

Sean shares that he got these shots from near Detroit’s Michigan Central Station last year – click the pic above for more photos! He recommends it as a really good spot, especially if you can make it there before the crowds. You can see lots more if Sean’s work on his Facebook, where you can also subscribe for exclusive content including live videos.

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