Cathye Williams | Author

The Pope and the President

May 10, 2025

Trump’s first 100 days in office have been a roller-coaster ride, with a recent poll showing that majorities of voters describe the start of his term as “chaotic” and “scary” (The New York Times, April 2025). Actions appear to follow the whims of the p… Read More >>

Ours to Lose

Feb. 15, 2025

I like a February column. February is a beautiful in-between place. We are past the hustle of the holidays, but spring is still a ways off. And this year, at least, we are knee-deep in the white stuff. 

For those curled up indoors with a good book, the snow is quiet and beautif… Read More >>

Keep Going

Dec. 7, 2024

No one who knows (or reads) me will be surprised by my disappointment in the 2024 election results. It was just months ago that this column laid out the very real concerns that many people had about Project 2025, the extreme right wing plan which, if implemented, would be a disaster for the… Read More >>

Everything and the Kitchen Sink

Sept. 14, 2024

Is there a spot where you do your best thinking? Mine’s the kitchen sink. I spend a lot of time in this rather mundane spot. Mostly it’s mindless—prepping food, washing dishes, fetching a drink of water. It’s the kind of place where you can focus on a task, or let yo… Read More >>

Damage Promised by Project 2025

Aug. 3, 2024

Let’s start with the premise that not every Republican is anti-environment. Nor is every Republican in office working to thwart a clean energy transition, just as not every Democrat has impeccable environmental credentials. It’s well known that oil and gas interests lobby on bot… Read More >>

Stop Stressing and Take Action Outside

June 15, 2024

It’s looking to be another knockout northern Michigan summer this year, but many of us have little time to enjoy it.

How about you? Do you mostly see lakes and dunes through your windshield as you rush from task to task? Do you hear the birds as you slam your first coffee, and… Read More >>

Champions, Not Pillagers

March 16, 2024

During his State of the Union address, President Biden reminded us of his administration’s commitment to confronting the climate crisis and saving the planet from it. He and Congress already made a good start by enacting the Inflation Reduction Act, the most sweeping legislation so fa… Read More >>

War and Peace in the Time of Climate Change

Nov. 18, 2023

This year the November flurry of events to honor veterans gave me pause, set as they were against the backdrop of the brutal wars going on in Gaza and Ukraine. It has me thinking about the differences between military service and the broader concept of militarism and where our priorities li… Read More >>

Fire, Heat, Flooding, and Misinformation

Sept. 16, 2023

This summer, the towns of Copemish and Grayling experienced dangerous wildfires that threatened life and property and spread smoke and ash around the region. Meanwhile, over 1,000 wildfires threatened Canadians this summer and also exported pollution across the Great Lakes region, laying a … Read More >>

Hug a Tree, Definitely

April 29, 2023

During April, nature lovers across Michigan took part in many Earth and Arbor Day activities. There were film screenings, recycling drives, bird hikes, and beach clean-ups. For those who like to get their hands dirty, there were plenty of opportunities to plant trees—a cornerstone of … Read More >>

Turbines and Hot Air

March 18, 2023

Candidate Trump is on the campaign trail once more, displaying his knack for riffing on any topic that pops into his head. At this year’s CPAC (Conservative Political Action Coalition) convention speech, he went all out with his “greatest hits” of grievances, bullying, bel… Read More >>

Finding Power in All the Right Places

Jan. 21, 2023

Before being named U.S. Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy was quoted by NBC News saying, “I’ve never seen a body where the 10 percent is going to control the 90 percent. It just doesn’t happen that way.”

I would argue that in American society, it happens q… Read More >>

View from the Cusp

Dec. 24, 2022

While writing my last column of 2022, the urge to recap the year is not lost on me. It’s impossible to avoid—our culture marks this juncture where December greets January as a time of reflection and reckoning. Whether religious ritual, commercial enterprise, or nature’s so… Read More >>

When Saying Thank You Isn’t Enough

Nov. 12, 2022

November is crowded with special days. Between the one where we cast votes and the one where we give thanks lies the one where saying thank you just isn’t enough.

Considering that the U.S. military budget topped over $800 billion for this year alone, how is it that militar… Read More >>

The World Is Knocking at Our Door

Oct. 1, 2022

Going into the final stretch of 2022, I’d like to take stock of how we are doing environmentally. So, how are we doing?

Well, the U.S. has seen 52,669 wildfires destroy almost 7 million acres in 10 states since the beginning of 2022 (National Interagency Fire Center). Californ… Read More >>

A Victory and the Road Ahead

Aug. 13, 2022

Dear Sen. Manchin, I prefer to get my last-minute plot twists while streaming Netflix, thanks very much. Still, I’m completely on board with joining climate activists in celebrating the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.

The bill, passed by the Senate after Mr. Manch… Read More >>

Hope Springs

May 14, 2022

After weeks of wet, gray, and chilly “pseudo-spring,” we are finally starting to see the real thing. May sunlight, warm breezes, and greenness spreading through the woods are reminders that nature has not given up on us. Birds have returned to join the overwintering creature cro… Read More >>

We Can Fight Climate Change and Russian Aggression

March 26, 2022

While some refuse to face the truth, most people recognize that the continued use of fossil fuels is harming the planet and all life on it. Carbon emissions drive climate change, leading to ocean acidification, loss of biodiversity, rising sea levels, more frequent/intense storms, wildfires… Read More >>

What Will it Take?

Jan. 22, 2022

 

If you’ve seen the recently released Netflix comedy “Don’t Look Up,” you might be asking the above question. For those who haven’t seen it, the film is a none-too-subtle satire about a scientist’s discovery of a comet that's on a direct col… Read More >>

Show Gratitude by Reducing Waste

Nov. 20, 2021

Thanksgiving has long been a time to celebrate abundance. Striving for abundance seemed prudent in a past where stockpiles provided security against times of scarcity.

Today, the abundance we enjoy is more a sign of imbalance than security. Much like climate change brings downpo… Read More >>