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Articles on Flint

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How long has that water already been in the system? mike.irwin/Shutterstock.com

Water stays in the pipes longer in shrinking cities – a challenge for public health

In many municipalities, aging water infrastructure is serving fewer people than it was built to accommodate. Out of sight has meant out of mind – but resulting changes in water quality may affect safety.
Laurie Nickel and her daughter Stephanie hold a protest sign during a union meeting after General Motors announced it would be closing its plant in Oshawa, Ont., that employs 2,500 people. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Eduardo Lima

GM closures: Oshawa needs more than ‘thoughts and prayers’

General Motors has announced it’s closing plants in Canada and the U.S. Many of the towns have built cars for decades or longer. A plant closing shatters people’s sense of belonging and identity.
Flint, Mich., has one of the highest crime rates in the country for a city of its size. One neighborhood has found a novel way to fight back. Carlos Osorio/AP Images

Want to fight crime? Plant some flowers with your neighbor

Crime is way down in one Flint, Michigan, neighborhood, where locals have teamed up to revamp neglected public spaces. Here, why ‘busy streets’ can prevent violence and save cities money.
When scientists stand up, do they lose standing? Liz Lemon

Should scientists engage in activism?

In the wake of the Flint water crisis and with a new notably anti-science president, U.S. scientists are reevaluating how to navigate the tension between speaking out and a fear of losing research funding.
Water tower in Flint, Michigan. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

How ZIP codes nearly masked the lead problem in Flint

High blood lead levels in children in Flint, Michigan were obscured in part because of an outdated method of studying public health – the ZIP code. Here’s why we need to make use of a better way.
A big data analysis indicates the focus on service line replacement may only go so far at fixing Flint’s water issues. George Thomas/flickr

How big data and algorithms are slashing the cost of fixing Flint’s water crisis

By tapping into diverse data sources in Flint, researchers can predict vulnerable homes and even have found that home water service lines may not be the biggest contributor to lead poisoning.

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