Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Southwest Detroit has long been known for its heavy industry.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/12/great-lakes-moment-creating-a-green-oasis-in-southwest-detroit/
Author Peter Annin is known for tackling big issues.
Annin directs the Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation at Northland College in Wisconsin and he made his mark on water with two editions of Great Lakes Water Wars, chronicling the threat of diverting water from the Great Lakes to arid areas and how the region responded.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/12/wisconsin-author-touches-third-rail-of-drinking-water-issues-in-new-book/
Science Says What? is a monthly column written by Great Lakes now contributor Sharon Oosthoek exploring what science can tell us about what’s happening beneath and above the waves of our beloved Great Lakes and their watershed.
Invasion of the earthworms! It sounds like a bad Hollywood movie, but science can be stranger than fiction.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/11/science-says-what-global-worming-and-the-great-lakes/
On Nov. 15, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against Purchase-headquartered Pepsico and its subsidiary Frito-Lay, citing a host of issues with the proliferation of its single-use packaging litter in and around a downtown Buffalo waterway.
The Buffalo River runs through the city before flowing into Lake Erie 20 miles upstream from Niagara Falls.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/11/new-york-state-sues-pepsico-over-plastic-pollution-in-buffalo/
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois
Forever chemicals’ toxic legacy at Chicago’s airports — Chicago Sun-Times
Firefighting foam containing PFAS contaminated groundwater under Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports, a military investigation found.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/11/pfas-news-roundup-wastewater-is-key-contributor-of-forever-chemicals-pollution-according-to-report/
A tiny goldfish might look cute in a fishbowl on your shelf, but if released into the wild it can grow to a terrifying size and become a menace to the ecosystem. They eat pretty much anything and everything, root up plants causing the water to become cloudy and dark, and reproduce and grow so quickly that almost no predators can stop them.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/11/were-going-to-need-a-bigger-fishbowl/
Editor’s Note: “Nibi Chronicles,” a monthly Great Lakes Now feature, is written by Staci Lola Drouillard. A direct descendant of the Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe, she lives and works in Grand Marais on Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior. Her two books “Walking the Old Road: A People’s History of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Anishinaabe” and “Seven Aunts” were published 2019 and 2022, and she is at work on a children’s story.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/11/the-four-sisters-bangs-lugalette-bannock-and-frybread/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/11/i-speak-for-the-fish-carp-are-crazy-about-corn/
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Michigan
EGLE establishes new surface water values for two additional PFAS chemicals — State of Michigan
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has set human health water quality parameters, which measure the maximum substance concentrations before adverse health effects.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/11/pfas-news-roundup-how-forever-chemicals-affect-human-body/
Since assuming the helm of Milwaukee’s sewerage agency (MMSD) in 2002, Kevin Shafer has been focused on managing and expanding the city’s deep tunnels designed to keep sewage out of Lake Michigan.
Knowing that tunnels alone are not enough, Shafer also started a campaign to emphasize green infrastructure and over the years, Milwaukee went from having a reputation as a bad actor to being a national leader in managing sewage overflows.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/11/wisconsin-agencys-expanded-mission-led-to-record-450-million-investment-in-milwaukee-waterways/
The summer of 2023 saw rainstorms that caused extreme flooding across the Great Lakes.
Cities like Cleveland, Chicago and Duluth were all affected this year. Amid rising concerns over the increasing frequency and severity of flooding in the Great Lakes region, a new study unveils crucial insights into each state’s preparedness.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/11/charting-a-safer-course-mitigating-flood-risk-in-great-lakes-states/
Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
The Endangered Species Act was championed by metropolitan Detroit’s very own Congressman John D.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/11/great-lakes-moment-a-detroit-perspective-on-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-endangered-species-act/
Chelsea Volpano’s coastal erosion study began drawing attention on social media last week, but not for the reasons you would expect.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison student was gathering the final data set for her Ph.D. on October 30 when her small boat stopped responding to the remote control.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/11/coastal-erosion-researcher-appeals-for-help-in-finding-her-remote-control-boat/
Science Says What? is a monthly column written by Great Lakes now contributor Sharon Oosthoek exploring what science can tell us about what’s happening beneath and above the waves of our beloved Great Lakes and their watershed.
Thirteen years ago, a live bighead carp was caught within swimming distance of Lake Michigan.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/10/science-says-what-how-edna-research-is-evolving-to-create-a-new-era-in-conservation/
When it comes to fostering resilience in the face of climate change in the waters that border the U.S. and Canada, hydrologist Drew Gronewold wants the region to be a “role model for the world.”
Gronewald is leading a new U.S. – Canada and sovereign nations effort to establish a research center designed to strengthen climate change resilience in communities that span international boundaries and jurisdictions.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/10/new-university-michigan-led-initiative-expands-climate-research-across-borders/
A strike by about 350 members of UNIFOR, Canada’s largest private sector union, could cripple thousands of businesses and cause the loss of billions in economic activity if it continues, according to shipping officials.
“Every day is a critical time,” said Jayson Hron, communications director for Port of Duluth-Superior, the U.S.’ furthest inland seaport.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/10/great-lakes-imports-and-exports-halted-by-strike/
Quite a few bills are going through Michigan State Congress that are poised to radically reshape the state’s approach to energy. These proposed legislations signal Michigan’s commitment to the climate crisis, and could set the stage for a significant shift in the state’s environmental policies. The House introduced bills that environmentalists are keeping their eyes on, many of which would solidify elements of with Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s MI Healthy Climate Plan into law.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/10/keeping-an-eye-on-michigans-current-environmental-legislation/
Editor’s Note: “Nibi Chronicles,” a monthly Great Lakes Now feature, is written by Staci Lola Drouillard. A direct descendant of the Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe, she lives and works in Grand Marais on Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior. Her two books “Walking the Old Road: A People’s History of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Anishinaabe” and “Seven Aunts” were published 2019 and 2022, and she is at work on a children’s story.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/10/nibi-chronicles-grand-portage-water-warriors/
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois
Forever Chemicals and Cancer Risk — Chicago Health Magazine
The managing partner at a Chicago-based law firm started getting calls from firefighters last year: men and women with kidney, prostate, and bladder cancers.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/10/pfas-news-roundup-ridding-groundwater-forever-chemicals-ultrasound-increasing-pfas-monitoring-rivers/
Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois
Illinois wants Spire to show it shouldn’t be held in contempt over its embattled pipeline — St.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/10/energy-news-roundup-vision-green-energy-underserved-communities-nationwide-burst-clean-energy-jobs/
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Indiana
What to do if there are PFAS in your Indiana drinking water — Louisville Public Media
So far, Indiana Department of Emergency Management has found unhealthy levels of PFAS in 19 drinking water utilities.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/10/pfas-news-roundup-can-we-get-rid-of-forever-chemicals/
Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
For over 100 years the Detroit River was perceived as a working waterway that supported industry and commerce.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/10/great-lakes-moment-detroits-new-ralph-wilson-park-will-provide-habitats-for-a-healthy-ecosystem/
Science Says What? is a monthly column written by Great Lakes now contributor Sharon Oosthoek exploring what science can tell us about what’s happening beneath and above the waves of our beloved Great Lakes and their watershed.
The wolves of Isle Royale recently came within a hair’s breadth of dying out — victims of years of inbreeding.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/09/science-says-what-how-an-airlift-of-wolves-saved-isle-royales-ecosystem-and-sparked-a-conservation-controversy/
The Great Lakes region is known for its abundance. Vineyards flourish near the shores of lakes Erie and Michigan. Maple trees flow freely with sap that is made into syrup every spring. And of course, Great Lakes’ freshwater fish like perch, walleye and whitefish make their way onto our dinner plates.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/09/book-review-saving-our-changing-menu-in-great-lakes-region-and-beyond/
“Nibi Chronicles,” a monthly Great Lakes Now feature, is written by Staci Lola Drouillard. A Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe direct descendant, she lives and works in Grand Marais on Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior. Her two books “Walking the Old Road: A People’s History of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Anishinaabe” and “Seven Aunts” were published 2019 and 2022, and the children’s story “A Family Tree” will be released in May, 2024.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/09/nibi-chronicles-the-art-of-ojibwe-linoleum/
The EPA’s Chris Korleski gets excited when speaking about cleaning up the Great Lakes region’s decades-old, contaminated sediment sites like the Detroit River.
He talks about the “tremendous effort” that’s been rekindled in the past two years under the Biden administration. And how “motivated” the people who work to advance the cleanup are and the value of the partnerships that facilitate restoration.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/09/great-lakes-epa-office-reaffirms-2030-cleanup-goal-for-detroit-river-other-contaminated-sites/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/09/i-speak-for-the-fish-mesmerized-minnows/
A 150-year-old schooner that sank in 1881, was finally discovered in Lake Michigan. On July 15, maritime historians, Brendon Baillod and Bob Jaeck located the old shipwreck off the coast of Algoma, Wisconsin. The Trinidad was on their radar for more than twenty years, as the ship was a strong candidate for research; the captain and his eight crew members all survived (except their trusted Newfoundland), providing a good description of where the vessel sank.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/09/behind-shipwreck-discovered-lake-michigan/
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois
Farmer Claiming PFAS Pollution From Mine Sent to Arbitration — Bloomberg Law News
An Illinois appellate court on Friday ordered a dispute between a farmer and a mining company over alleged water pollution from firefighting foam used to extinguish a fire at a mining operation be settled in arbitration, reversing a lower court decision.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/09/pfas-news-roundup-impact-pfas-farming-proposed-cuts-epa/
The Great Lakes are facing an era of challenges and opportunities that will require new stewardship principles, and leaders who are able to work across disciplines including science, policy, economics and social science.
That is the message from an ad hoc collaborative of University of Michigan researchers in a recent paper titled Leadership for the next generation of Great Lakes stewardship.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/09/researchers-current-great-lakes-stewardship-ill-equipped-handle-future-challenges/
Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois
Will County solar boom not entirely welcomed — Herald-News
Some Illinois local officials say a recent state law limits their ability to block commercial solar developments amid landowner opposition.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/09/energy-news-roundup-opposition-solar-development-illinois-excessive-heat-detroit/
This lesson will explore the phenomenon of erosion, as students learn about the diversity of rocks present in the Great Lakes. They will explore the geology of the region and the outdoor adventure that make rock hunting in this area special, as well as conduct a variety of experiments to better understand rock formation and classification in the Great Lakes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/09/episode-2308-shoreline-stones-lesson-plan/
Eighty percent of Canadians live in urban areas, and most are disconnected from nature. To help address this, Canada is creating a network of national urban parks not only to conserve nature, but to connect people with it, and advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
Now, the University of Windsor has become a partner by creating the first university-based National Urban Park Hub.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/09/great-lakes-moment-university-windsor-build-capacity-canada-national-urban-parks/
Eat Your Heartland Out is a Taste Awards nominated program about the intersection of food and culture in the American Midwest. The show is produced by the Heritage Radio Network, a leader in culinary audio storytelling and distributed on the Public Radio Exchange (PRX), which provides content to public radio affiliates across the United States.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/eat-your-heartland-out-can-be-galley-steward/
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/pfas-news-roundup-pfas-likely-present-water-supplies-court-rules-against-restrictions-michigan/
Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois
Wind, solar training facility opens in Bloomington — Pantagraph
Officials unveil a new technical training center in Bloomington, Illinois, that will train at least 100 people annually for wind and solar jobs.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/energy-news-roundup-climate-action-plan-illinois-offshore-wind-lake-erie/
Science Says What? is a monthly column written by Great Lakes now contributor Sharon Oosthoek exploring what science can tell us about what’s happening beneath and above the waves of our beloved Great Lakes and their watershed.
A tiny lake just an hour’s drive from Toronto made headlines earlier this summer as the best place in the world to illustrate the dawn of a new geological epoch – the Anthropocene.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/science-says-what-weight-world-rests-small-canadian-lake/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/i-speak-for-the-fish-giddy-up-sucker/
Nearly 90 percent of water samples taken from the Great Lakes over the last ten years exceed safe levels for wildlife. Researchers from the University of Toronto and the Winnipeg-based International Institute for Sustainable Development came to this conclusion after conducting a comprehensive review of microplastics studies.
At the levels surveyed, the researchers say fish and other aquatic wildlife are at risk of ingesting enough microplastics to fill their guts, diluting their regular food and its nutritional value.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/great-lakes-microplastics-concentrations-exceed-safe-levels-for-wildlife/
Editor’s Note: “Nibi Chronicles,” a monthly Great Lakes Now feature, is written by Staci Lola Drouillard. A direct descendant of the Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe, she lives and works in Grand Marais on Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior. Her two books “Walking the Old Road: A People’s History of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Anishinaabe” and “Seven Aunts” were published 2019 and 2022, and she is at work on a children’s story.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/nibi-chronicles-beaver-named-annabelle-her-kin-us/
Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois
Home Water Quality Testing Kits For Lead, Copper And PFAS To Debut In Chicago — Forbes
The National Science Foundation is backing a pilot study by Northwestern University to develop and distribute water quality testing kits to Chicago-area residents.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/pfas-news-roundup-clermont-county-village-lawsuit-forever-chemicals-testing-kits-debut-chicago/
Love staring at a map and discovering something interesting? Then “Mapping the Great Lakes” is for you. It’s a monthly Great Lakes Now feature created by Alex B. Hill, a self-described “data nerd and anthropologist” who combines cartography, data, and analytics with storytelling and human experience.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/mapping-the-great-lakes-who-is-looking-out-for-the-great-lakes/
Making a film about water came naturally for award-winning documentary filmmaker dream hampton, though water and the environment has not traditionally been her emphasis.
hampton made Freshwater after coming off a hectic schedule in 2018 and 2019 during which she made three films. It was, she decided, a time to shift her focus, a time to be still and reflect.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/filmmaker-looks-detroit-through-lens-water-life-events-justice/
Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
While watching civilization expand into the countryside in the 1800s, the great American author and naturalist Henry David Thoreau recommended every town have a forest of 500 to 1,000 acres for conservation instruction and outdoor recreation.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/great-lakes-moment-nature-right-outside-school-door/
Keep up with energy-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois
Chicago Mayor Receives Blueprint for ’Green New Deal’ to Address Environmental Justice — Inside Climate News
Advocates deliver Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson a local “Green New Deal” proposal that aims to tackle energy affordability, clean energy job opportunities, and environmental justice curricula in schools.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/energy-news-roundup-improvements-coming-to-michigans-power-grid-congress-climate-spending/
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/pfas-news-roundup-legislation-introduced-in-michigan-reduce-exposure/
By Ashley Zhou, Bridge Michigan
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/michigan-tribes-fight-long-odds-to-restore-wild-rice-their-history/
Science Says What? is a monthly column written by Great Lakes now contributor Sharon Oosthoek exploring what science can tell us about what’s happening beneath and above the waves of our beloved Great Lakes and their watershed.
On July 26, 2010, people living along Talmadge Creek in Marshall, Michigan awoke to a sharp, sickening smell.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/science-says-what-lessons-learned-from-a-deliberate-dilbit-spill/
Editor’s Note: “Nibi Chronicles,” a monthly Great Lakes Now feature, is written by Staci Lola Drouillard. A direct descendant of the Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe, she lives and works in Grand Marais on Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior. Her two books “Walking the Old Road: A People’s History of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Anishinaabe” and “Seven Aunts” were published 2019 and 2022, and she is at work on a children’s story.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/nibi-chronicles-portal-burt-lake-bands-violent-expulsion/
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/pfas-news-roundup-firs-market-pfas-annihilator-michigan-42-4-million-claims-wisconsin-city/
