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In Chicago, one neighborhood is fighting gentrification and climate change at the same time

By Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, Grist

This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here.

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between WBEZ and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/in-chicago-one-neighborhood-is-fighting-gentrification-and-climate-change-at-the-same-time/

Grist

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In: Chicago, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Latest News, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice
Faced with COVID-era civil rights complaints, Chicago commits to environmental justice

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Wajeeha Kamal, Great Lakes Echo

Chicago is joining a nationwide trend of large cities incorporating equity or justice goals into preparing for climate change’s impact on public health.

The idea is to better protect Black, Hispanic, Indigenous and other socially vulnerable and marginalized communities.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/02/faced-with-covid-era-civil-rights-complaints-chicago-commits-to-environmental-justice/

Great Lakes Echo

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In: Authors, Chicago, Feature Homepage, Gary Wilson, Illinois, Latest News, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Study calls for EPA to include human well-being in Great Lakes restoration program

A classic definition of “environmental restoration” talks about reclaiming habitat and restoring land and waters that plants and animals depend on. 

What’s missing from that long-standing approach? Humans. People who may live near toxic waters directly benefit when they’re cleaned up. People who fish  the Detroit River for subsistence, for example.  

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/02/study-calls-for-epa-to-include-human-well-being-in-great-lakes-restoration-program/

Gary Wilson

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In: Chicago, Feature Homepage, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Latest News, News
Chicago could be first major Midwestern city to ban gas in new construction

By Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, WBEZ

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between WBEZ and Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/chicago-could-be-first-major-midwestern-city-to-ban-gas-in-new-construction/

Grist

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In: Chicago, Feature Homepage, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Latest News, News, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Army Corps plans $1 billion barricade to deter invasive carp at Illinois and Des Plaines Rivers

By Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, WBEZ

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between WBEZ and Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Sign up for WBEZ newsletters to get local news you can trust.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/army-corps-plans-1-billion-barricade-to-deter-invasive-carp-at-illinois-and-des-plaines-rivers/

WBEZ

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In: AP, Chicago, Detroit, Feature Homepage, Illinois, Latest News, Michigan, News, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Flooding drives millions to move as climate migration patterns emerge

By Michael Phillis and Camille Fassett, Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Flooding is driving millions of people to move out of their homes, limiting growth in some prospering communities and accelerating the decline of others, according to a new study that details how climate change and flooding are transforming where Americans live.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/12/ap-flooding-drives-millions-to-move-climate-migration-patterns-emerge/

The Associated Press

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In: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Chicago, Collaboration, Drinking Water, groundwater, Illinois, infrastructure, Lake Michigan, Latest News, News
Chicago Suburbs, Running Out of Water, Will Tap Lake Michigan

By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/09/chicago-suburbs-water-tap-lake-michigan/

Circle of Blue

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In: Chicago, Climate change, Collaboration, flooding, Illinois, infrastructure, Latest News, News, Science, Technology, Research
A Community-Led Approach To Stopping Flooding Expands

By Maia McDonald and Katrina Pham, Borderless

This piece is part of a collaboration that includes the Institute for Nonprofit News, Borderless, Ensia, Planet Detroit, Sahan Journal, and Wisconsin Watch, as well as the Guardian and Inside Climate News. The project was supported by the Joyce Foundation. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/community-led-approach-stopping-flooding-expands/

Borderless Magazine

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In: Chicago, Collaboration, flood maps, Illinois, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Lake Michigan, Latest News, News
On Chicago’s South Side, neighbors fight to keep Lake Michigan at bay

By Siri Chilukuri, Planet Detroit

This piece is part of a collaboration that includes the Institute for Nonprofit News, Borderless, Ensia, Planet Detroit, Sahan Journal, and Wisconsin Watch, as well as the Guardian and Inside Climate News. The project was supported by the Joyce Foundation. 

Jera Slaughter looks at her backyard with pride, pointing out every feature and explaining how it came to be.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/chicagos-south-side-neighbors-fight-keep-lake-michigan-bay/

Planet Detroit

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In: Alex Hill, Authors, Chicago, Detroit, environmental groups, Feature Homepage, Great Lakes maps, History and Culture, Illinois, Latest News, Michigan, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice
Mapping the Great Lakes: Who is looking out for the Great Lakes?

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/mapping-the-great-lakes-who-is-looking-out-for-the-great-lakes/

Alex Hill

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In: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Chicago, Collaboration, Illinois, Latest News, Michigan, News, Ontario, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, pollution, watersheds, Wisconsin
FRESH: As Chicago Broils, Citizens and Scientists Study ‘Heat Island’ Effect

August 8, 2023

Fresh is a biweekly newsletter from Circle of Blue that unpacks the biggest international, state, and local policy news stories facing the Great Lakes region today. Sign up for Fresh: A Great Lakes Policy Briefing, straight to your inbox, every other Tuesday.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/fresh-chicago-broils-citizens-scientists-study-heat-island-effect/

Circle of Blue

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In: Asian carp, Authors, Chicago, Feature Homepage, Gary Wilson, Illinois, invasive carp, invasive species, Lake Michigan, Latest News, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice
Illinois, feds grapple with agreement that would advance billion dollar plan to stop invasive carp

The first efforts to stop the advance of invasive carp to the Great Lakes began in the early 2000s when electrical barriers in the Chicago Area Waterway System leading to Lake Michigan were thought to be a deterrent.

The fear was that if the voracious carp entered the lake, they could expand their range, wipe out the food supply and eventually devastate the multi-billion dollar Great Lakes fishery.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/06/illinois-feds-grapple-agreement-advance-billion-dollar-plan-stop-invasive-carp/

Gary Wilson

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In: Authors, Chicago, Enbridge Line 5 and Other Pipelines, Energy, Energy News Roundup, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Feature Homepage, Illinois, Indiana, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Kathy Johnson, Latest News, Michigan, Minnesota, News, Ohio, Wisconsin
Energy News Roundup: Line 5 negotiations in Michigan, funding for clean energy in Illinois

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’s Blacks in Green gets a major boost from a $10 million EPA grant — Energy News Network

Chicago’s Blacks in Green receives a five-year, $10 million U.S.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/05/energy-news-roundup-line-5-negotiations-michigan-funding-clean-energy-illinois/

Kathy Johnson

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In: Authors, Chicago, Energy, Energy News Roundup, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Feature Homepage, Illinois, Indiana, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Kathy Johnson, Latest News, Michigan, Minnesota, News, Ohio, Wisconsin
Energy News Roundup: Power outages in Michigan, future of nuclear power in Illinois

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

  • When it comes to smog, Cook County is the worst neighbor in the country, EPA finds — Chicago Tribune

Cook County, Illinois, contributes more to smog pollution violations in other states than anywhere else in the country, according to federal data.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/03/energy-news-roundup-power-outages-in-michigan-future-of-nuclear-power-in-illinois/

Kathy Johnson

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In: AP, Chicago, electric vehicles, Energy, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Feature Homepage, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Lake Michigan, Latest News, Municipalities, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice
In Chicago, adapting electric buses to winter’s challenges

By Tom Krishner, AP Auto Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — The No. 66 bus is packed on a recent weekday afternoon as it starts and stops its way from Chicago’s near west side to Navy Pier along the Lake Michigan shore.

The seats and windows squeak and rattle just like a regular diesel bus, but no one seems to notice the high-pitched whine of the electric motor that makes it go.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/03/ap-adapting-electric-buses-winter-challenge/

The Associated Press

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In: Authors, Chicago, Energy, Energy News Roundup, Feature Homepage, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Indiana, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Kathy Johnson, Latest News, Michigan, Minnesota, News, Ohio, Ontario, Wisconsin
Energy News Roundup: Community programs to provide solar for low-income residents in Illinois, Ohio

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 company brings climate-friendly development to communities that need it most — Energy News Network

A project that combines energy efficiency, solar power and electrification is part of developer A.J.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/01/energy-news-roundup-programs-provide-solar-low-income-illinois-ohio/

Kathy Johnson

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In: Authors, Budget, Chicago, Feature Homepage, Gary Wilson, Illinois, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, Latest News, Michigan, News, Ohio, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, shipping, Shipping and Ports, The States, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Divided Congress: Smooth sailing or choppy waters for Great Lakes programs?

Since 2020 when Democrats swept into power by winning the presidency and taking control of both chambers of Congress, Great Lakes programs have had a tailwind of funding support from Washington.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided a $1 billion windfall for the region to accelerate clean up of the multiple toxic sites known as Areas of Concern that remain from the peak industrial period in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/12/smooth-sailing-or-choppy-waters-for-great-lakes-programs/

Gary Wilson

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In: Authors, Buffalo, Chicago, Equity and Environmental Justice, Gary Wilson, government, Illinois, lake erie, Latest News, legislation, Michigan, New York, News, Ohio, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Protect, protection, The States
Buffalo legislator calls for bill of rights protection for the Great Lakes

Should natural resources like the Great Lakes have the same legal right to protection from harm as a person has? Including the right to be free from exploitation as a commodity for financial gain?

New York state Assemblyman Patrick Burke thinks so and has introduced formal legislation that would provide for those rights.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/12/buffalo-legislator-calls-for-protection-for-great-lakes/

Gary Wilson

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In: AP, Chicago, Climate change, Detroit, Feature Detroit, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, Forests and Plants, Habitat Restoration, Illinois, Latest News, Michigan, News, Protect, Recreation and Tourism, Research, Research, Data and Technology, rewilding, Science, Technology, Research, urban areas, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wildlife
Extinctions, shrinking habitat spur ‘rewilding’ in cities

By John Flesher, AP Environmental Writer

DETROIT (AP) — In a bustling metro area of 4.3 million people, Yale University wildlife biologist Nyeema Harris ventures into isolated thickets to study Detroit’s most elusive residents — coyotes, foxes, raccoons and skunks among them.

Harris and colleagues have placed trail cameras in woodsy sections of 25 city parks for the past five years.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/12/ap-extinctions-shrinking-habitat-spur-rewilding-in-cities/

The Associated Press

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In: Authors, Chicago, Enbridge Line 5 and Other Pipelines, Energy, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Feature Homepage, Illinois, Indiana, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Kathy Johnson, Michigan, Minnesota, News, Ohio, Wisconsin
Energy News Roundup: Electric school buses, solar-powered recreational boats on the rise

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 entrepreneur uses clean energy to create opportunities in disinvested communities — Energy News Network

Chicago entrepreneur Arthur Burton is closing the gap in solar and electric vehicle charging stations in disinvested communities, while providing job training opportunities for at-risk youth.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/energy-news-roundup-electric-school-buses-solar-powered-recreational-boats-on-the-rise/

Kathy Johnson

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In: Authors, Beaches, Boating, Paddle Sports and Sailing, bridges, Chicago, Cruise Ships, drawbridges, Duluth, Feature Homepage, History and Culture, Illinois, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, James Proffitt, Latest News, Lighthouses, Museums and Cultural Institutions, Milwaukee, Minnesota, News, Ohio, Recreation and Tourism, Shipping and Ports, Tourism, Waterfront Development, Wisconsin
Great Lakes Moving Bridges: How they work and why we love them

They stop dozens of vehicles creating traffic jams so that a single boat can dawdle through and sometimes they make us late. They’re usually very old and expensive to maintain and operate and holy smokes, they move slow as cold molasses.

But seriously, aren’t they great?

“It can definitely be an inconvenience, but in all reality it’s only a few minutes every hour,” Port Clinton Mayor Mike Snider said.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/great-lakes-moving-bridges/

James Proffitt

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Energy News Roundup: Michigan launching study of nuclear power options, clean energy jobs rebounding in Wisconsin

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

  • Transit advocates criticize new regional transportation plan featuring expressway expansion — Chicago Sun Times

Chicago transit advocates raise concerns over a state transportation plan that calls for more expressway lanes instead of prioritizing public transit.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/energy-news-roundup-michigan-study-of-nuclear-power-clean-energy-jobs-wisconsin/

Kathy Johnson

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In: Alex Hill, Authors, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Feature Homepage, great lakes map, Illinois, infrastructure, Latest News, map, mapping, Michigan, Milwaukee, New York, News, Ohio, Ontario, Quebec, Toronto, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Mapping the Great Lakes: Where do you live?

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/mapping-the-great-lakes-where-do-you-live/

Alex Hill

On:
In: Advocacy, Asian carp, Authors, Books, Authors, Art and Music, Chicago, chicago river, Climate change, Detroit, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, Gary Wilson, History and Culture, Illinois, invasive species, Latest News, Michigan, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Q&A, Science, Technology, Research
Great Lakes, Chicago River and Asian carp in the spotlight in Elizabeth Kolbert’s “Under a White Sky”

For Elizabeth Kolbert, the path to writing a book on our penchant to control nature started with a guided tour on the infamously reversed Chicago River.

Kolbert wanted to get a close look at the Asian carp issue and talk to the people on the front lines of efforts to repel the carp advance to the Great Lakes.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/great-lakes-chicago-river-asian-carp-elizabeth-kolbert/

Gary Wilson

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In: Chicago, coal ash, Coal Ash Project, Collaboration, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, History and Culture, Illinois, indigenous communities, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News, Region, the energy news network, Tribal Voices
More from “Poisonous Ponds: Tackling Toxic Coal Ash”

In August, the “Poisonous Ponds: Tackling Toxic Coal Ash” student reporting initiative investigated the complicated policy and impacts of coal ash in the Great Lakes. The special collaboration included Great Lakes Now, The Energy News Network, and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications.

Keep up with more coal ash news published by The Energy News Network as part of this project:

How Puerto Rico’s banned coal ash winds up in rural Georgia

After Puerto Rico banned coal ash storage, the toxic waste from its coal plant is being quietly shipped through Florida to Georgia.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/more-from-poisonous-ponds-tackling-toxic-coal-ash/

Energy News Network

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In: Alex Hill, Chicago, Feature Homepage, Great Lakes, Illinois, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Lake Superior, Latest News, mapping, Michigan, News, Recreation and Tourism, Research, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, shipwrecks, Tourism
Mapping the Great Lakes: Underwater discoveries await

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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/mapping-the-great-lakes-underwater-discoveries-await/

Alex Hill

On:
In: Chicago, coal ash, Coal Ash Project, groundwater, Groundwater Contamination, Illinois, News, Research, Data and Technology, science, Science, Technology, Research, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Coal ash 101: Everything you need to know about this toxic waste

As coal plants close nationwide, they leave behind nearly a billion tons of toxic coal ash. The Medill School of Journalism spent months investigating the coal ash threat and how regulators, companies and environmental groups are handling it.

Here are the basics that will help you understand this looming threat:

What is Coal Ash?

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/coal-ash-101/

Sruthi Gopalakrishnan

On:
In: Chicago, coal ash, epa, Equity and Environmental Justice, Groundwater Contamination, Illinois, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Lake Michigan, Latest News, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Protect, regulation, The Catch, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
The Catch: Coal ash regulation

Broadcasting in our monthly PBS television program, The Catch is a Great Lakes Now series that brings you more news about the lakes you love. Go beyond the headlines with reporters from around the region who cover the lakes and drinking water issues. Find all the work HERE.

This month, The Catch features stories from “Poisonous Ponds: Tackling Toxic Coal Ash,” a collaborative project featuring the reporting work of students at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications on Great Lakes Now and Energy News Network programs and websites.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/the-catch-coal-ash-regulation/

GLN Editor

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In: Chicago, detroit river, Feature Homepage, Great Lakes, history, History and Culture, Illinois, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Latest News, mackinac bridge, Michigan, Milwaukee, News, Ontario, PBS, queen elizabeth, Recreation and Tourism, st. lawrence river, st. lawrence seaway, straits of mackinac, Tourism, Wisconsin
A look back on Queen Elizabeth’s Great Lakes tour

Queen Elizabeth II left her mark in the Great Lakes region, from joining President Dwight D. Eisenhower at the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway to sailing on Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

Following the Thursday news of the longest-reigning British monarch’s passing, PBS stations across the nation broadcasted programs commemorating her life and local news organizations reported on the late queen’s special connection to the region, highlighting the 45-day tour of Canada and the Great Lakes she took in 1959.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/look-back-on-queen-elizabeths-great-lakes-tour/

GLN Editor

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In: activism, Advocacy, Chicago, coal ash, Coal Ash Project, Drinking Water, Environmental Justice, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature Homepage, Groundwater Contamination, Illinois, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Lake Michigan, Municipalities, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Science, Technology, Research, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Coal ash contaminating groundwater near Joliet to stay, despite residents’ and activists’ concerns

Joliet, Illinois, a city of about 150,000 people southwest of Chicago, has long depended on a deep sandstone aquifer for drinking water – an increasingly strained resource that city officials hope to supplement with a billion-dollar pipeline from Lake Michigan.

But while this highly publicized search for a new source of municipal water unfolds, some residents who rely on private well water face a different threat.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/08/coal-ash-contaminating-groundwater-near-joliet-to-stay/

Sarah Aie

On:
In: Chicago, Climate change, coal ash, Coal Ash Project, contamination, dams, Environmental Justice, Feature Homepage, flooding, Groundwater Contamination, Illinois, Indiana, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Lake Michigan, Latest News, News, Ohio, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Rising waters, sinking feeling: From the Great Lakes to the Ohio River, climate change puts coal ash impoundments at risk

Just upstream of Alabama’s Mobile Bay sits a vast region of wetlands known as the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the United States. As well as 21 million cubic yards of wet coal ash. 

The J.M. Barry Power Plant has been a flashpoint between environmental advocates and the state utility, Alabama Power, for years.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/08/climate-change-puts-coal-ash-impoundments-at-risk/

Joshua Irvine

On:
In: Chicago, Climate change, coal ash, Coal Ash Project, contamination, data, Drinking Water, Environmental Justice, epa, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature Homepage, Groundwater Contamination, History and Culture, Illinois, Indiana, industry, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Lake Michigan, Latest News, Michigan, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Leaking landfills: Unregulated coal ash poses a buried, brewing threat to Lake Michigan and beyond, new lawsuit says

At almost 300 sites on the Great Lakes and coast to coast, unregulated buried and landfilled coal ash is putting water supplies at risk, alleges a federal lawsuit filed August 25. 

This threat is in addition to contamination from up to 700 coal ash repositories that are covered by 2015 federal coal ash rules.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/08/unregulated-coal-ash-poses-brewing-threat-to-lake-michigan/

Diana Leane and Sarah Aie

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In: AP, Asian carp, Chicago, Feature Homepage, fish, Fish, Birds and Animals, Illinois, invasive carp, invasive species, Lake Michigan, Michigan, News, Science, Technology, Research
From ‘carp’ to ‘copi’: unpopular fish getting a makeover

By John Flesher, Associated Press

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — You’re in the mood for fish and your server suggests a dish of invasive carp. Ugh, you might say. But how about broiled copi, fresh from the Mississippi River?

Here’s the catch: They’re the same thing.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/ap-unpopular-fish-getting-makeover/

The Associated Press

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In: birds, Chicago, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, History and Culture, Illinois, Lake Michigan, Latest News, Lighthouses, Museums and Cultural Institutions, Natasha Blakely, News, Protect, protection, Science, Technology, Research
Monty passes, Rose’s location still in question

When Monty and Rose – Chicago’s beloved piping plover pair – first successfully nested at Montrose Beach, a popular place on the city’s north side, people celebrated the potential return of a dying bird species and were charmed by the adorable tiny birds.

The Great Lakes piping plover population has been a U.S.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/monty-passes-rose-location-question/

Natasha Blakely

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In: Agriculture, Chicago, Climate change, Drinking Water, Drinking Water News Roundup, Illinois, Latest News, Minnesota, Municipalities, Natasha Blakely, News, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Science, Technology, Research, Tribal Governments and First Nations, Wisconsin
Drinking Water News Roundup: First Nation residents call settlement restrictive, Wisconsin towns try regulating big farms, Chicago cans tap water

From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.

Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

Click on the headline to read the full story:

Illinois:

  • Illinois American Water Ranks #1, J.D.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/drinking-water-news-roundup-first-nation-settlement-wisconsin-towns-chicago-water/

Natasha Blakely

On:
In: Chicago, Drinking Water, Feature Homepage, Illinois, John McCracken, Lake Michigan, Latest News, Municipalities, News, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Protect, Science, Technology, Research, The States, water, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
To build a new pipeline or not: Illinois city seeks Lake Michigan water

In less than a decade, Joliet, Illinois, could run out of water.

The city of 150,000 people, roughly 45 minutes southwest of Chicago, is facing a looming water crisis as the patchwork of underground wells and aquifers it currently uses for municipal water is drying up.

Joliet currently relies on the Cambrian-Ordovician sandstone aquifer system for its water.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/04/build-new-pipeline-illinois-lake-michigan-water/

John McCracken

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In: Chicago, Climate change, Collaboration, Education, Environmental Justice, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature Homepage, History and Culture, Lighthouses, Museums and Cultural Institutions, Municipalities, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Recreation and Tourism, science, Science, Technology, Research
Chicago educator empowers students to make climate connections in their own communities

By Audrey Henderson, Energy News Network

This story was first published on the Energy News Network and was republished here with permission.

For many city kids, flowers have cut stems and vegetables are packed in styrofoam and plastic on shelves in the grocery store.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/chicago-educator-empowers-students-climate-connections-communities/

Energy News Network

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Substantive change will require a ‘massive culture shift’ in federal, state and local agencies

When it comes to dealing with Michigan’s regulators on environmental justice issues, Detroit environmental law attorney Nick Leonard wants to change the narrative.

Too often when confronted with decisions that impact environmental justice communities, regulators focus on limitations and what they can’t do, Leonard recently told Great Lakes Now.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/substantive-change-federal-state-local-agencies/

Gary Wilson

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In: AP, Chicago, Lake Michigan, Lighthouses, Museums and Cultural Institutions, museums, News, Recreation and Tourism, Science, Technology, Research, Tourism
Chicago’s Adler Planetarium announces reopening

CHICAGO (AP) —

The Adler Planetarium in Chicago will open this week for the first time since it closed its doors nearly two years ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The famed planetarium on the shores of Lake Michigan will on March 4 reopen, joining the ranks of museums and other institutions that have opened their doors once again in recent days months after the pandemic forced them to close.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/ap-chicago-adler-planetarium-reopening/

The Associated Press

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Scratching the surface: Regional research groups explore winter conditions of Green Bay, Great Lakes

María Hernández, a University of Chicago graduate student studying microbial ecology, was both nervous and eager to traverse a frozen Green Bay. Being sure to walk slowly and carefully, she assisted fellow researchers in extracting samples of ice-cold freshwater.

“We’re out here because we usually sample in the spring and summer,” said Hernández, “So this is the first time we’re going to be sampling in the winter, and it just gives us another view into what the microbes are doing at different times of the year.”

Hernandez and her University of Chicago colleagues were joined by University of Minnesota Duluth researchers on Monday for the recently launched “Winter Grab,” a first of its kind, week-long collection event for regional researchers studying Great Lakes’ winter conditions.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/scratching-surface-regional-research-winter-conditions/

John McCracken

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In: Chicago, Climate change, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature Homepage, Illinois, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Science, Technology, Research, sustainability
Hydroponic greenhouses continue to offer solution to urban food deserts

Urban areas around the Midwest struggle with food deserts and dense populations, a problem exacerbated by climate change impacts and the conversion of farmlands to residential developments. However, a potential solution can be found in hydroponics facilities being established in cities around the Great Lakes region like Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto and Chicago.   

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/hydroponic-greenhouses-urban-food-deserts/

Audrey Henderson

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In: Chicago, Climate change, Collaboration, Detroit, economic development, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Feature Homepage, green infrastructure, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, infrastructure, Latest News, Michigan, News, Ontario, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, renewable energy, Wisconsin
Great Lakes platform helps connect green investors with regional projects

By Kari Lydersen

This story was first published on the Energy News Network and was republished here with permission.

A two-year-old economic development partnership is helping to draw attention — and investment dollars — to sustainability projects in the Great Lakes region.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/great-lakes-platform-green-projects/

Energy News Network

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Our Latest Episode: Watch the Great Lakes Now program here

If you’re new to Great Lakes Now, find our latest episode below and ALL our monthly shows here.

If you’re a regular viewer of our monthly program on your local PBS station or our YouTube channel, thanks!

If you were looking for our show on Detroit Public Television on Wednesday, Jan.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/our-latest-episode/

GLN Editor

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Monty and Rose: Those Chicago piping plovers, where are they now, what are they doing?

Everyone loves Monty and Rose – and Great Lakes Now featured the charming piping plover pair earlier this year. 

Now Monty and Rose have chicks and even grand-chicks, many of whom are thriving as they fly south for the winter.  

Chicago-based filmmaker Bob Dolgan has documented the progress of Monty and Rose and their offspring over the years.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/monty-rose-chicago-plovers/

GLN Editor

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Great Lakes Moment: Small habitat patches can have big ecological impact

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. 

Contradicting the historical conservation planning tenet that gave preference to protecting larger, more intact areas, a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science has shown that small, isolated patches of habitat are inordinately important for biodiversity conservation.  

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/small-habitat-patches-ecological-impact/

John Hartig

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Q&A: New EPA Great Lakes administrator talks Benton Harbor, infrastructure, AOC cleanup

Conservation action for Debra Shore started with the driveway at her suburban Chicago home.

It was asphalt, and she wanted to replace it with gravel to absorb the rain and keep pollutants out of the stormwater drains. But her town administration said no to the permit, though it eventually yielded.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/epa-great-lakes-administrator-benton-harbor-infrastructure-cleanup/

Gary Wilson

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Drinking Water News Roundup: Indiana iron spill, Michigan lead reduction plan, potential nuclear accident in Ontario

From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and
towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to
everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.

Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/10/drinking-water-indiana-iron-michigan-lead-nuclear-ontario/

Maya Sundaresan

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In: AP, Beaches, Beaches, Boating, Paddle Sports and Sailing, Chicago, Feature-Chicago, Illinois, Lake Michigan, News
Chicago resists putting life rings at risky lake piers

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Park District said it plans to put life rings along the Lake Michigan waterfront but only in areas that are considered safe to swim, upsetting the mother of a college student who drowned off a pier.

“I’m infuriated,“ said Maria Diaz, whose son, Miguel Cisneros, drowned last month in the Rogers Park neighborhood.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/ap-chicago-life-rings-risky-lake-piers/

The Associated Press

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Sensors provide a real-time glimpse at Chicago River quality

By Kathleen Foody, Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Rowers, kayakers and other users of the Chicago River are getting a real-time look at one measure of water quality in the system that weaves through downtown and several neighborhoods.

Chicago nonprofit Current in 2019 installed three sensors in the river’s three main branches to continuously estimate the amount of bacteria from human and other warm-blooded animals’ waste.

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https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/ap-sensors-chicago-river-quality/

The Associated Press

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Illinois woman swims across iconic Michigan lake twice

ALDEN, Mich. (AP) — A medical student from Illinois has swum across one of Michigan’s largest inland lakes — twice — to raise money and awareness about diabetes.

Marian Cardwell accomplished the 35-mile feat at Torch Lake in Antrim County after dropping a plan to swim across Lake Michigan from Chicago to Grand Haven, the Traverse City Record-Eagle reported.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/08/ap-illinois-woman-swims-michigan-torch-lake-twice/

The Associated Press