By Morgan Springer
Points North is a biweekly podcast about the land, water and inhabitants of the Great Lakes.
This episode was shared here with permission from Interlochen Public Radio.
Growing up, Nic Theisen thought farming was a terrible way to make a living.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/09/points-north-labor-mixed-emotions/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/09/major-federal-funding-aims-to-speed-transition-to-clean-energy-in-the-rural-midwest/
By Izzy Ross, Grist
This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here.
This coverage is made possible through a partnership with Grist and Interlochen Public Radio in Northern Michigan.
Last year, Michigan became one of the latest states to adopt a clean energy standard, passing sweeping legislation that calls for utilities there to use 100 percent clean electricity by 2040 and sets targets for renewable energy development, among other requirements.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/09/michigans-ambitious-clean-energy-laws-face-peninsula-sized-hurdle/
By Lester Graham, Michigan Public
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal 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/2024/09/tribal-nations-in-michigan-get-grants-totaling-more-than-38-million-to-reduce-greenhouse-emissions/
By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio
This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.
For at least the last decade, Dustin Soyring and his family have struggled with wolves on their farm in the northern Wisconsin town of Maple.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/09/farmers-turn-to-predator-proof-fences-to-deter-wolves-in-northern-wisconsin/
By Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal 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/2024/08/u-s-movement-to-limit-cafo-pollution-emboldened-by-michigan-court-ruling/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/08/south-shore-residents-are-fed-up-with-garbage-on-their-streets/
By Zaria Johnson, Ideastream Public Media
This story was originally published by Ideastream.
One in seven Ohioans faces food insecurity, according to Feeding America. This story is part of a “Sound of Us” series in partnership with Lorain County’s Second Harvest Food Bank.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/08/oberlin-food-hub-brings-fresh-produce-to-ohios-food-banks-while-supporting-local-farmers/
By Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue
LAKE CITY, MI – Two facts about Michigan agriculture are scarcely recognized outside the fences and beyond the drainage ditches of the state’s 45,000 farms. The first: farming is among the most technologically sophisticated industrial sectors in Michigan and every other state.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/08/cattle-production-that-enhances-water-and-environmental-quality/
This article, first posted here, was republished with permission from Wisconsin Watch.
By Bennet Goldstein, Wisconsin Watch
Gregg Wolf vows “to put a new step forward” on “a new day” at a northwest Wisconsin dairy.
Appleton-based Breeze Dairy Group, where he serves as CEO, purchased Emerald Sky Dairy in March, shortly after the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources approved the St.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/08/how-many-manure-spills-is-too-many-st-croix-county-residents-scrutinize-big-farms-new-owner/
By Emma McIntosh, The Narwhal
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal 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/2024/08/missed-calls-forgotten-instructions-inside-an-oil-spill-cleanup-on-toronto-waterways/
By Gabrielle Nelson, Bridge Michigan
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal 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/2024/08/michigans-electric-energy-future-could-be-wasting-away-in-a-junk-drawer/
By Keith Schneider, Circle of Blue
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal 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/2024/08/in-significant-decision-for-michigans-waters-state-supreme-court-rules-egle-has-authority-to-do-its-job/
The 2024 presidential race is heating up, and politicians from the Great Lakes region are in the spotlight on both sides of the aisle. Energy can be a divisive issue around here. The state lawmakers in contention for vice president reflect that. Former President Donald Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/08/energy-news-roundup-amid-national-attention-great-lakes-states-continue-their-push-to-electrify/
By Emma McIntosh, The Narwhal
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal 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/2024/07/containment-breached-how-an-oil-spill-in-northwest-toronto-made-its-way-to-lake-ontario/
Those living near the Palisades nuclear power plant in Southwest Michigan remain divided over plans to resurrect it. The proposed recommissioning would be the first for a retired nuclear plant in the United States — but could pave the way for more. At a recent meeting in Benton Harbor that marked the opening of a federal public comment period, some of the plant’s neighbors said they were excited about the jobs it would bring back or the low-carbon electricity it would send flowing back onto the grid.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/07/energy-news-roundup-climate-change-energy-transition-are-transforming-the-great-lakes-region/
By Izzy Ross, Interlochen Public Radio
This coverage is made possible through a partnership with IPR and Grist, a nonprofit independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
A project off the shore of Beaver Island could harness the power of Lake Michigan’s waves to generate renewable energy.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/07/beaver-island-takes-early-steps-to-test-wave-energy-in-its-waters/
By Todd Richmond, Associated Press
Environmentalists are challenging Michigan regulators’ decision to approve encasing part of an aging Enbridge Energy oil pipeline that runs beneath a channel connecting two Great Lakes, arguing that they failed to properly consider alternatives that would minimize climate impacts.
The Environmental Law & Policy Center and the Michigan Climate Action Network filed a brief with a state appellate court Thursday.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/07/environmentalists-appeal-michigan-regulators-approval-of-pipeline-tunnel-project/
Ports across the Great Lakes region are racing to slash their carbon emissions to comply with international climate targets. But the ships that dock at the region’s ports say they have largely been left out of government incentives to reduce the environmental impact of their operations. There is currently only one U.S.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/06/energy-news-roundup-great-lakes-shipping-industry-says-it-could-use-decarbonization-funding-too/
By Lester Graham and Rebecca Williams, Michigan Public
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal 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/2024/06/why-some-municipalities-are-looking-at-putting-solar-panels-on-water/
There’s been plenty of federal attention aimed at the Great Lakes region over the past couple of weeks. The Biden administration last Thursday announced four new “workforce hubs” in Upstate New York, Michigan, Milwaukee and Philadelphia. The hubs — which join the five announced last year in Columbus, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Augusta, and Phoenix — are intended to help communities access training for jobs in the clean energy space.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/05/energy-news-roundup-federal-money-pours-in-to-accelerate-energy-transition/
There are a lot of eyes on Michigan’s Palisades nuclear power plant as the public and private sectors try, together, to bring it back from the dead.
Plenty of nuclear reactors in the United States have successfully started back up after prolonged stretches of inactivity. The difference is that every other nuclear plant that restarted after an extended outage retained its operating license, meaning that it had to comply with strict federal maintenance standards, even at the times when it wasn’t sending electricity out onto the grid.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/05/the-murky-process-of-reopening-palisades-and-why-its-a-turning-point-for-nuclear/
By Daniel Wanschura, Interlochen Public Radio
Points North is a biweekly podcast about the land, water and inhabitants of the Great Lakes.
This episode was shared here with permission from Interlochen Public Radio.
Dave Naftzger found out about the 100% Fish Project entirely by accident.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/points-north-more-than-just-filet-of-fish/
In yet another shakeup in the Ohio energy bribery saga that first came to light in 2020, a former state utility regulator was found dead by suicide last week. Sam Randazzo, 74, a longtime lobbyist who was appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine to chair the Ohio Public Utilities Commission, had been charged with taking a $4.3 million bribe from FirstEnergy Corp.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/energy-news-roundup-key-figure-in-ohio-bribery-scandal-dead-by-suicide/
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s record on the Line 5 oil pipeline that traverses the Straits of Mackinac is mixed, according to Lansing advocate Sean McBrearty.
When running for governor in 2018, “Whitmer pledged to do everything in her power to take Line 5 out of the Great Lakes,” McBrearty told Great Lakes Now in a recent interview.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/line-5-activist-group-wants-gov-whitmer-to-be-an-advocate-for-shutdown/
By Matthew Daly, Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The head of the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday defended a new $20 billion federal “green bank” program, saying it will finance a variety of projects to create low-carbon solutions to combat climate change, including in disadvantaged communities that are most affected by pollution.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/epa-head-regan-defends-20b-green-bank-i-feel-really-good-about-this-program/
In Ohio and other states in the path of Monday’s total solar eclipse, tons of harried officials are busy dealing with concerns like traffic congestion and hotel capacity. At least a few are also conscious of the fact that demand for electricity is going to spike at the same time that the supply of solar power temporarily plummets.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/energy-news-roundup-even-the-solar-eclipse-is-an-energy-issue/
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 EPA announces grants to fund energy efficiency assessments in areas of environmental justice concern — Southerner
An Illinois program will provide $500,000 in grants to local organizations that make energy efficiency investments in environmental justice communities.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/energy-news-roundup-state-senators-advocate-for-community-solar-projects-proposed-natural-gas-plant-gets-renewed-scrutiny/
This article was republished here with permission from Planet Detroit.
By Nina Ignaczak, Planet Detroit
Detroit’s urban agriculture movement traces back to Hazen Pingree’s 1890s potato patch plan,World War II victory gardens, and Mayor Coleman Young’s Farm-A-Lot program in the 1970s.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/detroits-urban-farming-evolution/
By Katie Thoresen, WXPR
This story was originally published by WXPR. WXPR is a community-licensed public radio station serving north central Wisconsin and adjacent areas of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Listen to their stories here.
Bright blue tubes web between the trees that run to the little red pump house that sits in the woods on the edge of 10 acres full of maple trees at Whataview Farm in Phelps.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/the-northwoods-is-now-a-month-into-unusually-early-maple-tapping-season/
By Izzy Ross, Interlochen Public Radio
This coverage is made possible through a partnership with IPR and Grist, a nonprofit independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
Twelve miles of the Line 5 pipeline cross the lands of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in northern Wisconsin.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/tribes-urge-u-s-to-weigh-in-on-line-5-case-as-appeal-sits-in-court/
By Max Graham, Grist
This story was originally published by Grist. You can subscribe to its weekly newsletter here.
America’s farms don’t just run on corn and cattle. They also run on cash from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Every year, the USDA spends billions of dollars to keep farmers in business.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/is-the-usdas-spending-on-climate-smart-farming-actually-helping-the-climate/
By Levi Rickert, Native News Online
This article originally appeared on Native News Online. Founded in 2011, Native News Online reaches millions of Native and non-Native readers annually including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and others interested in Native American concerns.
In a critical response to the U.S.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/native-farm-bill-coalition-leaders-critical-of-usda-equity-commission-final-report/
For documentary filmmaker Mary Mazzio, the trek from her first film to making her new release, “Bad River,” took 20 years and included a near-epiphany when the Bostonian first viewed a Lake Superior sunrise. Mazzio, an Olympic rower and attorney, has directed 12 significant films, including the Gracie Award winning “A Most Beautiful Thing.”
“Bad River” will run from March 15-21 in select AMC theaters.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/02/bad-river-documentary-combines-historical-treatment-of-indigenous-people-with-the-fight-to-protect-lake-superior/
By Izzy Ross, Interlochen Public Radio
This coverage is made possible through a partnership with IPR and Grist, a nonprofit independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
The Michigan Public Service Commission is gathering public input on a controversial new law, Public Act 233, which gives it final authority in approving large renewable energy projects.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/02/as-some-push-for-repeal-state-seeks-input-on-renewable-energy-siting-law/
By Stephanie Metzger-Lawrence, Ideastream Public Media
This story was originally published by Ideastream.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne want stronger federal clean car standards to protect Northeast Ohioans from health problems resulting from air pollution.
“We call on the EPA to enact the strongest possible clean car standards and urge them to finalize this rule this March,” Bibb said at a press conference Friday.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/02/cleveland-cuyahoga-county-leaders-urge-epa-to-finalize-federal-clean-car-standards/
By Todd Richmond, Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — An attorney for the energy company Enbridge tried to persuade a federal appellate court Thursday to vacate an order that would shut down part of a pipeline running through a Wisconsin tribal reservation.
About 12 miles (19 km) of Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline runs across the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s reservation.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/02/ap-enbridge-appeals-to-vacate-an-order-that-would-shut-down-pipeline/
By Fatima Syed, The Narwhal
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal 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/2024/02/ontario-sides-with-enbridge-gas-fight-to-connect-new-homes-to-natural-gas/
This article was republished here with permission from Planet Detroit.
By Brian Allnutt, Planet Detroit
Neighborhoods east of Palmer Park could soon be transformed by a city plan to power municipal buildings with six solar fields, and neighbors are divided over the prospect.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/parts-of-detroit-could-be-radically-transformed-by-city-solar-plan-for-better-or-worse/
By Izzy Ross, Interlochen Public Radio
This coverage is made possible through a partnership with IPR and Grist, a nonprofit independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
On a Sunday morning in Charlevoix, people gather in the small, one-room building of the Greensky Hill Indian United Methodist Church.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/it-only-makes-sense-houses-of-worship-adding-solar-arrays/
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 lands $14.9M federal grant to expand electric vehicle charging network — Chicago Sun-Times
Illinois lands a $14.9 million federal grant to install electric vehicle charging stations at 273 new locations, including 36 fast-charging stations.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/energy-news-roundup-ohio-bipartisan-energy-efficiency-bill-stalled-by-koch-linked-group/
By Mark Sherman, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservative Supreme Court justices on Wednesday voiced support for weakening the power of federal regulators, but it was not clear whether a majority would overturn a precedent that has guided American law for four decades over everything from the safety of food and drugs to environmental protection.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/ap-supreme-court-wrestles-with-major-challenges-to-power-of-federal-regulators/
By Izzy Ross, Interlochen Public Radio
This coverage is made possible through a partnership with IPR and Grist, a nonprofit independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
Elk Rapids is surrounded by water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/elk-rapids-wants-to-help-its-shoreline-through-new-state-climate-corps-program/
By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Public, 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/2024/01/michigan-lawmakers-have-more-energy-priorities-in-2024/
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
Military investigators make disturbing discovery at O’Hare and Midway airports: ‘It’s there forever‘ — The Cool Down
For years, Chicago and military firefighters used a firefighting foam known as AFFF, which contains toxic PFAS.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/pfas-news-roundup-forever-chemicals-in-fish-building-a-better-response-to-pfas-contamination/
This article was republished here with permission from Planet Detroit.
By Brian Allnutt, Planet Detroit
Darren Riley noticed poor air quality across much of Michigan this week when off-the-shelf air monitors from companies like IQAir and PurpleAir showed readings as high as 154 for PM 2.5 (fine particulate matter) in Detroit on Sunday – putting the monitors in the red or ‘unhealthy’ range on the Air Quality Index (AQI).
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/why-poor-air-quality-isnt-just-a-summer-problem-in-detroit/
By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Public, 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/2024/01/supreme-court-poop-dispute-could-have-big-impact-on-michigan-environment/
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
Utility co-op aims to stay ahead of the power curve — Southern Illinoisan
A new Illinois law that took effect on Jan.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/energy-news-roundup-line-5-approval-is-appealed-by-tribes-and-environmental-groups/
WASHINGTON (AP) — Climate-altering pollution from greenhouse gases declined by nearly 2% in the United States in 2023, even as the economy expanded at a faster clip, a new report finds.
The decline, while “a step in the right direction,” is far below the rate needed to meet President Joe Biden’s pledge to cut U.S.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/ap-carbon-pollution-is-down-in-the-us-but-not-fast-enough-to-meet-bidens-2030-goal-new-report-says/
By Izzy Ross, Interlochen Public Radio
This coverage is made possible through a partnership with IPR and Grist, a nonprofit independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
A Great Lakes water law and policy center in Traverse City is appealing a state permit for the Line 5 tunnel project.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/traverse-city-based-policy-center-appeals-michigans-line-5-permit/
