As mussels ravage Great Lakes whitefish, Lake Superior survives — for now

By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS; 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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/09/as-mussels-ravage-great-lakes-whitefish-lake-superior-survives-for-now/

Bridge Michigan

What’s going on in Wasaga Beach? Profit, piping plovers and an Ontario town’s complicated future

By Fatima Syed, The Narwhal

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS, Michigan Public 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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/09/wasaga-beach-ontario-park-plan/

Fatima Syed, The Narwhal

Report says growing demand from data centers, industry could stress Great Lakes water

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

Great Lakes states should take steps to protect water resources from increasing demand from data centers and other industries, according to a new report.

The analysis by the nonprofit Alliance for the Great Lakes found data centers may withdraw as much as 150 billion gallons of water nationally over the next five years.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/09/report-says-growing-demand-from-data-centers-industry-could-stress-great-lakes-water/

Wisconsin Public Radio

Trump administration orders 63-year-old Michigan coal plant to stay open — again

Catch the latest energy news from around the region. Check back for these bimonthly Energy News Roundups.

The Trump administration is keeping a Michigan coal plant open even longer past its planned retirement. The 63-year-old J.H. Campbell coal plant in the far western part of the state, near Lake Michigan, was supposed to close for good at the end of May.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/09/trump-administration-orders-63-year-old-michigan-coal-plant-to-stay-open-again/

Nicole Pollack, Great Lakes Now

In Peshawbestown, the Grand Traverse Band puts fish waste to use

By Izzy Ross, Interlochen Public Radio

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

Piles of sawdust sit just downhill from the Peshawbestown Gitigaan, the farm of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, where local commercial fisheries drop off all the parts of a fish they don’t sell — heads, bones, organs, tails.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/09/in-peshawbestown-the-grand-traverse-band-puts-fish-waste-to-use/

Interlochen Public Radio

In Peshawbestown, the Grand Traverse Band puts fish waste to use

By Izzy Ross, Interlochen Public Radio

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

Piles of sawdust sit just downhill from the Peshawbestown Gitigaan, the farm of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, where local commercial fisheries drop off all the parts of a fish they don’t sell — heads, bones, organs, tails.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/09/in-peshawbestown-the-grand-traverse-band-puts-fish-waste-to-use/

Interlochen Public Radio

Blue-green algae is making a home in the warming waters of Lake Superior’s watershed

By Chris McEvoy, The Narwhal

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS, Michigan Public 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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/09/blue-green-algae-is-making-a-home-in-the-warming-waters-of-lake-superiors-watershed/

The Narwhal

Points North: The Pink Prairie Mascot

By Claire Keenan-Kurgan, 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. 

Back in the summer of 2014, a botanist named Rachel Goad was on a canoe trip to see a very rare flower.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/09/points-north-the-pink-prairie-mascot/

Interlochen Public Radio

Illinois Gov. Pritzker signs PFAS Reduction Act

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region. Check back for more PFAS news roundups every other week on our website.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the PFAS Reduction Act into law on August 15.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/08/illinois-gov-pritzker-signs-pfas-reduction-act/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

How many cigarette butts are littering your local beach?

By Lester Graham, Michigan Public

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS; 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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/08/how-many-cigarette-butts-are-littering-your-local-beach/

Lester Graham, Michigan Public

Nibi Chronicles: Your hands will know what to do

Wiigwaasi-jiimaanan (birch bark canoes) are one of the essential tools invented by Ojibwe-Anishinaabe people, using materials commonly found in the Great Lakes region — our homeland for 1,000s of years. These lightweight and durable vehicles formed the basis of travel for everyone in the region, not just the Ojibwe. I have come to think of the Ojibwe canoe as the driver of early economies across Turtle Island.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/08/nibi-chronicles-your-hands-will-know-what-to-do/

Staci Lola Drouillard, Great Lakes Now

Cleveland, NOACA seek public input on climate action plan

By Zaria Johnson, Ideastream Public Media

This story was originally published by Ideastream.

Several northeast Ohio counties will soon have a regional climate action plan with recommendations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions that worsen the effects of climate change like extreme heat, severe storms and worsened water quality.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/08/cleveland-noaca-seek-public-input-on-climate-action-plan/

Ideastream Public Media

EV maker Rivian sues Ohio, claims state unfairly favors Tesla

Catch the latest energy news from around the region. Check back for these bimonthly Energy News Roundups

Electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian is suing Ohio for letting Tesla open car dealerships in the state but not letting other manufacturers do the same.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/08/ev-maker-rivian-sues-ohio-claims-state-unfairly-favors-tesla/

Nicole Pollack, Great Lakes Now

Heat waves and cold snaps: Study finds the Great Lakes have entered an era of extremes

The Great Lakes, like the rest of the world, are dealing with a phenomenon of global heating caused mostly by fossil fuel emissions. In an innovative new study from the University of Michigan, the data reveals it’s not just rising average temperatures we need to worry about. Looking back at lake surface temperatures (LST) over forty years, researchers found the Great Lakes have entered a new era of temperature extremes. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/08/heat-waves-cold-snaps-study-finds-great-lakes-era-of-extremes/

Carlyn Zwarenstein

I Speak for the Fish: Swiping right on native fish

I Speak for the Fish is a column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit PBS. Check out her previous columns.

There’s a fish project in Northern Michigan that is exciting researchers from around the world. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/08/i-speak-for-the-fish-swiping-right-on-native-fish/

Kathy Johnson, Great Lakes Now

New study correlates unexplained frequent miscarriages to PFAS exposure

A new study published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, found a correlation between certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortions. According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, there is often no found cause for more than half the cases of unexplained pregnancy loss. According to researchers in the study, this lack of understanding “poses significant challenges to clinical management and contributes to heightened psychological burden among patients.”

The director of the Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute at Northeastern University, Phil Brown, told Newsweek in a recent interview: “We already know that PFAS are associated with preterm birth, low birth weight, reproductive toxicity, preeclampsia, decreased fertility and single occurrence of miscarriage.”

In May, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced his intention to rescind PFAS limits that were put in place during the last administration.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/08/new-study-correlates-unexplained-frequent-miscarriages-to-pfas-exposure/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

Chicago’s “Quantum Prairie” Promises New Era of Great Lakes Technology and Water Use

By Christiana Freitag, Circle of Blue

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS, Michigan Public 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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/08/chicagos-quantum-prairie-promises-new-era-of-great-lakes-technology-and-water-use/

Circle of Blue

How Michigan’s Inland Fish Farmers Cultivate a Sustainable Future for the Great Lakes

Despite being surrounded by the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth, Michigan imports the vast majority of its seafood, between 65% and 90%, according to Michigan Sea Grant.

As global aquaculture has grown to meet increasing demand for protein, a small but determined group of inland fish farmers in the Great Lakes region are working to build a more sustainable, local supply.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/08/how-michigans-inland-fish-farmers-cultivate-a-sustainable-future-for-the-great-lakes/

Donte Smith

Bassmaster Elite arrives as Lake St. Clair’s smallmouth break records

As anglers compete in the 2025 Yokohama Tire Bassmaster Elite competition on Lake St. Clair from Aug. 7-10, they’ll likely bring some pretty prize catches to weigh-ins. That’s because the catch-and-release method has allowed smallmouth bass on Lake St. Clair to grow to much greater sizes, according to new research from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/08/bassmaster-elite-arrives-as-lake-st-clairs-smallmouth-break-records/

Jack Armstrong

Michigan’s historic nuclear plant restart still a go, federal regulators say

 

Catch the latest energy news from around the region. Check back for these bimonthly Energy News Roundups.

 

 

A mothballed nuclear power plant in Michigan just took a huge step toward being the first in the country to start back up after retiring.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/08/michigans-historic-nuclear-plant-restart-still-a-go-federal-regulators-say/

Nicole Pollack, Great Lakes Now

Rethinking Strategy in the Era of the Trump EPA

The administration of President Donald Trump acted quickly and unilaterally when it launched its blitzkrieg to dramatically downsize and alter the mission of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

There were no bureaucratic task forces, collaborations or obligatory outreach sessions to the public for comment before taking action.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/08/rethinking-strategy-in-the-era-of-the-trump-epa/

Gary Wilson, Great Lakes Now

The Lake Michigan dive that made history

From the new outdoor adventure memoir I Live Underwater: The Thrilling Adventures of a Record-Breaking Diver, Treasure-Hunter, and Deep-Sea Explorer by legendary diver Max Gene Nohl. Below is an adapted chapter from the book, “This is it,” reprinted with permission from the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/08/the-lake-michigan-dive-that-made-history/

Max Gene Nohl

Great Lakes Moment: Detroit’s waterfront porch reaps substantial benefits

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 PBS.

As the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy moves forward following an embezzlement crisis, its 2024 visitor survey found that 99.4% of respondents would visit the Detroit Riverwalk again, and 99.3% would recommend it to others.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/08/great-lakes-moment-detroits-waterfront-porch-reaps-substantial-benefits/

John Hartig, Great Lakes Now

Study shows correlation between ‘forever chemicals’ and Type 2 diabetes

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region. Check back for more PFAS news roundups every other week on our website.

A recent study published in eBioMedicine continues to show the correlation between exposure to PFAS and Type 2 diabetes.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/study-shows-correlation-between-forever-chemicals-and-type-2-diabetes/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

Why we don’t bike like the Dutch — yet

How did you get to work today?

Maybe, like 14% of Americans, you didn’t have to go anywhere because you work from home. But most people do need some form of transportation to earn a living. By far the biggest group is the 69% of people who drive to work alone.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/why-we-dont-bike-like-the-dutch-yet/

Sean Ericson, Great Lakes Now

All water is local

“Nibi Chronicles,” a monthly Great Lakes Now feature, is written by Staci Lola Drouillard. A Grand Portage Ojibwe direct descendant, she lives in Grand Marais on Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior. Her nonfiction 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” in 2024.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/all-water-is-local/

Staci Lola Drouillard, Great Lakes Now

Environmental groups use anniversary of Kalamazoo River oil spill to warn about Enbridge Line 5

By Lester Graham, Michigan Public

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS; 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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/environmental-groups-use-anniversary-of-kalamazoo-river-oil-spill-to-warn-about-enbridge-line-5/

Michigan Public

Points North: A Good, Not Great Lake

By Ruth Abramovitz, 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. 

In February 1998, Congress passed what should have been an uncontroversial bill.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/points-north-a-good-not-great-lake/

Interlochen Public Radio

The golden oyster mushroom craze unleashed an invasive species – and a worrying new study shows it’s harming native fungi

By Aishwarya Veerabahu, University of Wisconsin-Madison

 is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

Golden oyster mushrooms, with their sunny yellow caps and nutty flavor, have become wildly popular for being healthy, delicious and easy to grow at home from mushroom kits.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/the-golden-oyster-mushroom-craze-unleashed-an-invasive-species-and-a-worrying-new-study-shows-its-harming-native-fungi/

The Conversation

Ohio regulators clamp down on data center power costs amid soaring demand

Catch the latest energy news from around the region. Check back for these bimonthly Energy News Roundups

Data centers in Ohio will have to pay more up front for electricity after state regulators sided with an electric utility and consumer advocates over tech companies earlier this month.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/ohio-regulators-clamp-down-on-data-center-power-costs-amid-soaring-demand/

Nicole Pollack, Great Lakes Now

I Speak for the Fish: Think you’re not to blame for overfishing? Think again.

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. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/i-speak-for-the-fish-think-youre-not-to-blame-for-overfishing-think-again/

Kathy Johnson, Great Lakes Now

Baby bald eagles tested positive for PFAS and other legacy contaminants

 

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region. Check back for more PFAS news roundups every other week on our website.

 

According to reporting by MLive, two researchers are studying blood samples from bald eagles across Michigan and the Great Lakes basin for evidence of chemical exposure to things like PFAS, DDT or PCBs — which were both banned in 1972 and 1979.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/baby-bald-eagles-tested-positive-for-pfas-and-other-legacy-contaminants/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

‘We can’t regulate ourselves’ out of whitefish crisis, experts say

By Emilio Perez Ibarguen, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS; 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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/we-cant-regulate-ourselves-out-of-whitefish-crisis-experts-say/

Bridge Michigan

Local health group seeks Northeast Ohio climate resilience solutions from those most at risk

By Zaria Johnson, Ideastream Public Media

This story was originally published by Ideastream.

The Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition is exploring the climate resilience of Northeast Ohio by identifying those most at risk and provide possible solutions.

The coalition, through a partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Ohio State University’s Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Evaluation Studies, has hosted Reimagining Communities Conversations in Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Lake and Mahoning counties so far to see how prepared residents feel in the face of severe weather made worse by climate change.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/local-health-group-seeks-northeast-ohio-climate-resilience-solutions-from-those-most-at-risk/

Ideastream Public Media

John Ball Zoo Fights for Great Lakes’ Rarest Butterflies

Butterfly populations are in decline across the continental U.S., dropping by 22% between 2000 and 2020 according to a study published in the journal Science. Almost a third of the 342 species studied have seen their numbers fall by more than half. To help combat this, the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, Michigan launched its Great Lakes Rare Butterfly Program in 2021 to protect the region’s most threatened species.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/john-ball-zoo-fights-for-great-lakes-rarest-butterflies/

Donte Smith

This wetland fight could go to the Supreme Court

A pending court case could impact farmers across the country. At issue is a USDA rule aimed at protecting wetlands called “Swampbuster.” In place since 1985, it’s being challenged in court by an absentee landowner in Iowa.

Under Swampbuster, farmers have to agree not to drain or fill their wetlands, in order to receive farm benefits such as crop insurance, disaster relief and USDA loans.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/this-wetland-fight-could-go-to-the-supreme-court/

Great Lakes Now

Advocacy group challenges “new normal” status of Lake Erie’s algal blooms

It’s the annual peak algal bloom season and the spotlight as usual, is on Lake Erie’s western basin, including Toledo and southeast Michigan.

For the public, that’s because in 2014, Toledo went three days without drinking water as toxic algal blooms forced the city to issue a “do not drink” order.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/advocacy-group-challenges-new-normal-status-of-lake-eries-algal-blooms/

Gary Wilson, Great Lakes Now

Chicago was supposed to warn residents about toxic lead pipes last year. Most still have no idea.

By Keerti Gopal & Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco

This story is a partnership between GristInside Climate News, and WBEZ, a public radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan region. This coverage is made possible through an ongoing partnership between Grist and WBEZ.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/chicago-was-supposed-to-warn-residents-about-toxic-lead-pipes-last-year-most-still-have-no-idea/

Inside Climate News and Grist

A record year for Great Lakes piping plovers

By Lester Graham, Michigan Public

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS; 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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/record-year-for-great-lakes-piping-plovers/

Michigan Public

Great Lakes energy bills are rising: Federal cuts could add to the pain

This article is the first in a series called The Great Lakes Promise: Cost, Resilience and Refuge. This series was made possible in partnership between Great Lakes Now and Planet Detroit. 

Sherita Hamlin has watched her utility bills more than double in recent years. On Chicago’s West Side, summer air conditioning is a luxury she now rations.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/great-lakes-energy-bills-are-rising-federal-cuts-could-add-to-the-pain/

Brian Allnutt

Points North: Once in a Blue Moon

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.

Blue moon is this bright, cosmic blue ice cream.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/points-north-once-in-a-blue-moon/

Interlochen Public Radio

In Minnesota, community solar stays alive

Catch the latest energy news from around the region. Check back for these bimonthly Energy News Roundups

Community solar is still kicking in Minnesota. State lawmakers introduced a bill in March that would have ended the program, which began in 2013 and lets households sign up for shared solar projects.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/in-minnesota-community-solar-stays-alive/

Nicole Pollack, Great Lakes Now

Empowering Environmental Stewardship: How Barn Sanctuary Champions Compassion and Conservation in the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes, a vital freshwater expanse for millions, face an ongoing environmental crisis. Beneath the vast waters lies a significant threat: pollution stemming largely from agricultural runoff. This flow of excess nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen contributes to harmful algal blooms and expanding “dead zones,” jeopardizing ecosystems, water quality and public health across the region.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/empowering-environmental-stewardship-how-barn-sanctuary-champions-compassion-and-conservation-in-the-great-lakes/

Donte Smith

Has this freighter made its final voyage?

It’s been 50 years since a freighter sank in the Great Lakes. But in the summer of 2024, one freighter came dangerously close.

On June 8, 2024, the Michipicoten was carrying a load of iron ore across Lake Superior when the crew heard a loud bang. The ship was taking on water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/has-this-freighter-made-final-voyage/

Great Lakes Now

How Ontario could have cracked down on Chemical Valley pollution — but chose not to

By Emma McIntosh, The Narwhal

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS, Michigan Public 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.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/how-ontario-could-have-cracked-down-on-chemical-valley-pollution-but-chose-not-to/

The Narwhal

Great Lakes Moment: Detroit River carrion scavenger on the increase

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 PBS.

What is one of the most frequently counted birds by citizen scientists in the annual Detroit River Hawk Watch, but is not a hawk?

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/great-lakes-moment-detroit-river-carrion-scavenger-on-the-increase/

John Hartig, Great Lakes Now

Wisconsin DNR expands private well PFAS testing to five Oneida County townships

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.

People on private wells in five Oneida County Townships in Wisconsin may be offered free PFAS testing.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/wisconsin-dnr-expands-private-well-pfas-testing-five-oneida-county-townships/

WXPR

Where the strawberries still grow

“Nibi Chronicles,” a monthly Great Lakes Now feature, is written by Staci Lola Drouillard. A Grand Portage Ojibwe direct descendant, she lives in Grand Marais on Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior. Her nonfiction 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” in 2024.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/where-the-strawberries-still-grow/

Staci Lola Drouillard, Great Lakes Now

Chicago residents risk daily lead exposure from toxic pipes. Replacing them will take decades.

By Keerti Gopal & Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco

This story is a partnership between GristInside Climate News, and WBEZ, a public radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan region. This coverage is made possible through an ongoing partnership between Grist and WBEZ.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/07/chicago-residents-risk-daily-lead-exposure-from-toxic-pipes-replacing-them-will-take-decades/

Inside Climate News and Grist