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/
By Tammy Webber, Associated Press
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Their childhood memories are still vivid: warnings against drinking or cooking with tap water, enduring long lines for cases of water, washing from buckets filled with heated, bottled water. And for some, stomach aches, skin rashes and hair loss.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/children-of-flint-water-crisis-make-change-as-young-environmental-and-health-activists/
Nearly 70% of Wisconsin voters polled by Marquette University Law School showed concern about PFAS in drinking water. A uniquely uniting force from across the political aisle, which is not reflected at the state level. Last week, elected officials were once again deadlocked over how to spend the $125 million that was set aside — in May 2023 — to solve the crisis.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/pfas-new-roundup-pfas-are-shown-to-be-unique-bipartisan-voting-concern-in-wisconsin/
It all started with a mottled little crustacean crawling across a soccer field in Ontario’s Burlington City Park in October 2021, a few miles from Lake Ontario.
The animal may have looked innocuous, but this was the first sign of a costly and grueling ongoing battle against a potentially devastating new invasive species in the Great Lakes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/marbled-crayfish-raises-eyebrows-and-concerns/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/michigan-gets-290m-boost-for-water-upgrades-as-flint-crisis-anniversary-nears/
Sounding the alarm on an invasive crustacean and rising temperatures in Lake Superior.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/warming-waters-and-mutant-crayfish/
This story is a part of “A Year in the Wild Kitchen of the Great Lakes,” a series in partnership with expert forager Lisa M. Rose with the mission of nurturing a deeper connection with the natural world through foraging.
The Importance of Ecological Awareness in Foraging
As we delve into the world of foraging, it’s crucial to cultivate an understanding of the ecosystems we interact with, especially when harvesting wild plants like ramps (wild leeks) and ostrich ferns.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/a-fleeting-wild-taste-of-spring-ephemerals-ramps-and-ostrich-fern/
The Biggest Week in American Birding draws a worldwide audience to glimpse dozens of species of migrating birds including the stars of the show, tiny warblers, as well as local birds in northern Ohio — and officials say they’ve been seeing changes in recent years.
“There appears to be a little shifting in the short-distance migrants versus the tropical migrants,” said Mark Shieldcastle, research director at Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO), event host.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/ohio-birding-transitions/
American Experience’s “Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal” tells the dramatic and inspiring story of ordinary women who fought against overwhelming odds for the health and safety of their families.
In the late 1970s, residents of Love Canal in Niagara Falls, New York discovered that their homes, schools and playgrounds were built on top of a former chemical waste dump.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/great-lakes-now-talks-poisoned-ground-the-tragedy-at-love-canal-with-american-experience-executive-producer-cameo-george/
Hot dog on a stick. Water torch. Supermarket of the swamp.
Cattails go by many names, but almost everyone can recognize the pervasive wetland plant that grows along lakes, ponds, marshes, and swamps.
Their thin green stems and leaves can reach up to nearly ten feet in height.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/finding-creative-new-ways-to-manage-invasive-cattails/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/good-news-for-michigan-smelt-season-pfas-levels-lower-than-feared/
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/
Foraging connects us with the natural world, offering a pathway to understand the land, its cycles, and the bountiful edible plants that grow wild around us. Whether you’re a novice eager to explore the greens outside your doorstep or an experienced forager looking to deepen your practice, this guide provides essential insights into starting your foraging journey, identifying plants, harvesting sustainably, and ensuring safety.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/your-foraging-journey-a-framework-to-sustainable-and-safe-practices/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/i-speak-for-the-fish-never-underestimate-a-smallmouth/
By Ellie Katz, 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.
We often think of the deep parts of the Great Lakes as cold, empty spaces.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/points-north-quest-for-kiyi/
An eerie sight is blossoming throughout coastal wetlands in Georgian Bay: ghostly grey specters lining the shores behind otherwise healthy-looking wetlands.
“Do you see these dead trees?” asked Patricia Chow-Fraser. The McMaster University biologist was addressing attendees of a lecture at The Water Institute at the University of Waterloo in early March.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/ghostly-grey-specters/
In Fayetteville, North Carolina on Wednesday, April 10, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the nation’s first ever drinking water standards for PFAS. Limits will be capped at the lowest possible limit, about 4 parts per trillion. The Biden-Harris Administration concurrently announced a $1 billion investment to update water treatment plants around the country.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/pfas-news-roundup-landmark-epa-decision-implements-first-nation-wide-pfas-limit-in-drinking-water/
By Zaria Johnson, Ideastream Public Media
This story was originally published by Ideastream.
A recent lawsuit suit accusing Campbell Soup of discharging excessive amounts of phosphorus and other contaminants into Northwest Ohio waterways is highlighting challenges the state faces in targeting harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/campbell-soup-pollution-lawsuits-raise-concerns-about-additional-northeast-ohio-phosphorus-sources/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/in-chicago-one-neighborhood-is-fighting-gentrification-and-climate-change-at-the-same-time/
In 1979, there were just four nesting pairs of bald eagles in the entire state of Ohio. Today there are more than 900 pairs spread throughout all but three of Ohio’s 88 counties, not including the immature birds that still appear mottled with brown and white because haven’t yet developed white plumage on their heads.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/bald-eagle-return-exceeds-expectations/
Enrique Saenz, Mirror Indy
Mirror Indy is a part of Free Press Indiana, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to ensuring all Hoosiers have access to the news and information they need.
Mary Gutierrez and her husband moved to West Indianapolis in 2019, drawn by the promise of an affordable home and large yard where their two daughters could play.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/indiana-attorney-general-fights-epa-rule-that-would-reduce-pollution-on-indys-west-side/
By Kathryn Peiman, The Narwhal
Photography by Kathryn Peiman
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/2024/04/wild-fish-spring-to-life-in-lake-ontario-despite-dams-pollution-and-hatchery-competitors/
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 grassy, mud-streaked ski hill.
Snowmobile trails where dirt and fall leaves were still visible.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/after-a-hot-winter-whitmer-asks-for-more-ways-to-get-aid-to-businesses/
By Kimberly Rosvall, Indiana University and Liz Aguilar, Indiana University
is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.
The total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, coincides with an exciting time for wild birds. Local birds are singing for mates and fighting for territories as they gear up for their once-a-year chance to breed.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/during-the-2024-eclipse-biologists-like-us-want-to-find-out-how-birds-will-respond-to-darkness-in-the-middle-of-the-day/
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/
By Kelly House, 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/2024/04/sault-tribe-challenges-michigan-fishing-deal-chides-preposterous-rules/
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/
By Dustin Dwyer, 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/2024/04/palisades-work-family-reunites-for-shot-at-reopening-a-michigan-nuclear-plant/
By Dustin Dwyer, 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/2024/04/palisades-work-family-reunites-for-shot-at-reopening-a-michigan-nuclear-plant/
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/2024/04/you-start-with-us-conservation-authority-head-has-parting-message-for-ontario-government/
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.
Twenty-five years ago, several lower Detroit River islands and marshes were threatened by development.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/great-lakes-moment-saving-the-conservation-crescent/
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.
On November 11, 2023, Ben Karasch is up in his treestand, waiting for a deer.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/points-north-not-always-the-apex-predator/
Increasingly, scientists and regulators are concerned about the presence of pharmaceutical pollution in our waterways, including in the Great Lakes region. This contamination has the potential to harm wildlife and make antibiotics less effective. However, more research needs to be done to understand this issue, according to scientists who have studied pharmaceuticals and other contaminants.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/through-a-glass-darkly/
Ricky DeFoe can tell you all you need to know about fresh water on Earth in one minute or less. He rattles off that “70% of our planet — our Mother Earth is water. Ninety-seven percent of that water is saltwater. That leaves just 3% freshwater — 1% is in the atmosphere, 1% is subsurface, and 1% is on the surface.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/nibi-chronicles-the-nation-to-nation-fight-against-extractivism/
By Kelly House, 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/2024/03/feds-award-1-5-billion-for-palisades-nuclear-plant-restart/
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area with Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Indiana
A bill to secure industry use of toxic PFAS is dead – for now.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/pfas-news-roundup-mit-chemists-designed-a-sensor-that-detects-pfas/
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/2024/03/ontario-weakens-watershed-protections-again-as-natural-resources-minister-gets-new-powers/
Waves of Change is an online interview series highlighting the diverse faces and perspectives shaping the environmental justice movement throughout the Great Lakes region.
This month, we spoke with Alison Vilag, a bird conservationist and migration counter based in northern Michigan.
Listen to the full interview
She’s traveled all over the country and has helped document a loss of birds that scientists call staggering.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/waves-of-change-meet-bird-conservationist-and-migration-counter-alison-vilag/
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/2024/03/illinois-and-army-corps-at-an-impasse-over-building-barrier-to-prevent-invasive-carp/
This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.
By Kayla Nelsen, Great Lakes Echo
A California woman on “The Daily Show” recently swapped her sandals for snowshoes after moving to Duluth to escape her state’s wildfires.
The Comedy Central show featured Duluth as a climate haven, an ideal place to live to avoid wildfires, droughts, hurricanes and extreme flooding.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/are-great-lakes-cities-ready-for-climate-migrants/
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/
Lake Erie covers about 9,900 square miles and stretches 240 miles from southwest to northeast with an average depth of 62 feet. It borders four states and the province of Ontario. About 12 million people live in the watershed, including 17 major metropolitan areas. More than 10 million people rely on the lake as a source of drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/from-the-ice-age-to-now-a-lake-erie-timeline/
On April 8, a solar eclipse will march from Maine to Mexico, darkening the skies during midday. The moon’s shadow will black out the sun completely just south of Michigan, but folks in the southeast part of the state will be close to the action and also experience almost complete darkness.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/the-solar-eclipse-is-a-great-opportunity-for-students-and-citizen-scientists-alike/
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 Kelly House, 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/2024/03/road-salt-use-dips-37-in-michigan-warm-winter-saving-millions-easing-pollution/
Is investing a combined $1.8 billion in federal and state funds to restart the aged Palisades nuclear power plant on the Lake Michigan shore necessary to meet Michigan’s climate goals?
That’s what’s in the works, with the Department of Energy leading with a $1.5 billion dollar loan guarantee and Michigan budgeting $300 million to support the restart.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/international-nuclear-energy-expert-questions-michigans-palisades-restart/
The path of totality during the April 8 solar eclipse is expected to run directly across northwest Ohio, keeping tourism officials in the area, who normally plan for crowds to begin arriving in May, extra busy.
Some private campgrounds in the area that are opening early for the eclipse and have sites available, including Crystal Rock, Erie and Ottawa County fairgrounds, Cedarlane RV Resort, Camp Sandusky and Camp Perry RV Park.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/where-to-see-rare-solar-eclipse-in-ohio/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/i-speak-for-the-fish-when-a-bass-is-not-a-bass/
By Jena Brooker, BridgeDetroit
BridgeDetroit reporter Jena Brooker collaborated with One Detroit (Detroit Public TV) on this segment on concrete crushing in a Detroit neighborhood. Read more of her coverage and subscribe to her newsletter.
One Detroit’s senior producer Bill Kubota teamed up with filmmaker and One Detroit contributor Nicole Macdonald to talk with residents about their concerns over heavy industry operating in city neighborhoods.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/video-its-detroiters-vs-dust-in-west-side-neighborhood/
