On:
In: Communication
As FY23 comes to a close, here’s a look back at several awards received by NOAA GLERL’s amazing leaders, scientists and administrators this year! The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently awarded NOAA GLERL Director Deborah Lee the 2022 … Continue reading →

Original Article

NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory

NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory

https://noaaglerl.blog/2023/09/22/noaa-glerl-director-deborah-lee-accepts-2022-asce-presidents-medal/

Gabrielle Farina

On:
In: AP, Drinking Water, Feature Homepage, Latest News, New York, News, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
5 deaths at NYC nursing home blamed on Legionnaires’ disease

NEW YORK (AP) — Five people died of Legionnaires’ disease over the summer at a New York City nursing home that had been cited repeatedly for improper maintenance of the cooling towers where the Legionella bacteria can spread, The New York Times reported.

The outbreak at Amsterdam Nursing Home, a 409-bed facility in upper Manhattan, was the city’s worst since 2015 when a cooling tower in the Bronx was blamed for an infection that caused 16 deaths.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/ap-deaths-nyc-nursing-home-legionnaires-disease/

The Associated Press

On:
In: Adopt-a-Beach

Every November, the weather turns cooler, the rush of beach cleanups begins to slow, and we take the time to compile our annual Adopt-a-Beach™ results.

The Alliance for the Great Lakes manages the largest coastal Great Lakes litter database of its kind. But we are simply the stewards. The database exists because of the decades of contributions by thousands of community scientists across the region who volunteer each year with the Adopt-a-Beach program.

2022 saw a surge of new and returning volunteers. It was exciting to welcome back many experienced Team Leaders and volunteers, as well as connect with so many new ones. Each individual volunteer who showed up, each individual piece of litter dutifully tallied on a data sheet, each individual gathering of Great Lakes stewards is captured in these numbers.

2022 Adopt-a-Beach results

31,188 pounds of litter.
502,754 pieces of litter.
Nearly 9,000 volunteers.
Over 19.375 volunteer hours.
944 Beach Cleanups
Beach cleanups on all 5 Great Lakes.
Beach cleanups in all 8 Great Lakes states.

These numbers are also part of an important milestone that volunteers helped Adopt-a-Beach reach this year. Volunteers have collected more than half a million pounds of litter since the Alliance began tracking data in 2003! That’s half a million pounds of litter removed from our beach, our parks, and the source of our drinking water.

Data tells a story about plastic pollution

The data tells a story about volunteer participation and outreach efforts, and also about long-term trends in Great Lakes plastic pollution. Year after year, more than 80% of litter collected is plastic. 2022 was no exception.

Litter material. Plastic: 81%. Other materials: 19%.
Litter type. Tiny trash: 44%. Food-related: 25%. Smoking-related: 20%. Other: 11%.

The high plastic percentage is a signal that more systemic changes are needed – in addition to and beyond individual behavior change. We look forward to continuing to use the Adopt-a-Beach data to advocate for systemic solutions to plastic pollution.

Love, concern, & initiative

As Adopt-a-Beach staff visited volunteers across the region this season, a unifying theme that revealed itself was the deep pride and care Great Lakes residents have for our lakes. We saw and heard love, concern, and initiative everywhere we went.

Whether you participated in the Adopt-a-Beach program, are reading and learning more about Great Lakes issues, or have contacted elected officials about an issue that is important to you, thank you for taking action!

Check out past years’ data summaries here.

Host an Adopt-a-Beach Cleanup

It’s never too soon to schedule your next beach cleanup. Schedule your 2023 cleanups today.

Schedule Your Cleanup

The post Adopt-a-Beach 2022: Year-End Results appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Original Article

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

https://greatlakes.org/2022/11/adopt-a-beach-2022-year-end-results/

Judy Freed

On:
In: Catch of the Day, Echo

Three Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate in the Great Lakes state won on Election Day with strong backing from environmental groups. 

The post Green-backed U.S. Senate candidates win half their races in the Great Lakes states first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/11/14/green-backed-u-s-senate-candidates-win-half-their-races-in-the-great-lakes-states/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Echo, Food Waste, Waste

The average London, Ontario, household wastes 2.81 kg (6 pounds) of food each week, and approximately half the food waste is avoidable. Local communities and nonprofits are looking for solutions to the problem. 

The post London groups fight to reduce food waste first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/11/14/london-groups-fight-to-reduce-food-waste/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Daily News

For those living near the Great Lakes who think they are somewhat insulated from the effects of climate change, a 1,695-word draft of a National Climate Assessment report released Monday included some sobering news: Lakes face a growing threat of hazardous algae blooms. Read the full story by the Chicago Sun Times.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221111-climate-change

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

The United States and Canada have launched an initiative to establish a “green shipping corridor” for the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Seaway system. Under the initiative, federal agencies will work with stakeholders to facilitate the establishment of a Great Lakes Green Shipping Corridor to help the industry decarbonize and involve setting up specific trade routes between major port hubs where zero-emission solutions are demonstrated and supported.  Read the full story by gCaptain.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221111-green-shipping

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

An extensive survey on the condition of three major sports fishing areas on the Great Lakes — Lake Michigan, Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay — was released by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources on Wednesday. Read the full story by the Midland Daily News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221111-fishery-findings

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Daily News

A proposed consent decree that will serve as a roadmap for state and federal regulators to get more serious about reducing western Lake Erie’s chronic algal blooms is now available for public viewing until December 12.  Read the full story by the Toledo Blade.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221111-erie-settlement

Connor Roessler

On:
In: canoe, Feature Homepage, History and Culture, indigenous communities, Latest News, News, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, The Catch, Wisconsin
The Catch: Secrets of Lake Mendota

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 a story about a canoe that is thought to be made by ancestors of the Ho-Chunk Nation.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/the-catch-secrets-of-lake-mendota/

GLN Editor

On:
In: Daily News

Shipments of potash and western Canadian grain are at multi-decade highs at the Port of Thunder Bay, Ontario. As the fall grain harvest moved through the port, local grain elevators handled 840,000 tonnes of wheat, canola, and other grains in October. Grain shipments for the month increased by 33 per cent compared to September and were eight per cent more than October of 2021. Read the full story by the Chronicle Journal.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221111-potash

Connor Roessler

On:
In: Echo, lakes/rivers/wetlands, toxins/chemicals

A $34.9 million cleanup of heavily contaminated Muskegon Lake and White Lake in West Michigan is estimated to have recovered $16.4 million in lost housing value for nearby homeowners.

The post Study finds lake cleanups help house values recover first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/11/11/study-finds-lake-cleanups-help-house-values-recover/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: AP, Beaches, Boating, Paddle Sports and Sailing, Books, Authors, Art and Music, Detroit, Edmund Fitzgerald, Enbridge Line 5 and Other Pipelines, Feature Detroit, freighters, History and Culture, lake erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Lake Superior, Latest News, Michigan, News, Recreation and Tourism, shipwrecks
Detroit church to remember sailors lost on the Great Lakes

DETROIT (AP) — Sailors who lost their lives in shipwrecks on the Great Lakes and Michigan waterways will be remembered at a historic church in downtown Detroit.

The annual Great Lakes Memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday and will be livestreamed from Mariners’ Church along the Detroit River.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/ap-detroit-church-to-remember-sailors-lost-on-great-lakes/

The Associated Press

On:
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

On:
In: Echo, Human health

Environmental repossession — or reclaiming of land — may be crucial to both improving mental health and restoring relationships within the Indigenous community.

The post First Nations people go outdoors to improve mental wellness first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/11/10/first-nations-people-go-outdoors-to-improve-mental-wellness/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Beaches, Boating, Paddle Sports and Sailing, Cruise Ships, cruises, Duluth, Feature Homepage, Latest News, Minnesota, News, Recreation and Tourism, The Catch, Tourism
The Catch: Cruising the Great Lakes

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 a story about cruising the Great Lakes.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/the-catch-cruising-the-great-lakes/

GLN Editor

On:
In: Daily News

A start up company recently got design approval to build a ship that moves cargo with sails rather than fuel. Whether such vessels will someday ply the Great Lakes is uncertain but interest in decarbonizing shipping is high. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221109-decarbonized-shipping

Theresa Gruninger

On:
In: Daily News

Environmental experts say Premier Doug Ford’s government proposal to build thousands of homes in parts of Ontario’s Greenbelt while adding protected land elsewhere will cause a host of ecological problems, including a higher possibility for contaminated drinking water. Read the full story by CBC News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221109-greenbelt

Theresa Gruninger

On:
In: Daily News

Thought to be on its way out, western Lake Erie’s Summer 2022 algal bloom has grown since Oct. 29, and its unusually tough resiliency is baffling scientists, who admit they have no good explanation for why it’s been hanging around so long this year. Read the full story by The Toledo Blade.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221109-algal-bloom

Theresa Gruninger

On:
In: Echo, fish, Great Lakes

An aquaculture group recently received $425,000 in federal support to strengthen the aquaculture community in the Great Lakes region. The goal for the grant is to build up the local economy of aquaculture producers.

The post Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative receives support from federal government first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/11/09/great-lakes-aquaculture-collaborative-receives-support-from-federal-government/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: AP, Climate change, Equity and Environmental Justice, government, Indiana, Latest News, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Science, Technology, Research, The States
From radiation to water pollution to cities, humans are now a driver of evolution in the ‘natural’ world – podcast

By: Daniel Merino The Conversation

Guidelines on use of articles from The Conversation can be found at http://bit.ly/TCUSinfo or contact us-republish@theconversation.com. Images, graphics and shortened text may also be available from The Conversation.

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Daniel Merino, The Conversation and Gemma Ware, The Conversation

(THE CONVERSATION) Humans do a lot of different things to the environment, and there aren’t many natural processes – aside from an asteroid impact or the like – that can rival the scale of change brought on by human activity.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/humans-now-a-driver-of-evolution-in-the-natural-world/

Madison Wood

On:
In: Other topics
Fred Stonehouse
Carl Lindquist

Fred Stonehouse is a maritime historian, author, and lecturer. He’s the author of over thirty books on maritime history, many focusing on the Great Lakes.

Carl Lindquist, founder and executive director of the Superior Watershed Partnership and Land Conservancy, a local nonprofit working on the Upper Peninsula dedicated to helping local communities adapt to climate change. 

Resources

Superior Watershed Partnership & Land Conservancy – Dedicated to the protection of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Lakes Chat Podcast

Subscribe to the Lakes Chat Podcast

Every Tuesday, the Alliance for the Great Lakes will chat with special guests about Great Lakes issues and dig into what it all means for you and your community. Subscribe to our Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer (more platforms coming soon).

Hear More Episodes

The post Stannard Lighthouse/Lake Superior Watershed Partnership appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Original Article

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

https://greatlakes.org/2022/11/stannard-lighthouse-lake-superior-watershed-partnership/

Michelle Farley

On:
In: Echo

A start up company recently got design approval to build a ship that moves cargo with sails rather than fuel. The 330-foot-long, hydrogen cell powered sailing vessel is proposed by the Veer Group, a Bahamas-based company committed to zero carbon emissions.

The post Can wind decarbonize Great Lakes shipping? Cargo vessels “veer” into alternative power first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/11/08/can-wind-decarbonize-great-lakes-shipping-cargo-vessels-veer-into-alternative-power/

Jonus Cottrell

On:
In: Authors, ecology, Education, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, Habitat Restoration, John Hartig, Latest News, Michigan, News, Ontario, Research, Research, Data and Technology, restoration, Science, Technology, Research, Toronto, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, watersheds, Wildlife
Great Lakes Moment: New video game teaches watershed management

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.

Today, many educators are experimenting with unique forms of instruction to increase student engagement in the classroom and encourage critical thinking.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/great-lakes-moment-video-game-teaches-watershed-management/

John Hartig

On:
In: birds, endangered species, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, Latest News, Michigan, News, Protect, Science, Technology, Research, The Catch
The Catch: Record Number of Piping Plovers

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 a story about Great Lakes piping plovers.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/the-catch-record-number-of-piping-plovers/

GLN Editor

On:
In: Daily News

Thursday marks 47 years since the Edmund Fitzgerald went down with 29 souls on board, becoming Lake Superior’s most haunting shipwreck. On Thursday night, Split Rock Lighthouse will mark the somber occasion with the tolling of a bell as victims’ names are read, after which the beacon will be lit in memory and hope. Read the full story by the Duluth News Tribune.  

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221107-remembering-edmundfitzgerald

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

Even though two of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, border Wisconsin, many of the state’s residents in formerly redlined communities still do not have easy access to clean and safe drinking water. Advocates want to ensure funds are used to provide grants or forgivable loans to help disadvantaged communities invest in critical water infrastructure. Read the full story by Inside Climate News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221107-wi-advocates-waterjustice

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network (WIN) is partnering with the University of Wisconsin Parkside and the Fund for Lake Michigan to reduce the stormwater runoff to the Pike River with a regenerative stormwater conveyance system. Read the full story by Kenosha News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221107-grantfunds-stormwater-improvement

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

A multi-year project at Heddle Shipyards’ Port Weller Dry Docks will create more than 200 jobs after the company was awarded a $135.5-million contract to extend the life of Canadian Coast Guard Ship Terry Fox. The nearly three-year project will involve extensive engineering, planning and procurement phases, with shipyard work scheduled to begin December 2023. Read the full story by the Welland Tribune.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221107-heddleshipyards-coastguard

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

The Niagara Parks Power Station is Niagara Falls State Park’s latest attraction. In 2021 the park opened their generator hall where you can learn about the history of harnessing the power of the falls. Now you can walk through a tunnel that leads you to a spectacular view of the falls. Read the full story by WQBK- Malta, NY.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221107-tunnel-niagarafalls

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

The mutual decision to hold talks about transferring the trust’s duties to the city marks a significant milestone for the agency. It was created in 2000 to steward development which would connect Hamiltonians to the harbourfront. Read the full story by the Hamilton Spectator.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221107-hamiltonwaterfronttrust-confidential

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

Electric utilities are gradually phasing out coal-burning power plants in Michigan. But environmental groups are warning that some of those power plants are leaving behind a poisonous legacy. Read and listen to the full story by Michigan Radio.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221107-reportenvironmentalgroups-coal

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

Known as “The White Hurricane” and “The Freshwater Fury,” the Great Storm of 1913 claimed the lives of 250 sailors and 25 ships on the dangerous waters of the Great Lakes. Divers believe they have solved the mystery through a newly discovered historical account of an attempt to salvage a ship during World War I and by examination of shipwrecks. Read the full story by the Midland Daily News.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221107-greatstormmystery-greatlakes

Hannah Reynolds

On:
In: Daily News

Organizers battled uncooperative weather for the inaugural North Light Surf Classic, held in Frankfort, MI over the weekend. Surfers took to the water to show off their skills, surfing several hours until waves and wind became too much to handle. Read the full story by the Manistee News Advocate.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221107-frankfort-mi-surfsup

Hannah Reynolds