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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From radiation to water pollution to cities, humans are now a driver of evolution in the ‘natural’ world – podcast

(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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nonprofit buys 31,000 forested acres by Copper Harbor to keep land public

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 Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/nonprofit-buys-31000-forested-acres-by-copper-harbor/

Bridge Michigan

During the fall migration season, over 4 billion birds in North America pass over our heads while we are sound asleep. Scientists use a number of technologies to understand more about birds' migratory patterns.

The post In today’s forecast: 4 billion birds migrate across North America first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/11/07/in-todays-forecast-4-billion-birds-migrate-across-north-america/

Guest Contributor

...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Southwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. * WHERE...Calumet, Manitowoc, Winnebago, Brown, and Outagamie Counties. * WHEN...Until 9 PM CDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI126417CAC668.HighWindWarning.126417D75EA0WI.GRBNPWGRB.812492747dec589f3d2df55a570aea9c

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

...Strong wind gusts to impact far northeast Wisconsin... At 145 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a line of showers with wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph along a line extending from 7 miles west of Oconto to near Bay Shore Park to 8 miles north of Manitowoc. Movement was northeast at 60 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI126417CA9FBC.SpecialWeatherStatement.126417CADB80WI.GRBSPSGRB.221a838ff4884c5ab6ed3c558522a577

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

...Strong wind gusts to impact eastern Wisconsin... At 1243 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a line of showers with wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph along a line extending from 10 miles southeast of Bevent to 9 miles west of Menasha to 10 miles north of Campbellsport to near Grafton. Movement was north at 60 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI126417CA77E4.SpecialWeatherStatement.126417CA9EF4WI.GRBSPSGRB.3bd5452f3d1bd23dec655f729618bd6b

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

...Winds expected to increase across the Fox Valley toward midday and continue this afternoon... A strengthening low pressure system will move rapidly northeast across the forecast area today. South to southwest winds are expected to increase quickly across the southern Fox Valley, including along the I41 and I43 corridors from Green Bay

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI126417CA2834.SpecialWeatherStatement.126417CA9EF4WI.GRBSPSGRB.d65efe55088dd94d9c460efb2df919a6

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Winds becoming south 20 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. * WHERE...Calumet, Manitowoc, Winnebago, Brown, and Outagamie Counties. * WHEN...Until 9 PM CDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI126417CA19C0.HighWindWarning.126417D75EA0WI.GRBNPWGRB.812492747dec589f3d2df55a570aea9c

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...South winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph expected. * WHERE...Calumet, Manitowoc, Winnebago, Brown, and Outagamie Counties. * WHEN...From 10 AM this morning to 9 PM CDT this evening.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI126417C96160.HighWindWarning.126417D75EA0WI.GRBNPWGRB.812492747dec589f3d2df55a570aea9c

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 9 PM CDT SATURDAY... * WHAT...South winds increasing to 20 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph expected. The strongest winds will be from 2 pm to 8 pm. * WHERE...Calumet, Manitowoc, Winnebago, Brown, and Outagamie Counties.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI126417C82B9C.HighWindWarning.126417D75EA0WI.GRBNPWGRB.812492747dec589f3d2df55a570aea9c

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

Surf and Turf: The Great Lakes Now Episode Quiz

Great Lakes Now tries to make every episode interesting and educational.

In “Surf and Turf,” dig into the future of land use in the Great Lakes as needs grow for both housing and agriculture, then join an eFoiling adventure on Lake Huron, and keep up with news about the lakes you love with The Catch!

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/surf-and-turf-the-great-lakes-now-episode-quiz/

Anna Sysling

...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 9 PM CDT SATURDAY... * WHAT...South winds increasing to 20 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph expected. The strongest winds will be from 2 pm to 8 pm. * WHERE...Calumet, Manitowoc, Winnebago, Brown, and Outagamie Counties. * WHEN...From 10 AM to 9 PM CDT Saturday.

Original Article

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service

https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI126417BB622C.HighWindWarning.126417D75EA0WI.GRBNPWGRB.812492747dec589f3d2df55a570aea9c

w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov

In the effort to continue promoting a more dynamic and diverse supply chain for U.S. soybean farmers, the Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) has continued its partnership with The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) to encourage the greater utilization of the Seaway in accessing international markets.  Specifically, the partnership extends the SLSMC’s “Gateway Incentive Program,” a 50% reduction on shipping tolls for new shipments of soybeans and agricultural freight via the Seaway.  Read the full story by Ohio’s Country Journal.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221104-seaway-shipments

James Polidori

The city of Lakewood, Ohio, has agreed to spend approximately $85 million to improve its sewer system to significantly reduce the amount of raw sewage discharges from Lakewood’s system into Lake Erie and the Rocky River. Department of Justice officials said the city of Lakewood allegedly discharged untreated sanitary sewage into the bodies of water on at least 1,933 occasions from January 2016 to now. Read the full story by WOIO – Shaker Heights, OH.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221104-sewer-improvements

James Polidori

Earlier this week, dozens of Cleveland residents attended the first of six listening sessions to learn about four proposals that aim to bridge the gap between Cleveland’s downtown and its Lake Erie shoreline. Read the full story by WEWS-TV – Cleveland, OH.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221104-shoreline-access

James Polidori

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held its first meeting with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) in Michigan to begin a technical assistance project funded by the American Rescue Plan on Tuesday. Officials met to discuss the risk to human health and the environment from contaminated waste and coastal erosion in specific areas along the Keweenaw Bay shoreline on Lake Superior. Read the full story by WLUC-TV – Marquette, MI.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221104-habitat-protection

James Polidori

In northwestern Ontario, the Municipality of Marathon and Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation signed an agreement that would allow them to move forward on a port authority development on the site of Marathon’s former pulp mill. A board of directors was established including representation from both Marathon and Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation. Read the full story by Northern Ontario Business.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221104-port-development

James Polidori

The city of Cleveland is seeking a consultant to study the economic impact of downtown’s Burke Lakefront Airport and whether the land could be better used in other ways. The analysis will consider a range of options for alternative development of the airport, from a public park to mixed-use development at maximum density, according to the city. Read the full story by Cleveland.com.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221104-landuse-study

James Polidori

Researchers have begun a five-month study on the St. Lawrence River to see if light can be used to guide eels into collection points so they can be captured and transported around hydropower dams. The American eel is presently listed as endangered by the province of Ontario and is considered a “species of concern” in Canada and the United States. Read the full story by Adirondack Daily Enterprise.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221104-eel-protection

James Polidori

Under new provincial housing legislation in Ontario, Hamilton conservation authorities, which are responsible for protecting and regulating the drainage areas of local creeks that flow into Lake Ontario or the harbour, would be asked to streamline regulatory processes to ramp up home construction amid a provincewide housing and affordability crisis. Read the full story by The Hamilton Spectator.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221104-housingpolicy-wetlandsimpact

James Polidori

The “100% Whitefish” campaign spearheaded by the Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers, a coalition of state and provincial leaders from around the region, is pushing for commercial fisheries to use more than just the filets to incorporate the fish into products such as fertilizers, cosmetics, and fish leather. Read the full story by Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Commission

Great Lakes Commission

https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20221104-whitefish-campaign

James Polidori