The Checkup

A changing climate is causing psychological distress across the Great Lakes. From the loss of heritage crops, disappearing ice and record-breaking floods, residents across the region are looking for new forms of support.

It’s been ten years since Toledo issued a ‘don not drink’ order for its water system for three days due to cyanobacterial blooms near its water intake in Lake Erie. The blooms are not any worse, but they are not any less.

Michigan State’s Jason Rowntree is out to prove that ranching is an ecological asset.

Formal water shutoff policies in some cities are ill-defined for extreme heat.

Hotter days make heat exhaustion a greater hazard for kids. Unusual weather events, particularly storms that cause flooding, add stress to children’s lives.

Doctors need to understand how climate change plays a role in health, so Michigan medical students are pushing for climate health education in their programs.

Heat is becoming a threat in cities everywhere. Here is the second half of our two-part series which looks at the connection between heat and health, the role water plays, what’s being done, and where these cities have room to improve.

Heat is becoming a threat in cities everywhere. Here is part one of our two-part series that takes a looks at the connection between heat and health, the role water plays, what’s being done and where these cities have room to improve.

Scientists studying unregulated “emerging contaminants” say Ontario and the federal government need a coordinated plan to protect our water and health

From mosquitoes to sewer overflows, the heat and moisture of a changing climate are creating new health threats in the Great Lakes region, prompting a call to educate residents and doctors about the risks.

The pesticide DDT nearly wiped out North America’s bald eagles. Communities, scientists and politicians worked hard to bring this symbolic bird back from the brink.

People are unprepared for smoke from forest fires worsened by intense drought and heat.

As groundwater resources are increasingly under threat in the U.S. — including the Great Lakes region — regulation, oversight and planning for the long-term are diffused and often lacking.

As plastic items dominate beach littering, Alliance for the Great Lakes’ says we need to ramp up reusable items and sustainable packaging. What about personal responsibility?

With 28 years of experience in the water sector, Cheryl Porter shares her inspiring journey from junior chemist in Detroit to leading the American Water Works Association.

Author and hydrologist Bob Otwell calls for an end to “inertia” and “lip service” on climate change and expresses concern for Michigan’s groundwater.

A changing climate is causing psychological distress across the Great Lakes. From the loss of heritage crops, disappearing ice and record-breaking floods, residents across the region are looking for new forms of support.

Canadian conservation groups purchase land from farmers to increase biodiversity around the Great Lakes region.

“There are people counting on us to get this done,” says Senator Stephanie Chang in a Great Lakes Now interview.

The hidden impact of outdoor air pollution in the Great Lakes region is the public health epidemic of poor indoor air quality.

Heat is becoming a threat in cities everywhere. Here is the second half of our two-part series which looks at the connection between heat and health, the role water plays, what’s being done, and where these cities have room to improve.

“Sustainable prosperity” and innovation are key to mayors’ 10-year plan. Expert says economic transition from the Rust Belt era is more appropriate, cautions “today’s abundance may be tomorrow’s drought.”

Coming of age in the 1970s, Jane Elder “cared about the environment and wanted to be in that space.” Now, Elder is concerned with today’s lack of oversight on climate change in the Great Lakes region.

Waves of Change is an online interview series highlighting the diverse faces and perspectives shaping the environmental justice movement throughout the Great Lakes region.

“Innovation is integral to delivering on all of our water priorities,” says top executive. What about conservation?

Author Jerry Dennis revisits his sailing journey from Lake Michigan to the Atlantic Ocean where he searched for “the heart of the inland seas.”

Waves of Change is an online interview series highlighting the diverse faces and perspectives shaping the environmental justice movement throughout the Great Lakes region.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in this biweekly headline roundup.

Scientists are thinking holistically about biodiversity, sustainability, and resilience when it comes to the role invasive cattails play in the Great Lakes.

In a late move, the Department of Justice sides with Canada on continued operation of Line 5, citing treaty and the public’s interest.