great lakes

Researchers at University of Wisconsin–Madison have published a study of findings that show a toxic plume of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or forever chemicals, is moving into Green Bay of Lake Michigan through groundwater. PFAS are often called forever chemicals because of their inability to break down in the environment, and […]

As the Great Lakes region experiences warmer and wetter weather, advocates say the time is now to prepare the electric grid for climate change.

Florida is sinking. The Western states are drying out and catching fire. Is there anywhere in the U.S. that will still make a good home as the climate crisis continues?    The answer is yes. There are cities referred to as “climate havens” because they are located in areas less likely to suffer from extreme weather […]

By Andrew Blok A record-setting fish was pulled from Hamilton Harbor at the western tip of Lake Ontario in 2015 and the world is learning about it just now. The fish, a brown bullhead, contained 915 particles—a mix of microplastics, synthetic materials containing flame retardants or plasticizers, dyed cellulose fibers, and more—in its body. It […]

In the Great Lakes region, it is quite literally raining toxic chemicals. “You can actually say it’s raining PFAS at this point,” said Marta Venier, an environmental chemist at Indiana University, according to Grist. A team of American and Canadian scientists found high levels of PFAS chemicals, also known as “forever chemicals,” after studying the […]

By Andrew Blok Great Lakes algae is catching huge amounts of microplastics. Researchers found that one type of algae, which has greatly expanded its range within the Great Lakes and is one of the most abundant algae by weight there, could catch up to one trillion pieces of microplastic in the Great Lakes. “It’s just […]

The Canadian company Enbridge is moving forward with plans to build a $500 million oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac, which runs between Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas. The oil transportation company said it would go ahead with plans despite an ongoing lawsuit with Michigan, according to Kallanish Energy. Enbridge Inc. has hired two […]

By Daniel Macfarlane Every fall, I take my environmental studies class camping at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan. Some years the beach extends more than three meters to the water. This year, in many spots, there was no beach at all. The story is the same throughout the Great Lakes. During my […]