Catch our monthly show — produced by Detroit PBS — on our network of stations in the Midwest. Get the latest news and program updates in our weekly newsletter: greatlakesnow.org/great-lakes-now-newsletter/
Northern Ontario’s record wildfire season exposed gaps in emergency management for First Nations communities. Read more from @thenarwhal.ca: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/08/03/f...
First Nations had a wildfire plan. Ontario ignored it. Then came the flames - Great Lakes NowPremier Doug Ford was presented with dozens of recommendations to improve emergency response in northern Ontario. Little progress was made before what's now estimated to be the province's worst wildfi...www.greatlakesnow.orgThe court ruled that the Michigan Public Service Commission’s review of a key permit for the petroleum pipeline tunnel was overly narrow, failing to consider whether the tunnel will harm public trust resources. Story by @bridgemi.com: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/08/03/m...
Michigan Supreme Court vacates key Line 5 permit - Great Lakes NowThe court ruled that the Michigan Public Service Commission’s review of a key permit for the petroleum pipeline tunnel was overly narrow, failing to consider whether the tunnel will harm public trust ...www.greatlakesnow.orgIn Wisconsin, @tomkertschernews.bsky.social of @wisconsinwatch.org has been reporting on how developers have been using non-disclosure agreements to keep information about proposed data centers under wraps. Check out our conversation: youtu.be/xgmXCmOdYuM
What Data Center Developers Don't Want Wisconsin To Know | Freshwater PeopleYouTube video by Great Lakes Nowyoutu.beA Black-run boating club, Cleveland’s Inter City Yacht Club, was founded at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in the late 1960s — making it one of the first established anywhere in the country. Read more: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/29/t...
Nearly half of Great Lakes beachgoers rarely or never check water quality before swimming, according to a new study by researchers at @torontomet.bsky.social. www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/29/g...
Going to the beach? Check the water quality - Great Lakes NowNearly half of Great Lakes beachgoers rarely or never check water quality before swimming, according to a new study by researchers at Toronto Metropolitan University.www.greatlakesnow.orgThere are seven Ojibwe Nations in Minnesota and five of these communities have embraced alternative energy sources over the last decade. And now, there are six. Bois Forte has made the leap to energy sovereignty through a program called The Solar Commons. www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/23/n...
No One Owns the Sun - Great Lakes NowBuilding energy ingenuity through a solar commons in Ojibwe country.www.greatlakesnow.orgFor the first time, Michigan’s Fisheries Division is getting funding specifically for whitefish recovery, but officials say it's not enough to solve the ecosystem issues causing the species' decline. Story by @michiganpublic.bsky.social: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/23/m...
Michigan fisheries get one-time funding for whitefish restoration - Great Lakes NowFor the first time, Michigan’s Fisheries Division is getting funding specifically for whitefish recovery, but officials say it's not enough to solve the ecosystem issues causing the species' decline.www.greatlakesnow.orgRead our latest on how pets and animals are impacted by prolonged exposure to wildfire smoke: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/21/h...
How wildfire smoke impacts pets and wildlife - Great Lakes NowAs smoke spreads, experts explain how animals can suffer serious health effects and what we can do to help.www.greatlakesnow.orgDespite “adverse” impacts on ecological and tribal resources, state regulators said these updates to Line 5's permits are better than an oil spill in the Great Lakes. www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/17/l...
Line 5 tunnel in Michigan clears major permitting hurdle, in blow to opposition - Great Lakes NowDespite "adverse" impacts on ecological and tribal resources, state regulators said it's better than an oil spill in the Great Lakes.www.greatlakesnow.orgRural Indiana helped power America’s 20th-century coal boom. Now, many communities are living with growing piles of toxic coal ash, and the health impacts that come with them. Read more from @circleofblue.bsky.social www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/15/a...
Air quality alerts issued for northern Michigan as wildfire smoke blankets region - Great Lakes Now A boat sits on Duck Lake near Interlochen on Wednesday afternoon, amid thick wildfire smoke that pou...Events were canceled and people were urged to stay indoors amid warnings of health risks from the plume drifting down from Minnesota and Canada.www.greatlakesnow.org“There is ash on our cars right now and it smells like burning tires,” Jenny Clasman, executive director of the Boyne Area Chamber of Commerce said following Air Quality alerts being issued in northern Michigan. Read more about the effects of the wildfires: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/15/a...
Air quality alerts issued for northern Michigan as wildfire smoke blankets region - Great Lakes Now A boat sits on Duck Lake near Interlochen on Wednesday afternoon, amid thick wildfire smoke that pou...Events were canceled and people were urged to stay indoors amid warnings of health risks from the plume drifting down from Minnesota and Canada.www.greatlakesnow.orgWhile urbanization continues to displace natural ecosystems across the Great Lakes region, the black-crowned night heron has managed to adapt to city life. Read more about the endangered bird’s life Chicago: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/15/r...
Refuge in the Windy City: Declining wetland bird makes a home in downtown Chicago - Great Lakes NowWhile urbanization continues to displace natural ecosystems across the Great Lakes region, one declining wetland bird has managed to adapt to city life — the black-crowned night heron.www.greatlakesnow.orgIndiana has the most coal ash sites in the country. Now it wants to be the first state in the Great Lakes region to oversee how the toxic waste from coal-burning power plants is disposed of and managed. www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/14/i...
Indiana wants to be in charge of its own coal ash dumps - Great Lakes NowMore energy news as Ohio makes hundreds of millions from fracking beneath public lands and a shuttered Michigan nuclear plant nears a highly anticipated restart.www.greatlakesnow.orgFriends of the Detroit River needs $350 million in matching funds to complete a cleanup of 3.6 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment. Story by @planetdetroit.org: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/10/d...
Detroit River tour highlights restoration successes, $1-billion cleanup hurdle: ‘We all have a role to play’ - Great Lakes NowThe Detroit River lost 97% of its coastal wetlands to development but remains one of the most biologically important Great Lakes waterways, with millions of fish spawning there each spring.www.greatlakesnow.orgInvasive mussels are stripping the Great Lakes of nutrients that baby whitefish need to survive. Could this doom the species? All Too Clear is a documentary by @hiddenbelow.bsky.social that uses cutting edge technology to explore the lakes like never before: video.detroitpbs.org/video/all-to...
People filled a meeting on Wednesday to voice support for a temporary ban on data centers. The township is the latest northern Michigan municipality to consider such a move as local and regional pushback grows. Story by @iprnews.bsky.social and @grist.org: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/09/g...
Garfield Township inches closer to a possible data center moratorium - Great Lakes NowPeople filled a township planning commission meeting on Wednesday to voice support for a temporary ban on data centers. The township is the latest northern Michigan municipality to consider such a mov...www.greatlakesnow.orgA Wisconsin man is one of seven former Environmental Protection Agency staffers suing federal regulators for their firings, alleging the agency violated their First Amendment rights. www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/09/f...
Former EPA staffer from Wisconsin sues after he was fired for signing letter of dissent - Great Lakes NowInternal EPA records show agency staff found no ethics concerns and advised against firings.www.greatlakesnow.orgThe storied river is beloved by boaters and anglers alike — and one side no doubt will be unhappy by the resolution of Consumers Energy’s proposal to sell six hydroelectric dams. Story by @bridgemi.com: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/07/o...
On fabled Au Sable River, a fight for soul of Michigan’s holy waters - Great Lakes NowThe storied river is beloved by boaters and anglers alike — and one side no doubt will be unhappy by the resolution of Consumers Energy’s proposal to sell six hydroelectric dams.www.greatlakesnow.orgAre Michigan and Huron separate lakes – or have we been counting the Great Lakes wrong? Story by @michiganpublic.bsky.social: www.greatlakesnow.org/2026/07/08/a...
Are Michigan and Huron actually one large Great Lake? - Great Lakes NowAre Michigan and Huron separate lakes – or have we been counting the Great Lakes wrong?www.greatlakesnow.org