Actions, Behavior Changes, and Support Needed
Convenience Drives Environmental Action, Study Finds As shown in parts 1 and 2 of this 3-part article series, residents in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, comprising the U.S. Great Lakes region, report strong concern and high knowledge about climate change aspects and the causes. The data from the 2024 EcoFocus […]
Knowledge and Understanding of Environmental Issues
Study Finds: Great Lakes Residents Show Understanding of Environmental Facts, but Struggle with Making Green Choices Climate change acceptance and efforts to lead an eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle has become a broad trend in the U.S. However, without knowledge of the contributors to climate change, we as a nation and each of us individually, will […]
Big Ten Expansion Will Double Carbon Emissions From U-M Football Team
The Big Ten Conference and its football teams have given fans plenty to cheer about in its first year with four new members from the West Coast. Although the University of Michigan didn’t defend its 2023 national championship, the 2024 College Football Playoff saw an intense competition, culminating in Ohio State defeating Notre Dame to […]
Environmental Attitudes and Regional Concerns
“Water Quality, Microplastics Top Environmental Concerns for Great Lakes Residents” The Great Lakes make up 20% of the earth’s fresh surface water and is the source of drinking water for 40 million residents. They contribute to a thriving economy and support industries like commercial fisheries, agriculture and tourism, to name a few. In a time […]
Potential for U.S. Agriculture to Be Greenhouse Gas Negative
Carbon is the foundation for agricultural products beginning with the conversion of carbon dioxide into sugar through the process of photosynthesis and ultimately converted into compounds that are harvested through grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and fiber and animals convert into meat, milk, eggs, or wool. Carbon dioxide is released back to the atmosphere through processes […]
Consequences of Less Ice on Lakes Due to Climate Change
The lakes in the Great Lakes region and around the world don’t freeze over as they did in past centuries. That has serious consequences for people, wildlife, and the environment as a whole. That’s been shown by many scientific studies — but the consequences of that reduction of ice coverage have been scattered across many […]
Global Foresight on Planetary Health and Human Wellbeing
The below is taken from the Executive Summary of the 2024 Global Insights report “Navigating New Horizons: A global foresight report on planetary health and human wellbeing”. As the leading global authority on the environment, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) plays a critical role in keeping the environment under review and finding solutions that […]
Choosing Your Great Lakes Future: A New Online Scenario Game
The Great Lakes of today are much cleaner and healthier than they were in the early and mid-1900s. Substantial investment and effort have improved the environments and communities around the Great Lakes. Yet, there is more work to be done to fix problems that remain and protect recent improvements from threats on the horizon. To […]
Farmers are the Key to Addressing the Climate Crisis
From coast to coast, Canada is bracing for another record year of climate chaos. “Zombie wildfires” are still burning from last year’s record fire season and governments are still accounting for the billions of dollars in payouts to farmers for losses due to last year’s flooding and droughts. Evidence suggests Canada will continue to experience […]
Life is Better by the Lakes: A New Summary of Great Lakes Climate Plans
What common themes exist across the Great Lakes region around climate action? What if the region had a unified vision? A team from the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) and the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise aimed to find out. With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in […]