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 […]
Establishing a Regional Waste Management Authority in the Pittsburgh Region: A Vital Step Towards Economic Growth and Sustainability
In recent years, the issue of waste management has emerged as a critical challenge for cities across the globe. Pittsburgh, a city renowned for its industrial heritage and vibrant cultural scene, faces its own set of waste management issues. As the region continues to grow economically and demographically, the need for a unified approach to […]
Driving Sustainable Growth: A Testimonial from The Water Institute’s Participation at the 2024 Great Lakes Sustainable Growth Forum
In late June, the Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR) in collaboration with the Toronto Region Board of Trade, hosted the Great Lakes Sustainable Growth Forum. This significant event united leaders from various sectors to tackle critical challenges, explore how to responsibly grow the Great Lakes regional economy, and protect the Great Lakes – […]
Supporting Ontario Farmers to Advance Best Nutrient Management Practices
The below is taken from the Executive Summary of the report “Ontario Farmers for Agricultural Conservation: An NFU-O Report & Survey on Advancing Best Nutrient Management Practices”. Farmers care about agricultural conservation. Over three quarters of the 246 Ontario farmers who took part in this NFU-O survey believe they have an important role to play […]
2024 Great Lakes Sustainable Growth Forum Event Recap
The Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR) hosted its annual Great Lakes Sustainable Growth Forum, formerly the Great Lakes Economic Forum, from June 25-27th in Toronto! The forum’s name change reflects CGLR’s new strategic direction and focus on solving for sustainability and creating the first sustainable region in the world. This year, a partnership […]
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 […]
Measuring What Matters: Household Water Use in the Great Lakes Region
“Measure what matters” and “You can’t manage what you can’t measure”: those may be old clichés, but they’re still goodies! Business managers everywhere know that tracking important metrics and trends and understanding the drivers behind them is essential to strategic decision-making and course-correcting when necessary. But in the world of water management, good measurements can […]