Breaking Down the Problem of Microplastics in the Great Lakes
A big challenge to the health of the Great Lakes takes a tiny form: microplastics, pieces of plastic no larger than 5 mm in size, or about the size of a pencil eraser. They have been documented throughout the lakes, in oceans, and even in tap and bottled water, sea salt, and other products we […]
Re-Energizing the Ecosystem Approach in the 21st Century
In 2022, the 50th anniversaries of the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and the U.S. Clean Water Act were celebrated. This landmark Agreement and law, as well as many programs implemented across the Great Lakes region, are grounded in sound principles giving effect to ecosystem-based management. Indeed, the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement […]
Rewarding Recycling
Learnings from the World’s Highest-Performing Deposit Return Systems A series of trends are disrupting recycling and waste management conversations worldwide. The first is a growing awareness that plastic waste is polluting even the far reaches of our planet. Scientists have determined that plastic waste including litter is leaking into the oceans at a rate of […]
Businesses Becoming Great Lakes WISE
Anyone who pays attention to water knows the vital importance of the Great Lakes. It’s one of the world’s largest freshwater systems, holding 21 percent of the world’s surface freshwater and 84 percent of North America’s freshwater. This water is critical to life but also to commerce. Milwaukee’s access to Lake Michigan and the businesses […]
IPCC Releases “Final Warning” to Keep 1.5°C Within Reach
As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change makes a final and urgent call for climate action before it’s too late, SBTi Chief Executive Luiz Amaral explains how the initiative is responding to the challenge, and calls for further action from the corporate sector. The planet is at an inflection point when it comes to climate change. The […]
Mackinac Island Ferry will go Electric with Support from EGLE Grant
Funds also will help install electric shore power at Sault Ste. Marie international dock. A $3.06 million award from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Fuel Transformation Program (FTP) Part 2 will support the first-ever conversion of a Mackinac Island passenger ferry to zero-emissions electric power. Star Line, now known as […]
Climate Change Preparedness of Great Lakes Communities: Regulatory Permits & Community Planning are Based on Outdated Precipitation Data
The below is taken from the Executive Summary of the report “Climate Change Preparedness of Great Lakes Communities”, an evaluation of whether regulatory permits and community planning efforts are current and aligned to manage climate change-driven increases in rainfall. Changing rainfall amounts across five cities in the Great Lakes region were examined to understand whether […]
We Need a New Playbook for East Palestine and Beyond
It seems inevitable that the train disaster in East Palestine, Ohio would quickly become politicized. We don’t have a time machine to reset the clock and start over, but we can understand and learn from the better practices that might’ve been employed, and perhaps use them going forward for East Palestine and all future incidents […]
The Meh-conomy & Matterhorn-sized risks: 12 Themes for a Fragmented World
Takeaways from the World Economic Forum 2023 The skies above Davos were unusually cloudy during the World Economic Forum. The annual winter gathering, on the other hand, had unusual bursts of sun. The global meeting of government, business and community leaders—the first in three years—can’t quite be described as optimistic. But after a year marked […]
How can a Circular Economy help Reduce Railways’ Scope 3 Emissions?
Railways must reduce emissions by 6 percent per year to reach Net Zero by 2050. While railways are one of the most energy-efficient ways to move both people and freight, they must still significantly cut their carbon footprint to meet sustainability targets. According to the IEA, railways must reduce their emissions by 6 percent per […]