Are National Standards Around Recyclability Claims on The Way?
Research shows how much, how often, and how well consumers recycle depends on their trust in the recycling system. Most of them – 78 percent –turn to labels to try and determine if a material will actually be recycled. Yet nearly two-thirds of them say they are confused by the label, found a survey of […]
From an “Open Sewer” to our Greatest Asset: How Milwaukee Overcame a Legacy of Industrial Water Pollution
It’s a gorgeous sunny evening in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On the Milwaukee River, two friends call out to each other as they paddle their kayaks under the Water Street bridge. Milwaukeeans enjoy the riverwalk in the Third Ward neighborhood. Photo courtesy of Visit Milwaukee. A couple enjoying a drink on the patio of their riverfront condo raise […]
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 […]
Why Protected Areas Must Consider What’s Beneath the Surface
New research published in the journal Nature Sustainability finds that 85% of protected areas with groundwater-dependent ecosystems have groundwatersheds that may be under-protected. The Gist Protected areas are one of the most well-known conservation strategies, with many current global initiatives focused on expanding and strengthening the management of these areas. Protected area management often focuses […]
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 […]
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 […]
How can Canada Deploy an Equitable and Reliable EV Charging Network?
Transportation accounts for 24% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada – the most significant source after the oil and gas sector.(1) Decarbonization of the transportation sector will be a key component of Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy. As part of this path to decarbonization, the federal government has recently announced the proposed […]
Contextualizing ESG for the Great Lakes Region
What is ESG? How does it differ from CSR? Many organizations are familiar with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) dating back to the early 1980s when the notion of being a good corporate citizen first became mainstream. CSR is focused on a company’s values and how it builds relationships with a broad range of internal and […]