The Environment Report

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Great Lakes in Peril: Invasives, pollution, climate change Aug 06, 2021

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When you visit one of the Great Lakes, whether it’s a sandy beach or a rocky coastline, it’s hard to imagine how something so big could be affected so profoundly by alien invasive species, or pollution, or climate change.

"Water is life" is the theme of Day 1 of protests to shut down Enbridge Line 5 May 13, 2021

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On Thursday, environmental groups and Native Americans plan to present Enbridge Energy with symbolic eviction notices. They want Enbridge to abide by Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s order to shut down Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac.

On eve of Line 5 shutdown deadline, Enbridge vows to defy Michigan order May 11, 2021

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Enbridge Energy technically has one more day to shut down the Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac, but even the pipeline’s most vocal opponents acknowledge slim odds that the oil actually stops flowing right away.

Plastic debris is getting into the Great Lakes, our drinking water, and our food May 06, 2021

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There’s been a lot of news about the amount of plastic debris in the oceans. But plastic pollution is also affecting the Great Lakes. A study out of the Rochester Institute of Technology estimates 22 million pounds of plastic debris enters the Great Lakes from the U.S. and Canada each year.

Scientists concerned about the bottom of the food web in the Great Lakes Apr 14, 2021

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Right now, scientists are on a ship taking samples and measurements of the Great Lakes. They’re trying to determine how the lakes will fare this year and watching for trends.

Is the Line 5 tunnel a bridge to Michigan's energy future or a bad deal? Apr 01, 2021

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As Canadian officials lobbied a Michigan Senate committee in March to keep the Line 5 pipeline open, Sen. Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) grew frustrated with a conversation that, up to that point, had focused mainly on the immediate economic and safety implications of a possible shutdown.

Some cities are turning to natural infrastructure to deal with extreme rain events Mar 17, 2021

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Climate change in the Great Lakes region means more intense storms. Already some towns are finding they’re flooding where they never have before. One city in Michigan is finding the solution is nature.

Wetlands can help prevent property damage and save lives during floods Mar 16, 2021

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Midland and other cities were hit hard by a flood caused by heavy rains and the failure of a weak dam.

Climate change is affecting the kind of fish you can catch in Michigan's inland lakes Feb 17, 2021

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Climate change is altering lakes so that some fish species could be lost. Ice coverage is declining over the decades.

Water could make Michigan a climate refuge. Are we prepared? Feb 16, 2021

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Intrigued by warming winters, researchers from the University of Michigan set out in 1989 to formally measure changes in the geographical distribution of plants and animals in the dense pine and hardwood forests of northern Michigan.

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