Nestled on the shores of Lake Michigan on Jones Island, Milwaukee’s newly updated port is emerging as a potential force in the city’s economy. Port Milwaukee aims to unlock opportunities for business, industry, and the community with updated facilities to include agricultural exports. The port’s backers hope the ripple effects will redefine Milwaukee’s role in the Great Lakes economy.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

The summer of 2023 saw rainstorms that caused extreme flooding across the Great Lakes.

Cities like Cleveland, Chicago and Duluth were all affected this year. Amid rising concerns over the increasing frequency and severity of flooding in the Great Lakes region, a new study unveils crucial insights into each state’s preparedness.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Quite a few bills are going through Michigan Legislature that are poised to radically reshape the state’s approach to energy. These proposed legislations signal Michigan’s commitment to the climate crisis, and could set the stage for a significant shift in the state’s environmental policies. The House introduced bills that environmentalists are keeping their eyes on, many of which would solidify elements of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s MI Healthy Climate Plan into law.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Out of three locations around the world, the Great Lakes region was chosen to host a new Department of Defense study. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, or DPAA, is actively engaged in the Missing in Action Recovery and Identification Project. Its goal is to locate and repatriate the remains of military personnel in conflict areas to provide closure to their families.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

A 150-year-old schooner that sank in 1881, was finally discovered in Lake Michigan.

On July 15, maritime historians, Brendon Baillod and Bob Jaeck located the old shipwreck off the coast of Algoma, Wisconsin. The Trinidad was on their radar for more than twenty years, as the ship was a strong candidate for research; the captain and his eight crew members all survived (except their trusted Newfoundland), providing a good description of where the vessel sank.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

The Great Lakes, holds within its terrain a secret — rocks that possess stories as ancient as time itself. These unassuming formations are not just ordinary rocks; they are envoys of a bygone era, of continental shifts and testaments to the Earth’s ever-evolving narrative.

In this interview with geologist Kevin Kincare, we unravel the mystery behind why rocks in the Great Lakes are so unique.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Ford Motor Company is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050, as reiterated by Cynthia Williams last week.

Williams took to the stage to expand on how Ford is accomplishing this, highlighting their latest releases in electric vehicles (EV). Williams is the global director of sustainability at Ford.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Tunde Olaniran is a musician and multidisciplinary artist from Flint. Last year, their first exhibition premiered at Cranbrook Art Museum, featuring a short horror film — Made a Universe — inspired by their life growing up in Flint.

They were asked to perform one of their latest works for the TED Countdown Summit at the Fillmore Detroit on Thursday, July 13.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Laprisha Berry Daniels is the Executive Director at Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice. Daniels is a public health social worker who is interested in focusing on harm-reduction when dealing with the climate crisis. She specializes in developing interventions to help to improve the health and wellbeing of communities.

In her talk on Wednesday, July 12, Daniels said she was inspired by her family’s move to Detroit during the Great Migration.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

With nearly 125 million buildings across the United States, all these spaces account for about 30 percent of the country’s emissions. In 2014, Donnel Baird created BlocPower to get these spaces off fossil fuels by changing out old water systems, gas ovens, gas and oil furnaces and air conditioning units with electric equipment, like air source heat pumps, which are compatible with renewable energy options.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.