Great Lakes Today

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Great Lakes Today, a collaboration of public media stations, was created to highlight issues affecting the lakes. All reports are available to stations for free -- whether or not the station is in the Great Lakes region.

The main partners in the collaboration are WBFO (Buffalo), ideastream (Cleveland) and WXXI (Rochester); other stations in the region will also contribute reports. Great Lakes Today is funded through a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Series

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4 Pieces

Drownings at Great Lakes beaches often have a common cause: dangerous currents similar to those found along the ocean. Over the past decade, some 500 drownings and rescues have been attributed to structural, longshore and rip currents. This four-part series examines the issue from various perspectives, including a grieving mother, scientists developing a warning system, and a Michigan beach where drownings are concentrated. NOTE: Stories can run as a series or individually. Intros and outros are customized

Caption: Victor Small gets help for his asthma at an East Baltimore clinic., Credit: Angelica A. Morrison
3 Pieces

Minorities in the Great Lakes bear the burden of environmental problems such as air pollution, water contamination and waste dumps. This series examines the issue through residents of Cleveland, Buffalo and an indigenous community in Ontario, Canada.

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3 Pieces

The environmental movement is being redefined. Many advocacy groups are reaching out to minorities and addressing issues important to them. This three-part series explains how the movement has changed -- and what still needs to be done.

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5 Pieces

A look at the impact of President Trump's proposed budget cuts


Pieces

Caption: by ANGELICA A. MORRISON / Denise Beyer of the Beyers Maple Farm in East Aurora New York, taps maple trees., Credit: by ANGELICA A. MORRISON
Scientists say climate change affects everything from weather patterns to animal migrations. And now, a popular breakfast condiment could be at ris...

Bought by KUFM - Montana Public Radio, WRST-FM Oshkosh, WORT, WVBI-LP, WBFO and more


  • Added: Mar 16, 2018
  • Length: 03:29
  • Purchases: 10
Caption: Rita McNamara is concerned about plan for landfill near her home., Credit: Morgan Springer
In northern Michigan, people who live near a landfill have been dealing with contaminated drinking water for decades. A new plan for the landfill m...

Bought by WDET Detroit Public Radio, WCPN, WBFO, and WCMU Michigan


  • Added: Mar 09, 2018
  • Length: 03:24
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: 2014 algae bloom in Lake Erie, Credit: NASA
As Great Lakes advocates descend onto Washington D.C. to meet with Congress this week, a new report details how the federal government and states p...

Bought by WBFO, WSKG, North Country Public Radio, WLPR , WVBI-LP and more


  • Added: Mar 07, 2018
  • Length: 01:00
  • Purchases: 9
Caption: Water pipes are being installed near Foxconn site., Credit: Chuck Quirmbach
A huge factory -- as big as 11 football fields -- is triggering concerns in Wisconsin. Foxconn Technology plans to make liquid crystal display scre...

Bought by WRST-FM Oshkosh, WXXI Rochester, WVBI-LP, WCPN, WBFO and more


  • Added: Mar 06, 2018
  • Length: 03:29
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Dave Hurlburt of teh BayCreek Paddling Center, Credit: Caitlin Whyte
Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent to clean up the Great Lakes each year. And a federal law targets some of the most contaminated areas, tho...

Bought by WXXI Rochester, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, WCPN, North Country Public Radio, WSKG and more


  • Added: Mar 02, 2018
  • Length: 03:35
  • Purchases: 8
Caption: A photo captured by Dr. Rafat Ansari 9-24-17, Credit: Dr. Rafat Ansari
The governments of Canada and Ontario recently released their plan to combat toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie. Phosphorus is the primary cause of th...

Bought by WRVO Public Media, WVBI-LP, WCMU Michigan, WSKG, WKSU and more


  • Added: Feb 27, 2018
  • Length: :51
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Different species of algae await testing in the ongoing fight against harmful algal blooms, Credit: Veronica Volk, Great Lakes Today
In the Great Lakes region, toxic algae blooms are a big problem. Every summer, they leave a green sheen on parts of the Great Lakes – and on many s...

Bought by KPIK-LP, WRVO Public Media, WVBI-LP, WBFO, WAMC Northeast Public Radio and more


  • Added: Feb 26, 2018
  • Length: 03:25
  • Purchases: 8
Caption: New York distillery and fish farm turns waste into supper, Credit: by ANGELICA A. MORRISON
Two companies in the Great Lakes region are teaming up for an unusual experiment in sustainability. They’re starting an aquaculture business. And a...

Bought by WDET Detroit Public Radio, WCPN, WBFO, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, WXXI Rochester and more


  • Added: Feb 22, 2018
  • Length: 03:43
  • Purchases: 8
Caption: A ship travels the Cuyahoga River, Credit: Elizabeth Miller/ideastream
Ohio and the US Army Corps of Engineers have settled a lawsuit over dredging in the Cuyahoga River.

Bought by WVBI-LP, WSKG, and WKSU


  • Added: Feb 22, 2018
  • Length: :51
  • Purchases: 3
Caption: Doctor Scott Williams, African American mathematician retired from the Unviersit at Buffalo, discusses what it's like working as an African American in the STEM field., Credit: by ANGELICA A. MORRISON
Great Lakes states have produced several influential African-Americans in the sciences. There’s astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson – he’s from New ...

Bought by WVBI-LP, WRST-FM Oshkosh, WDET Detroit Public Radio, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, WSKG and more


  • Added: Feb 16, 2018
  • Length: 03:41
  • Purchases: 7