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: Brianna Boggan takes a water sample at Villa Angela-Euclid Beach, Credit: Elizabeth Miller
Although a lot of beaches are tested for contamination in the water, many agencies use dated information to determine if it’s safe to swim. A new ...

Bought by WXXI Rochester, WRVO Public Media, North Country Public Radio, WCMU Michigan, WCPN and more


  • Added: Sep 21, 2016
  • Length: 03:36
  • Purchases: 7
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Apex Clean Energy plans to build dozens of wind turbines across the Great Lakes states -- including Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois – to take ...

Bought by WCPN, Delta College Public Radio, WCMU Michigan, and WBFO


  • Added: Sep 16, 2016
  • Length: 04:00
  • Purchases: 4
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Plastic debris is a pervasive problem in waters that feed the Great Lakes, according to a new study from the U.S. Geological Survey.

Bought by WAMC Northeast Public Radio, WILL, WMUK, WRVO Public Media, WCPN and more


  • Added: Sep 15, 2016
  • Length: 01:05
  • Purchases: 8
Caption: BY ANGELICA A. MORRISON / Fish caught in the Niagara River August 2016, Credit: BY ANGELICA A. MORRISON / Fish caught in the Niagara River August 2016
An environmental group in Western New York is trying to help area refugees and others learn about the danger of eating contaminated fish from the G...

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


  • Added: Sep 09, 2016
  • Length: 03:47
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Draken Harald Harfagre, Credit: courtesy of Draken Harald Harfagre
The replica Viking ship Draken Harald Hårfagre has sailed out of the Great Lakes, wrapping up a summer visit marred by a dispute over pilots fees. ...

Bought by WCPN, WXXI Rochester, WMUK, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, WCMU Michigan and more


  • Added: Sep 07, 2016
  • Length: 03:16
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Andrea Patterson inspects a common yellowthroat in order to determine its age and sex during the banding process., Credit: Veronica Volk
Some of the migratory songbirds that pass through the Great Lakes region are already on the move, but their migratory patterns are shifting due to ...

Bought by WAMC Northeast Public Radio, WCMU Michigan, WCPN, WRVO Public Media, North Country Public Radio and more


  • Added: Sep 02, 2016
  • Length: 03:38
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: A rendering of the dredged material facility, Credit: Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority
Each year, ports on the Great Lakes dredge tons of material to keep shipping lanes open. One Port's new project aims to explore a potential use fo...

Bought by WSKG, WCMU Michigan, WRVO Public Media, WXXI Rochester, WKSU and more


  • Added: Aug 30, 2016
  • Length: 01:11
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: The Fox River flows through Waukesha, Credit:  flickr user K. Magoon
A group of U.S. and Canadian officials are calling for a public hearing on the decision earlier this summer to allow water to be diverted from Lake...

Bought by WCMU Michigan, WBFO, North Country Public Radio, and WXXI Rochester


  • Added: Aug 26, 2016
  • Length: 01:04
  • Purchases: 4
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Buffalo State scientists are using a new gene-based technology to identify the source of pollution in Lake Erie.

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


  • Added: Aug 26, 2016
  • Length: 01:38
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: Diver prepares to head into waters of Lake Huron, Credit: Ben Thorp
Scientists are trying to figure out how Earth developed an atmosphere rich in oxygen. The answer to this billion-year-old mystery may lie in an unl...

Bought by Delta College Public Radio, WXXI Rochester, Interlochen Public Radio, WCPN, North Country Public Radio and more


  • Added: Aug 24, 2016
  • Length: 03:29
  • Purchases: 6