Lakes Chat

REPLAY: In this episode, we chatted with Ramiro Berardo, an associate professor of environmental policy at Ohio State University. He’s written, directed, and produced a new documentary titled “…And Water For All,” which premiered on World Water Day in late March. The documentary takes on the issue of water affordability in Ohio but has lessons for the Great Lakes region and beyond. It examines the challenges governments and communities face to ensure access to clean, affordable water now and in the coming decades. 

An important conversation with two Alliance staffers – Molly Flanagan, our Chief Operating Officer and Vice President for Policy, and Jennifer Lumpkin, our Cleveland Local Partnerships Manager about what the midterms mean for the Great Lakes, why it's important for water issues to be a part of election season conversations, and how you can get involved this election season.  

A timely chat about our big day of action for the Great Lakes – September Adopt-a-Beach – which was held earlier this month. We also discussed more broadly about beach cleanups, plastic pollution, and volunteerism around the Great Lakes region.  

Crystal M.C. Davis, our VP of Policy and Strategic Engagement, and Tom Zimnicki, Director of Agriculture and Restoration Policy, chat about algal blooms in western Lake Erie, what they are and how they directly impact the local economy.

An eye-opening conversation with LimnoTech Principal and Senior Engineer Ed Verhamme on the importance of buoys and how they help daily to protect drinking water, have safe boating experiences, and more.

Resources

How Buoys Help

Two Yellow Buoys

In today's episode, we’re chatting with Dr. Sherri Mason, a leading expert on plastic pollution. Her award-winning work has drawn international attention to the threat of microplastics in our waters and led to the passage of national legislation banning microbeads. She serves as Director of Sustainability at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.  

In today's episode, we’re talking with Alex Novak, the Alliance’s Community Planning Manager based in Detroit. We're chatting with Alex about green infrastructure – what it is, and how it can help improve our Great Lakes communities. 

In today's episode, we’re talking again with Joel Brammeier, Alliance President & CEO. Today we’re talking climate change and the Great Lakes. Our region is frequently referred to as a ‘climate haven’ - an anticipated area of migration as people around the country may move in large numbers as the impacts of climate change are felt. But, the Great Lakes are also going to be feeling the impacts of climate change, and, in an op-ed last year, Joel argued that we need to get our own house in order. We’ll be talking about how climate change is already affecting the lakes, whether or not the Great Lakes really are a climate refuge, and what leaders can do to make sure our communities are climate-resilient.  

In today's episode, we’re reconnecting with Anna-Lisa Castle, the Alliance’s Clean Water, and Equity Policy Director. We spoke with Anna-Lisa earlier this season about the big problems facing water and wastewater infrastructure around the Great Lakes region. In this conversation, we’ll be digging into the problem of toxic lead pipes that carry water into homes in many Great Lakes cities.

In today's episode, we’re talking with Tom Zimnicki, the Alliance’s Agriculture and Restoration Policy Director. We’ll talk with Tom about harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes, the role agricultural pollution plays in causing those blooms and get his thoughts on how to tackle this challenging problem.