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Articles on Great Lakes

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A front-end loader dumps road salt into a truck in Chelsea, Mass. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

‘Forever contaminant’ road salts pose an icy dilemma: Do we protect drivers or our fresh water?

Increasing awareness of the dangers ‘forever chemical’ road salts pose to our fresh water systems highlights the urgent importance of finding new approaches to de-icing our roads.
Burlington, Vt., is often named as a ‘climate haven,’ but surrounding areas flooded during extreme storms in July 2023. Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Looking for a US ‘climate haven’ away from disaster risks? Good luck finding one

Even ‘climate havens’ face a riskier future, and infrastructure often isn’t built to handle climate change. But there are steps cities can take to prepare.
The round goby is an invasive fish that has become established in the St. Lawrence River over the past two decades, following its introduction into the Great Lakes. (Cristina Charette)

St. Lawrence River zones that are hostile to invasive species can be refuges for native fish

Wetlands can help limit the spread of the voracious round goby, an invasive species that has infiltrated the Great Lakes and has become widespread in the St. Lawrence River.
The Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence is one of, if not the largest estuarine system on Earth. It plays an intrinsic role in the history of Canada and is the cradle of Quebec’s economy, and its identity. (Gwénaëlle Chaillou)

Why the St. Lawrence estuary is running out of breath

Climate change is causing the deep waters in parts of the St. Lawrence River to lose their oxygen, and it’s damaging the health of the ecosystem.
The decreasing ice cover in northern lakes will severely impact the lake ecology as well as winter recreation activities in the northern region. (Shutterstock)

Our lakes are losing their ice cover faster than ever — here’s what that means for us

Lakes in the northern hemisphere are rapidly losing their ice cover due to rising greenhouse gas emissions. The only way to preserve lake ice is to limit GHG emissions and slow down climate change.
The effects of climate change are heightened in urban areas and impose a high financial burden to the municipalities. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Warmer, wetter, wilder: 38 million people in the Great Lakes region are threatened by climate change

Shoreline communities are already faltering under the weight of billions of dollars in damages — and worrying that climate change will continue to make things even worse.

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