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#greatlakes — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #greatlakes, aggregated by home.social.

  1. Mike Rogers opposed 9/11 responder health care not twice, but NINE times

    Congressional records reveal seven more instances than previously reported, including efforts to block or restrict medical care for 9/11 responders.

    The entire Rethuglican party opposed medical care for 9/11 First Responders.

    metrotimes.com/news/mike-roger

    #midterms #elections #Michigan #MI #detroit #greatLakes

  2. #Wisconsin Groups Call on #Evers to Halt #Enbridge #Line5 Following #MajorSpill

    by Native News Online Staff, September 11, 2026

    "Tribal leaders and organizations from across the #GreatLakes Region called on Wisconsin Gov. #TonyEvers (D) Thursday to halt Enbridge’s Line 5 reroute project and take action against the company following a major #NaturalGas liquids spill in northern Wisconsin.

    "The press conference came two weeks after an Enbridge #pipeline rupture released approximately 31,000 barrels, or 1.3 million gallons, of natural gas liquids. Advocates described the incident as the largest pipeline spill of its kind in Wisconsin’s recent history.

    " #BadRiver Tribal Elder #JoeBates, who obtained some of the first footage of the recent spill, described what he witnessed after receiving a call about the rupture.

    " 'I got the call, and I went down to the site. I had no idea what I was about to see. The plumes of gas were like nothing I’ve ever seen before,' Bates said.

    "The call for action also followed #Michigan Gov. #GretchenWhitmer ’s announcement Wednesday that she will reconsider state permits for Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 tunnel project beneath the #StraitsOfMackinac. #Whitmer also reiterated her opposition to continued Line 5 oil transport through the Straits.

    " 'Yesterday, Governor Whitmer announced that she plans to spend her last three months as Governor cementing her legacy. She will prioritize protecting the Great Lakes from the catastrophic oil spill that Enbridge’s track record is moving towards. Today, we’re calling on Governor Evers to do the same and leave a legacy of putting people and our water above corporate interests,' said Elizabeth Ward, director of the #SierraClub Wisconsin Chapter.

    "Dozens of organizations sent a letter Thursday to Evers and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary #KarenHyun, calling on state officials to hold Enbridge accountable and shut down Line 5.

    "The signatories include local organizations such as the #Chequamegon #Audubon Society; statewide groups including the Wisconsin #Wildlife Federation and Wisconsin #Ecolatinos ; and regional and national organizations such as the Great Lakes Business Network and Indigenous Environmental Network [ #IEN ].

    "The organizations represent sportsmen, businesses, #environmentalists, #IndigenousPeoples, religious leaders, #CleanWater advocates and others who oppose continued operation of Line 5.

    "Pipeline Safety Trust Director Bill Caram said the scale of the incident places it among the most serious pipeline spills in the country in recent decades."

    Read more:
    nativenewsonline.net/environme

    #WaterIsLife #StopLine5 #NoLine5 #NativeAmericanNews #Pipelines #Resistance #CorporateColonialism #USPol #PipelineSpills #EnvironmentalCatastrophe

  3. #Wisconsin Groups Call on #Evers to Halt #Enbridge #Line5 Following #MajorSpill

    by Native News Online Staff, September 11, 2026

    "Tribal leaders and organizations from across the #GreatLakes Region called on Wisconsin Gov. #TonyEvers (D) Thursday to halt Enbridge’s Line 5 reroute project and take action against the company following a major #NaturalGas liquids spill in northern Wisconsin.

    "The press conference came two weeks after an Enbridge #pipeline rupture released approximately 31,000 barrels, or 1.3 million gallons, of natural gas liquids. Advocates described the incident as the largest pipeline spill of its kind in Wisconsin’s recent history.

    " #BadRiver Tribal Elder #JoeBates, who obtained some of the first footage of the recent spill, described what he witnessed after receiving a call about the rupture.

    " 'I got the call, and I went down to the site. I had no idea what I was about to see. The plumes of gas were like nothing I’ve ever seen before,' Bates said.

    "The call for action also followed #Michigan Gov. #GretchenWhitmer ’s announcement Wednesday that she will reconsider state permits for Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 tunnel project beneath the #StraitsOfMackinac. #Whitmer also reiterated her opposition to continued Line 5 oil transport through the Straits.

    " 'Yesterday, Governor Whitmer announced that she plans to spend her last three months as Governor cementing her legacy. She will prioritize protecting the Great Lakes from the catastrophic oil spill that Enbridge’s track record is moving towards. Today, we’re calling on Governor Evers to do the same and leave a legacy of putting people and our water above corporate interests,' said Elizabeth Ward, director of the #SierraClub Wisconsin Chapter.

    "Dozens of organizations sent a letter Thursday to Evers and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary #KarenHyun, calling on state officials to hold Enbridge accountable and shut down Line 5.

    "The signatories include local organizations such as the #Chequamegon #Audubon Society; statewide groups including the Wisconsin #Wildlife Federation and Wisconsin #Ecolatinos ; and regional and national organizations such as the Great Lakes Business Network and Indigenous Environmental Network [ #IEN ].

    "The organizations represent sportsmen, businesses, #environmentalists, #IndigenousPeoples, religious leaders, #CleanWater advocates and others who oppose continued operation of Line 5.

    "Pipeline Safety Trust Director Bill Caram said the scale of the incident places it among the most serious pipeline spills in the country in recent decades."

    Read more:
    nativenewsonline.net/environme

    #WaterIsLife #StopLine5 #NoLine5 #NativeAmericanNews #Pipelines #Resistance #CorporateColonialism #USPol #PipelineSpills #EnvironmentalCatastrophe

  4. #Wisconsin Groups Call on #Evers to Halt #Enbridge #Line5 Following #MajorSpill

    by Native News Online Staff, September 11, 2026

    "Tribal leaders and organizations from across the #GreatLakes Region called on Wisconsin Gov. #TonyEvers (D) Thursday to halt Enbridge’s Line 5 reroute project and take action against the company following a major #NaturalGas liquids spill in northern Wisconsin.

    "The press conference came two weeks after an Enbridge #pipeline rupture released approximately 31,000 barrels, or 1.3 million gallons, of natural gas liquids. Advocates described the incident as the largest pipeline spill of its kind in Wisconsin’s recent history.

    " #BadRiver Tribal Elder #JoeBates, who obtained some of the first footage of the recent spill, described what he witnessed after receiving a call about the rupture.

    " 'I got the call, and I went down to the site. I had no idea what I was about to see. The plumes of gas were like nothing I’ve ever seen before,' Bates said.

    "The call for action also followed #Michigan Gov. #GretchenWhitmer ’s announcement Wednesday that she will reconsider state permits for Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 tunnel project beneath the #StraitsOfMackinac. #Whitmer also reiterated her opposition to continued Line 5 oil transport through the Straits.

    " 'Yesterday, Governor Whitmer announced that she plans to spend her last three months as Governor cementing her legacy. She will prioritize protecting the Great Lakes from the catastrophic oil spill that Enbridge’s track record is moving towards. Today, we’re calling on Governor Evers to do the same and leave a legacy of putting people and our water above corporate interests,' said Elizabeth Ward, director of the #SierraClub Wisconsin Chapter.

    "Dozens of organizations sent a letter Thursday to Evers and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary #KarenHyun, calling on state officials to hold Enbridge accountable and shut down Line 5.

    "The signatories include local organizations such as the #Chequamegon #Audubon Society; statewide groups including the Wisconsin #Wildlife Federation and Wisconsin #Ecolatinos ; and regional and national organizations such as the Great Lakes Business Network and Indigenous Environmental Network [ #IEN ].

    "The organizations represent sportsmen, businesses, #environmentalists, #IndigenousPeoples, religious leaders, #CleanWater advocates and others who oppose continued operation of Line 5.

    "Pipeline Safety Trust Director Bill Caram said the scale of the incident places it among the most serious pipeline spills in the country in recent decades."

    Read more:
    nativenewsonline.net/environme

    #WaterIsLife #StopLine5 #NoLine5 #NativeAmericanNews #Pipelines #Resistance #CorporateColonialism #USPol #PipelineSpills #EnvironmentalCatastrophe

  5. #Wisconsin Groups Call on #Evers to Halt #Enbridge #Line5 Following #MajorSpill

    by Native News Online Staff, September 11, 2026

    "Tribal leaders and organizations from across the #GreatLakes Region called on Wisconsin Gov. #TonyEvers (D) Thursday to halt Enbridge’s Line 5 reroute project and take action against the company following a major #NaturalGas liquids spill in northern Wisconsin.

    "The press conference came two weeks after an Enbridge #pipeline rupture released approximately 31,000 barrels, or 1.3 million gallons, of natural gas liquids. Advocates described the incident as the largest pipeline spill of its kind in Wisconsin’s recent history.

    " #BadRiver Tribal Elder #JoeBates, who obtained some of the first footage of the recent spill, described what he witnessed after receiving a call about the rupture.

    " 'I got the call, and I went down to the site. I had no idea what I was about to see. The plumes of gas were like nothing I’ve ever seen before,' Bates said.

    "The call for action also followed #Michigan Gov. #GretchenWhitmer ’s announcement Wednesday that she will reconsider state permits for Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 tunnel project beneath the #StraitsOfMackinac. #Whitmer also reiterated her opposition to continued Line 5 oil transport through the Straits.

    " 'Yesterday, Governor Whitmer announced that she plans to spend her last three months as Governor cementing her legacy. She will prioritize protecting the Great Lakes from the catastrophic oil spill that Enbridge’s track record is moving towards. Today, we’re calling on Governor Evers to do the same and leave a legacy of putting people and our water above corporate interests,' said Elizabeth Ward, director of the #SierraClub Wisconsin Chapter.

    "Dozens of organizations sent a letter Thursday to Evers and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary #KarenHyun, calling on state officials to hold Enbridge accountable and shut down Line 5.

    "The signatories include local organizations such as the #Chequamegon #Audubon Society; statewide groups including the Wisconsin #Wildlife Federation and Wisconsin #Ecolatinos ; and regional and national organizations such as the Great Lakes Business Network and Indigenous Environmental Network [ #IEN ].

    "The organizations represent sportsmen, businesses, #environmentalists, #IndigenousPeoples, religious leaders, #CleanWater advocates and others who oppose continued operation of Line 5.

    "Pipeline Safety Trust Director Bill Caram said the scale of the incident places it among the most serious pipeline spills in the country in recent decades."

    Read more:
    nativenewsonline.net/environme

    #WaterIsLife #StopLine5 #NoLine5 #NativeAmericanNews #Pipelines #Resistance #CorporateColonialism #USPol #PipelineSpills #EnvironmentalCatastrophe

  6. #Wisconsin Groups Call on #Evers to Halt #Enbridge #Line5 Following #MajorSpill

    by Native News Online Staff, September 11, 2026

    "Tribal leaders and organizations from across the #GreatLakes Region called on Wisconsin Gov. #TonyEvers (D) Thursday to halt Enbridge’s Line 5 reroute project and take action against the company following a major #NaturalGas liquids spill in northern Wisconsin.

    "The press conference came two weeks after an Enbridge #pipeline rupture released approximately 31,000 barrels, or 1.3 million gallons, of natural gas liquids. Advocates described the incident as the largest pipeline spill of its kind in Wisconsin’s recent history.

    " #BadRiver Tribal Elder #JoeBates, who obtained some of the first footage of the recent spill, described what he witnessed after receiving a call about the rupture.

    " 'I got the call, and I went down to the site. I had no idea what I was about to see. The plumes of gas were like nothing I’ve ever seen before,' Bates said.

    "The call for action also followed #Michigan Gov. #GretchenWhitmer ’s announcement Wednesday that she will reconsider state permits for Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 tunnel project beneath the #StraitsOfMackinac. #Whitmer also reiterated her opposition to continued Line 5 oil transport through the Straits.

    " 'Yesterday, Governor Whitmer announced that she plans to spend her last three months as Governor cementing her legacy. She will prioritize protecting the Great Lakes from the catastrophic oil spill that Enbridge’s track record is moving towards. Today, we’re calling on Governor Evers to do the same and leave a legacy of putting people and our water above corporate interests,' said Elizabeth Ward, director of the #SierraClub Wisconsin Chapter.

    "Dozens of organizations sent a letter Thursday to Evers and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary #KarenHyun, calling on state officials to hold Enbridge accountable and shut down Line 5.

    "The signatories include local organizations such as the #Chequamegon #Audubon Society; statewide groups including the Wisconsin #Wildlife Federation and Wisconsin #Ecolatinos ; and regional and national organizations such as the Great Lakes Business Network and Indigenous Environmental Network [ #IEN ].

    "The organizations represent sportsmen, businesses, #environmentalists, #IndigenousPeoples, religious leaders, #CleanWater advocates and others who oppose continued operation of Line 5.

    "Pipeline Safety Trust Director Bill Caram said the scale of the incident places it among the most serious pipeline spills in the country in recent decades."

    Read more:
    nativenewsonline.net/environme

    #WaterIsLife #StopLine5 #NoLine5 #NativeAmericanNews #Pipelines #Resistance #CorporateColonialism #USPol #PipelineSpills #EnvironmentalCatastrophe

  7. Damn if that Grand Haven lighthouse doesn’t make for some pretty shots: sunset in Grand Haven, 11 September, 2026. Photo by Mike Borstler.
    #LighthousesOfMastodon
    #GreatLakes
    #LakeMichigan

  8. Manitoulin Island: The World's Largest Freshwater Island 🌊

    Manitoulin Island is the world’s largest freshwater island located in Lake Huron The current name of the island is the English version, via French, of the Ottawa or Ojibwe name Manidoowaaling (ᒪᓂᑝᐙᓕᓐᒃ). It's home to hiking trails, Indigenous communities, and serene beaches. You can even find lakes *on* the island—with islands in them!

    🇨🇦 #Canada #Geography #GreatLakes #IndigenousCulture

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manitoul

  9. Manitoulin Island: The World's Largest Freshwater Island 🌊

    Manitoulin Island is the world’s largest freshwater island located in Lake Huron The current name of the island is the English version, via French, of the Ottawa or Ojibwe name Manidoowaaling (ᒪᓂᑝᐙᓕᓐᒃ). It's home to hiking trails, Indigenous communities, and serene beaches. You can even find lakes *on* the island—with islands in them!

    🇨🇦 #Canada #Geography #GreatLakes #IndigenousCulture

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manitoul

  10. Manitoulin Island: The World's Largest Freshwater Island 🌊

    Manitoulin Island is the world’s largest freshwater island located in Lake Huron The current name of the island is the English version, via French, of the Ottawa or Ojibwe name Manidoowaaling (ᒪᓂᑝᐙᓕᓐᒃ). It's home to hiking trails, Indigenous communities, and serene beaches. You can even find lakes *on* the island—with islands in them!

    🇨🇦 #Canada #Geography #GreatLakes #IndigenousCulture

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manitoul

  11. Manitoulin Island: The World's Largest Freshwater Island 🌊

    Manitoulin Island is the world’s largest freshwater island located in Lake Huron The current name of the island is the English version, via French, of the Ottawa or Ojibwe name Manidoowaaling (ᒪᓂᑝᐙᓕᓐᒃ). It's home to hiking trails, Indigenous communities, and serene beaches. You can even find lakes *on* the island—with islands in them!

    🇨🇦

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manitoul

  12. Manitoulin Island: The World's Largest Freshwater Island 🌊

    Manitoulin Island is the world’s largest freshwater island located in Lake Huron The current name of the island is the English version, via French, of the Ottawa or Ojibwe name Manidoowaaling (ᒪᓂᑝᐙᓕᓐᒃ). It's home to hiking trails, Indigenous communities, and serene beaches. You can even find lakes *on* the island—with islands in them!

    🇨🇦 #Canada #Geography #GreatLakes #IndigenousCulture

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manitoul

  13. #ducks in the water!

    #Michigan is on one of the largest waterfowl flyways in the world! The #GreatLakes bay contains the largest freshwater wetland in the United States

    Thats why we chose our ducks, cold hardy and ready for water. 💧 Our #homestead is raising waterfowl chosen for its local resilience. We spend less #energy on heating, #water for gardening ((((just south of the #land of lakes ))))) #permaculture #RegenAg #solarpunk #ducklings #summer #bigwater

  14. #A2A - Connecting lands and people across the #Algonquin to #Adirondacks region

    "For a resilient, ecologically connected #A2ARegion that sustains a full range of native #wildlife and enhances people’s quality of life for generations to come.

    The time to reconnect is now.

    Nature cannot survive on isolated islands. Between #AlgonquinPark and the Adirondacks, a crisis of fragmentation is unfolding.

    Roads, development, and borders have severed ancient migratory pathways, trapping wildlife in habitat pockets too small to sustain genetic diversity, find food, or adapt to a rapidly changing climate. When we isolate nature, we weaken the very systems that sustain us.

    The A2A region is a continental lifeline. As one of the last remaining large-scale, #IntactForest and #wetland linkages in #EasternNorthAmerica, this corridor represents our best opportunity to ensure wildlife can move north–south across the #GreatLakes#SaintLawrence system.

    Our mission is to heal and reconnect these landscapes. We must repair these broken links to restore the interconnected web of biodiversity that sustains the health of our region and the resilience of the entire continent."

    Learn more:
    a2acollaborative.org/

    #SolarPunkSunday #WildlifeCorridor #PreserveTheForest #ReconnectNature #US #Canada #Biodiversity #Interconnectedness #RestoringNature #NorthAmerica #NatureCorridors

  15. 💁🏻‍♀️ TIL: 🍄🪨 Researchers at the University of #Michigan pulled #water from gas wells deep under the #GreatLakes and found a dense #ecosystem.

    The water has remained #underground since the #IceAge more than 11,000 years ago. The isolated #environment contains hundreds of fungal species alongside tiny #worms and #tardigrades.

    👉 popsci.com/science/rock-eating

    #fungi #microrganisms #ecology #science #groundwater #biodiversity #carbon #carboncycle #soil #biology #extremophiles

  16. Hype for the Future 250L: Jefferson County, New York

    Introduction Jefferson County is a notable county located at the beginning of the North Country in the State of New York home to the City of Watertown; the Villages of Carthage, West Carthage, Clayton, Adams, Sacksts Harbor, Black River, Philadelphia, Brownville, Alexandria Bay, Dexter, Theresa, Cape Vincent, Antwerp, Chaumont, Evans Mills, Glen Park, Mannsville, Deferiet, and Ellisburg; and the Towns of Adams, Alexandria, Antwerp, Brownville, Cape Vincent, Champion, Clayton, Ellisburg, […]

    novatopflex.wordpress.com/2026

  17. Hype for the Future 209C: Lake Michigan Urban Corridor, Wisconsin

    Introduction The southeastern portion of the State of Wisconsin along the western side of Lake Michigan is home to notable communities in and around Milwaukee, including Waukesha, Port Washington, Grafton, Cedarburg, Kenosha, and Racine, just to name a few. Notable features of the area include proximity to Lake Michigan and high urban densities relative to the smaller urbanized areas and urban clusters throughout the State. While the Grafton, Port Washington, and Cedarburg areas are to the […]

    novatopflex.wordpress.com/2026

  18. All Pipelines Break, Defend Our Great Lake!

    "This past Friday, after the administrative law judge made the announcement to uphold the DNR permits for the Wisconsin section of the proposed line 5 pipeline, a banner was hung on Highway 13 between Washburn and Bayfield Wisconsin.

    ...

    While clear cutting of the easement continues every day, even further construction of the Line 5 re-route around Mashkiiziibii is imminent. If you are making plans to stand in solidarity with Mashkiiziibii and the water, plan for this spring and summer."

    unsalted.noblogs.org/post/2026

    #StopLine5 #Line5 #LandBack #FuckEnbridge #Anarchism #Wisconsin #Michigan #GreatLakes

  19. A Technical Question Before the Supreme Court Could Seal Fate of Line 5 Pipeline

    Many tribal nations say the pipeline threatens their waters, treaty rights, and ways of life.

    murica.website/2026/02/a-techn

  20. #RadioactiveWaste leakage would be threat to area: critic

    By Doug Diaczuk The Chronicle-Journal Apr 22, 2025

    "A radioactive waste specialist from the United States says #NuclearWaste disposal sites place a giant bullseye on an area, as well as all communities along the transportation route, and residents of Northern #Ontario should take notice.

    "#KevinKamps, a radioactive waste specialist with #BeyondNuclear, a non-profit advocacy group in the United States, will be speaking in Thunder Bay at Environment North's annual meeting on Wednesday [April 23].

    "Kamps has opposed several nuclear waste sites across North America, including a site in the #YuccaMountains in #Nevada and a site at #Kincardine in #Ontario at the #BruceNuclear Generating Station.

    " 'That was a 20-year campaign all told, but we prevailed in the end,' Kamps said of the Kincardine site in an interview with The Chronicle-Journal.

    "The Nuclear Waste Management Organization [#NWM] identified a site between #Ignace and #Wabigoon Lake as the location for a proposed deep geological repository [#DGR] for #SpentFuel from #Canadian #NuclearPower plants.

    "Last summer, the #TownshipOfIgnace expressed a willingness to be the host community for the repository following a survey showing the majority of residents supported the site.

    "But several #FirstNation communities have spoken out in opposition to the site, citing #environmental concerns and the safety of transporting spent fuel through the region.

    "Kamps said if anything was to go wrong at the deep geological repository site it would be catastrophic: 'for all points #downstream, #downwind, up the #FoodChain, down the generations.'

    " 'In your neck of the woods, what I find ironic is the current target in your area is just outside of the #GreatLakes basin and I think it is a raw political calculation to try to silence what has been more than a decade of U.S. congressional opposition to the #LakeHuronDump,' he said.

    " 'Now magically a site has been chosen outside of the Great Lakes basin.'

    "There are many safety concerns to take into consideration when it comes to nuclear waste, Kamps said, beginning with the transportation of nuclear material to the site itself.

    " 'One of the most controversial aspects is the transportation component, because it makes it everyone's problem along those routes,' he said. 'So that is another part of our challenge, to educate communities that would be along the most likely transportation route, be it road, rail, or waterway.'

    "Then there is the site itself, which Kamps said could be vulnerable to #ExtremeWeather, #NaturalDisasters, or even potential attacks.

    " 'You had better know your geology really well because if and when this starts leaking from its containers into the geology, then it's a question of how long will it take to mix with underground waterflows and perhaps even surface waterflows,' he said. 'And then the risk flows with the water, and with the air.'

    "For those opposed to such sites, Kamps said the best way to fight back is through the democratic process and engaging with government representatives at all levels.

    "He cited the opposition to the #Kincardine site that was a 20-year fight and the role First Nations communities played.

    " 'An important part of that was the #SaugeenOjibwayNation who asked good questions and in the end voted 86 per cent no to that dump coming into their community,' he said.

    "In terms of what to do with nuclear waste from generating stations, Kamps said it should stay at the site of origin."

    Source:
    chroniclejournal.com/news/loca

    #EnvironmentalRacism #GreatLakesBasin #WaterIsLife #AirIsLife #NuclearDumping #ClimateChange #NoNukes #RethinkNotRestart #NoNukesForAI #NoDumpingWithoutConsent

  21. Race You To The Water

    The other day I expressed some misgivings over the word that Earthworks chose to apply to water in the first sentence of its report, Polluting the Future: their characterization of water as an “asset,” I said, made me uneasy. The water flowing from springs and brooks, the water of rivers, lakes and streams, the raindrops that fall from the sky and the dew on the morning grass, the water in our bodies, in plants and trees, the water in dogs, flowers, bugs, fish, elephants, walruses and caterpillars, the water in everything that is alive on earth — water is and will always be something greater, more wondrous and something other than a mere entry in the accounting ledgers of some grand business enterprise, which is all that the word “asset” conjures for me.

    I came across the word again today as I was reading an editorial in The Detroit Free Press. I am in complete sympathy with the position it takes against plans to build a huge network of oil pipelines carrying diluted bitumen (or dilbit) across the Great Lakes region, and to transport crude oil by barge across Lake Superior. These are reckless, irresponsible ideas. The threat they pose to the integrity of the Lakes and the life the Lakes sustain is only made worse when you consider a couple of salient facts. First (and it is curious that the editorial does not mention this), the new mining around Lake Superior — as I’ve noted repeatedly — is already going to put pressure on Lake Superior and the Lake Superior watershed; the shipping of oil by barge would bring even more industrialization and greatly heighten the risk of environmental catastrophe. Second, the company building and running the pipeline (the Canadian company Enbridge) has already been responsible for an environmental disaster in Kalamazoo, Michigan — the worst inland oil spill in US history, in fact.

    The editorial takes the position that these plans betray a “deep misunderstanding of the true value of the lakes,” but when the editors try to say what that value is, they run into trouble:

    It’s easy to wax poetic about the value of the Great Lakes to Michigan and the other states they border. The beauty of the lakes, the wildlife and fish that dwell in and around the lakes, the environmental benefits the lakes present — they’re incalculable.

    But let’s get practical: Clean freshwater is one of the scarcest commodities there is. And it’s only going to get worse. Clean water will be an asset that’s worth far more than oil. Jeopardizing the Great Lakes isn’t just morally and ethically wrong. It’s financially foolish, as well.

    It’s interesting how the argument here moves, in just a couple of short paragraphs, from the “incalculable” to the crudest of calculations — the “worth” of clean water. This is tantamount to arguing that what is “morally and ethically” right should take second place to what is financially sound — as if finance should have more claim on the imagination and intellect (and the heart) than morality, and monetary value should be privileged over moral and ethical considerations.

    I suppose that’s the way it goes nowadays, and I just need to get real. Still, there’s a great swirl of confusion in these two paragraphs, and I have a number of questions about the concept of morality being invoked here, how we’re to distinguish it from ethics, and why those things don’t seem to figure into what are called “practical” considerations. Practice and finance here are unmoored from and unrestricted by moral and ethical concerns; it’s precisely that kind of thinking that got us into the precarious situation we’re now in.

    One remedy for all this confusion may lie in the perspective that holds water to be a basic human right — a perspective I also found missing from the Earthworks report. But even then we need to go beyond talking about assets and recognize the limitations of the argument that “clean freshwater is one of the scarcest commodities.” Why? Follow the link from The Detroit Free Press editorial to the National Geographic site on the “Freshwater Crisis.” There you enter a Malthusian world:

    While the amount of freshwater on the planet has remained fairly constant over time—continually recycled through the atmosphere and back into our cups—the population has exploded. This means that every year competition for a clean, copious supply of water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and sustaining life intensifies.

    Here, all of humanity is engaged in a contest or race. More and more people enter every year to compete for the same, limited resources. This is one reason why it’s imperative to recognize freshwater as a human right. Otherwise, history becomes a death match, or a big, global reality TV show: intensifying “competition” over this scarce “commodity” means that there will be winners and losers in the water game. The winners are fully vested with their rights; the losers struggle to survive in arid, toxic regions, or simply die of thirst.

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    #commodity #corporatePower #DetroitFreePress #dilbit #Enbridge #environmentalEthics #ethics #extractiveIndustry #finance #GreatLakes #humanRights #LakeSuperior #language #Malthus #Malthusianism #metaphors #Michigan #moralPhilosophy #morality #power #practice #scarcity #Water