Chicago and the Great Lakes

Great Lakes Now's coverage of the Windy City from kayaking to water shutoffs and more.

Great Lakes Now Featured Articles About Chicago

Buses vs. Trains: The Future of Public Transit in the Great Lakes Region

As cities invest in greener, more accessible transit, a key debate emerges: sleek light rail or cost-effective bus rapid transit? The answer may depend more on perception than performance.

Experts explain criticality of regional EPA office
- by Gary Wilson, Great Lakes Now

Cultural connection to the region allows EPA staff to bring value to the Great Lakes, former EPA executive Dave Ullrich says.

‘Everyone deserves clean air,’ says a Chicago EPA worker who fears her job will end
- by WBEZ

Ellie Hagen is a scientist at the Environmental Protection Agency. She worries proposed cuts at EPA will put people’s health at risk.

What would the Great Lakes region be like with bullet trains?
- by Sean Ericson, Great Lakes Now

Exploring how high speed rail could transform the Great Lakes region.

From Madigan’s Conviction to ComEd’s EV Rebate Program: How Illinois is Shaping Its Energy Future
- by Nicole Pollack, Great Lakes Now

More energy news as federal funding for climate science faces cuts under Trump, while Ohio wrestles with “a supply and demand imbalance” on the electric grid.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker set ambitious climate goals for the state. It’s far from meeting them.
- by WBEZ

From electric vehicles to renewable energy, Illinois is lagging — and it faces even more challenges.

Energy transition sees small wins, major uncertainty in the Upper Midwest
- by Nicole Pollack, Great Lakes Now

Chicago to use 100% renewable energy for city-owned buildings, while the Pentagon blacklists a Chinese company working with Ford on EV batteries.

Can environmental law move beyond bedrock 1970’s legislation, while adapting to current and future challenges?
- by Gary Wilson, Great Lakes Now

To gain a better understanding of how environmental law has evolved, Great Lakes Now spoke with three environmental law attorneys.

Presenting Atlas Obscura: The Mysterious Sinkholes of Mount Baldy
- by Interlochen Public Radio

One family’s visit to a famous Indiana sand dune turns into a wild tale of a missing boy and mysterious tunnels.

Carp Catch-22: Could improvements in Chicago waterways invite unwelcome guests?
- by WBEZ

New research suggests pollution from Chicago-area waterways might be creating an invisible barrier, deterring migration. But for how long?

Joliet, Illinois, Plans to Source Its Future Drinking Water From Lake Michigan. Will Other Cities Follow?
- by Inside Climate News

As aquifers dry up, some Midwest communities are looking to the region’s greatest natural resources for a solution.

How do fish survive in large urban waterways, like the Chicago River?
- by Kathy Johnson, Great Lakes Now

The Chicago River’s hardened shorelines, stormwater pollution events and limited habitat would seem inhospitable to fish. Yet, native species are finding ways to call the city home.