Andrew Blok

Great Lakes fishing

Record levels of harmful particles found in Great Lakes fish

"I've been studying microplastics for a long time and this is the study that blew me away."

A record-setting fish was pulled from Hamilton Harbor at the western tip of Lake Ontario in 2015 and the world is learning about it just now.

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Lake Superior fish

A long road to recovery for Lake Superior fish

Some communities live and die with a single industry.

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great lakes diving

Microplastics and algae tangle in the Great Lakes

Great Lakes algae is catching huge amounts of microplastics.

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Competing visions for a famed river in a Midwest hotspot—Part 2

Competing visions for a famed river in a Midwest hotspot—Part 2

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan—After dropping through downtown, the Grand River flattens out. There, the state is considering a dredging project to open the river to larger boats and travel between Grand Rapids and Grand Haven, a city at the river's mouth where it empties into Lake Michigan.

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Competing visions for a famed river in a Midwest hotspot—Part 1

Competing visions for a famed river in a Midwest hotspot—Part 1

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan—A bike ride along the Grand River downtown is a breeze—heading downstream it's all downhill.

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Freshwater is getting neglected when it comes to plastic pollution research
Great kiskadee entangled by a fishing line (Paraná River floodplain, Argentina; Credit C. Machado)

Freshwater is getting neglected when it comes to plastic pollution research

Plastic pollution in lakes and rivers is on the research back burner—that's a problem.

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“Forever chemical” replacements on the rise in the Great Lakes
Mackinac Bridge. (Credit: Dane/flickr)

“Forever chemical” replacements on the rise in the Great Lakes

As industry phases out certain toxic PFAS chemicals, the compounds are decreasing in and around the Great Lakes, but replacement chemicals—which some argue also pose serious health concerns—are increasing, according to new research from Canada.

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A crack in the Great Lakes Compact? Approved water diversion prompts pushback
Credit: Gateway Technical College/flickr

A crack in the Great Lakes Compact? Approved water diversion prompts pushback

The Great Lakes hold quadrillions of gallons of water. Is allowing one more company to take water from them such a big deal?

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From our Newsroom
environmental justice

LISTEN: Robbie Parks on climate justice and mental health

“It’s not just moving people around that’s going to solve public health disasters.”

WATCH: Are plastics a threat to national security?

WATCH: Are plastics a threat to national security?

Pete Myers explores the troubling link.

plastic waste

Every stage of plastic production and use is harming human health: Report

New report recommends the United Nations Global Plastics Treaty significantly reduce plastic use through aggressive bans and caps, and closer examination of toxic ingredients.

WATCH: The aftermath of the East Palestine, Ohio, toxic train derailment

WATCH: The aftermath of the East Palestine, Ohio, toxic train derailment

Beyond Plastics captures the personal stories of residents and call for a federal ban on vinyl chloride.

Adrift: Communities on the front lines of pesticide exposure fight for change

Adrift: Communities on the front lines of pesticide exposure fight for change

Rural communities of color and farmworkers are disproportionately exposed to some of the most dangerous chemicals used in agriculture.

environmental justice reporting

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