Alliance for the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes hold one-fifth of the world's fresh surface water, but they're facing growing pressures from invasive species, pollution, aging infrastructure and new demands for water. Rebekah Warren and Lisa Wozniak took a closer look at the challenges facing our Great Lakes with Joel Brammeier, President and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, on a fundraising edition of "1st Friday Focus on the Environment."

Paper or plastic? We’ve all answered that question in the checkout line at the grocery store or supermarket. While reusable bags are growing in popularity, plastic bags remain ubiquitous in retail shopping. A movement to start banning plastic bags, or at least charge money for choosing them at the store, was thwarted in 2016 when the state Legislature banned local governments from passing such environmental measures. Now, Democratic State Representative Morgan Foreman of Ann Arbor is working to lift that ban. She joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the legislation and what it aims to accomplish.

Climate change continues to impact the Great Lakes. We’re at record high water levels, and the water temperatures are also on the rise. It is changing…

With 2015 just getting underway, the list of challenges facing the health and sustainability of the Great Lakes continues to grow. In WEMU's '1st Friday…