Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI)

How 'Rights of Nature' Is Recasting the Relationship Between Law and the Earth

In 2006, a local government council in Pennsylvania concerned about sewage sludge dumping enacted the Western legal system’s first formal “rights of nature” instrument. Today, numerous countries have laws recognizing specific rights or even legal personhood for nature. As legal expert Alice Bleby explains, this new perspective arises from a wide range of contexts and plays out in many different ways.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Visibility: 

Grantee Wades Into Surprising Blue-Green Algae Problem

A chance encounter with a social media post from a retired government official led environmental journalist Sharon Oosthoek on a virtual, pandemic-era journey deep into the waters of Lake Superior to chase down an algal bloom. In her contribution to FEJ StoryLog, Oosthoek shares how she leveraged the tip into a grant that allowed her and her TV channel partner to produce a multi-part text, video, engagement and teaching project.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Visibility: 

Don’t Overlook Lead Paint Toxicity Stories in Your Area

Lead poisoning of U.S. drinking water has been a big headline-grabber in recent years, but there’s an even bigger environmental justice crisis — toxic lead exposure from paint. The latest TipSheet reports that this overlooked school and housing issue is getting new attention, but solving it will be difficult and expensive. Get context, reporting resources and ideas to tackle the story in your community.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Visibility: 

"Report: Climate Change Threatens These 29 Michigan Chemical Sites"

"Climate change is likely to bring more catastrophes to Michigan, and a new federal report warns that 29 sites that use hazardous chemicals are in the pathway of worsening floods driven by a changing planet."

Source: Bridge Michigan, 03/17/2022

"Illinois AG Asked To Ensure Proper Cleanup Of Oil Spill"

"The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has asked the Attorney General to enforce cleanup and other action by energy company Marathon Pipe Line after an estimated 165,000 gallons of crude oil leaked from its pipeline in Edwardsville, some of which flowed into a creek, according to the state agency."

Source: Bellieville News-Democrat, 03/16/2022

"Court: Duke Can’t Make Customers Pay Coal-Ash Cleanup Costs"

"Indiana’s biggest utility can’t make its customers pay more than $200 million in costs related to cleaning up its toxic coal ash, according to a ruling Thursday from the Indiana Supreme Court."

Source: Indianapolis Star, 03/15/2022

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI)