In short:
- Officials and entrepreneurs are pitching the Great Lakes as a global hub for water innovation, backed by research universities, manufacturing, and infrastructure investments.
- Government funding and environmental cleanups have turned polluted shorelines into economic engines — but rising property values are displacing long-time residents.
- Despite massive potential, political instability, trade barriers, and weak environmental enforcement threaten progress on climate resilience and water stewardship.
Key quote:
“The supply of fresh water is essential to our quality of life and creates a competitive advantage for our region. Midwesterners understand the importance of the Great Lakes.”
— Howard Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center
Why this matters:
The way we manage and invest in water today could shape our health, economy, and climate resilience for decades to come. In a country where drought is draining the West and climate chaos is becoming the new normal, the Great Lakes are starting to look like a liquid goldmine. The series poses an important question: How can the states, provinces, and tribal nations manage their water to foster a thriving economy while avoiding the ecological damage done during an earlier industrial era?
Read more: Microplastics and algae tangle in the Great Lakes
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