Latest news with #GLRI
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal funding cuts could hurt lakeshore conservation efforts
MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — With some cuts already made to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and more possible, conservation groups in West Michigan are concerned about efforts to protect the Great Lakes and the watersheds that flow into it. The Trump administration has a proposal in the works to cut NOAA's budget by billions of dollars to get rid of its climate research branch, . Congress would need to approve such a move, but if it happens, scientists are anxious about what it will mean for their research and cleanup efforts. The Department of Government Efficiency has already made massive job cuts at NOAA, which forecasters have said could result in dangerously less accurate weather forecasts. Trump orders agencies to 'sunset' environmental protections Kathy Evans is a board member for the Muskegon Lake Watershed with decades of experience in conservation, natural resources, and restoration. She said her team has been working to have NOAA declare the places where rivers empty into Lake Michigan as estuaries. The proposed funding cuts could put that at risk. 'It's important for us because Muskegon Lake, for example, and White Lake are areas of concern. They've been cleaned up, but there are other estuaries coming into eastern Lake Michigan that need cleanup, need science to better figure out how to manage these resources. If we don't get that information through the Estuary Program, we won't know how to manage our natural resources well,' Evans explained. Inside A Greener Mitten Evans is also concerned about the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. This is a comprehensive federal program launched in 2010 to accelerate efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes — the largest system of fresh surface water in the world. Led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in collaboration with 15 other federal agencies, the GLRI addresses the most significant environmental challenges facing the Great Lakes ecosystem, including invasive species and toxic substances. The GLRI has invested roughly $4.9 billion from 2010 to 2024, with an another $800 million from 2022 to 2025 under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The investments have led to significant environmental improvements, including restoration and protection of over 80,000 acres of coastal wetlands and other habitats, reopening more than 1,000 miles of rivers and streams for fish passage and implementation of projects on more than 11,500 acres to control invasive species. DNR to cover federal funding cuts for state's Great Lakes piping plover program It has also played a crucial role in reducing phosphorus runoff — a key contributor to harmful algal blooms — by more than 2 million pounds through 2020, according to the GLRI. GLRI is up for renewal in congress this year. Evans worries not renewing it in full could affect important projects along our lakeshore. 'Things that would stop would be invasive species control resiliency, stopping erosion on the shorelines. Fish and wildlife habitat would be impacted. Contaminated sediments would not be cleaned up, and that affects our drinking water, our public health, our recreation, our commercial fishery, everything,' she said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Will JD Vance save the Great Lakes from Trump?
Lake Michigan | Susan J. Demas 'This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist's weekly newsletter here.' This coverage is made possible through a partnership between Grist, Interlochen Public Radio in Northern Michigan, and WBEZ, a public radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan region. Last year, Vice President JD Vance, then an Ohio senator, was part of a bipartisan coalition calling to increase funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, or GLRI — among the country's largest investments aimed at protecting and restoring the Great Lakes. 'The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative delivers the tools we need to fight invasive species, algal blooms, pollution, and other threats to the ecosystem,' said Vance, who was co-chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force when the reauthorization bill was announced. He voted to extend and increase funding for the project until 2031. 'This is a commonsense, bipartisan effort that I encourage all of my colleagues to support,' Vance said. Advocates hope he hasn't changed his mind. The five Great Lakes — Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario — represent the largest freshwater ecosystem in the world and a source of drinking water for about 10 percent of the country's population. Since 2010, the massive GLRI spending package has helped fund everything from microplastics research to algal bloom elimination to climate-resilient shorelines. Just this week, Democratic Senator Gary Peters of Michigan and Republican Senator Todd Young of Indiana introduced a bill that would reauthorize funding at $500 million per year for the next five years. Politicians often point to the initiative as proof that they can agree on conservation and environmental issues. But its future may be at risk. The last time Trump was in office, his administration tried and failed to slash or even eliminate GLRI funding several times. Now, Trump is taking aim at environmental spending, including funding for programs tied to environmental justice and climate change. Vance has changed course on environmental issues as he has risen through the political ranks, such as his support for coal, electric vehicles, and even what he's said about human-caused climate change. He also invested in and sat on the board of the disastrous indoor farming operation AppHarvest. Advocates hope that Vance might save the GLRI despite a hostile political environment. Already, the Trump administration has frozen billions of dollars from two major initiatives passed under former president Joe Biden: the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law. Amid escalating uncertainty around federal support, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker preemptively halted construction earlier this week on a billion-dollar megaproject to prevent the spread of invasive fish in the Great Lakes. But Trump's blocking of federal funds for climate and DEI initiatives could put him at odds with longstanding bipartisan support for the Great Lakes — including from Vance. 'We know [Vance] supports Great Lakes restoration and protection,' said Laura Rubin, the director of Healing Our Waters–Great Lakes Coalition, a Michigan-based advocacy organization for federal environmental policy. 'He was a champion of it, and we're hoping that translates into his role as vice president.' The vice president's office did not respond to Grist's requests for comment. The GLRI began as a bipartisan response to mounting environmental problems in the early 2000s: rampant industrial and agricultural pollution, declining fish stocks, and growing threats of invasive species. Recently retired Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow helped launch the initiative 15 years ago, during the Obama administration. 'We need a fund that has broad jurisdiction, that can be activated immediately when there is a crisis,' she said at a policy conference in January. The GLRI was preceded by a 2004 executive order from former president George W. Bush to create a regional task force — an attempt at improving coordination among federal agencies, states, and tribes to remediate freshwater ecosystems. Since it began, the GLRI has funded over 8,000 projects, with the federal government spending approximately $5 billion over the last 14 years, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 'That [funding] goes to cleaning up some of the most contaminated properties in our harbors and cities,' Rubin said. 'It goes to improving habitats and removing invasive species. It goes to reducing phosphorus and nutrient runoff, and it goes to education and outreach.' Many lawmakers support the GLRI for its economic benefits, such as increased tourism, job creation, and commercial development. A 2018 economic analysis from the Great Lakes Commission and the Council of Great Lakes Industries found that every federal dollar spent through the landmark program resulted in about $3 of additional benefits. Bill Huizenga, a Republican representative from Michigan, co-sponsored the latest push to reauthorize the GLRI. He recently posted a video from a regional environmental summit, urging a plan for how to 'parlay the relationships with JD Vance and people who are familiar with' the GLRI and explain what this investment means ecologically and economically. Huizenga's office didn't respond to requests for comment. But funding can't protect the Great Lakes if there's nobody to direct it. The Trump administration, as part of a broader campaign, has begun an aggressive push to gut federal agencies, including the EPA, which oversees the GLRI. Last week, EPA workers were notified that more than 1,000 positions filled within the previous year could be terminated at any time. Not long after, a total of 168 employees who work on environmental justice projects were placed on paid administrative leave. Both deal a major blow to the EPA office that regulates much of the Midwest and Great Lakes, according to Nicole Cantello, president of the union that represents regional EPA workers. She estimated the Trump administration's cuts could cost the office approximately 200 employees — one fifth of its entire workforce. Cantellos said that's bad news for offices like the EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office, which leads GLRI implementation. 'I don't know how strong that program will be after all this round of resignations and dismissals.' she said. The program — which has relied on funding from the the bipartisan infrastructure law to clean up some of the most environmentally damaged areas of the Great Lakes region — has a much lower percentage of obligated funds compared to many others. This means it could be at a greater risk of clawbacks; less than half of the appropriated $597 million had been obligated as of January 6, according to an EPA report. Last year, when the Republican-controlled House of Representatives was cutting overall spending levels, it didn't touch the GLRI, according to Don Jodery, director of federal relations for the nonprofit Alliance of the Great Lakes. Jodery said it's fair for new administrations to review federal funding and agency staffing. 'But some of these programs are really, critically important,' he said,' 'and they really shouldn't be up for debate as to whether or not they need to be funded.' This article originally appeared in Grist at Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Learn more at
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Will J.D. Vance save the Great Lakes from Trump?
This coverage is made possible through a partnership between Grist, Interlochen Public Radio in Northern Michigan, and WBEZ, a public radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan region. Last year, Vice President J.D. Vance, then an Ohio senator, was part of a bipartisan coalition calling to increase funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, or GLRI — among the country's largest investments aimed at protecting and restoring the Great Lakes. 'The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative delivers the tools we need to fight invasive species, algal blooms, pollution, and other threats to the ecosystem,' said Vance, who was co-chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force when the reauthorization bill was announced. He voted to extend and increase funding for the project until 2031. 'This is a commonsense, bipartisan effort that I encourage all of my colleagues to support,' Vance said. Advocates hope he hasn't changed his mind. The five Great Lakes — Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario — represent the largest freshwater ecosystem in the world and a source of drinking water for about 10 percent of the country's population. Since 2010, the massive GLRI spending package has helped fund everything from microplastics research to algal bloom elimination to climate-resilient shorelines. Just this week, Democratic Senator Gary Peters of Michigan and Republican Senator Todd Young of Indiana introduced a bill that would reauthorize funding at $500 million per year for the next five years. Politicians often point to the initiative as proof that they can agree on conservation and environmental issues. But its future may be at risk. The last time Trump was in office, his administration tried and failed to slash or even eliminate GLRI funding several times. Now, Trump is taking aim at environmental spending, including funding for programs tied to environmental justice and climate change. Vance has changed course on environmental issues as he has risen through the political ranks, such as his support for coal, electric vehicles, and even what he's said about human-caused climate change. He also invested in and sat on the board of the disastrous indoor farming operation AppHarvest. Advocates hope that Vance might save the GLRI despite a hostile political environment. Already, the Trump administration has frozen billions of dollars from two major initiatives passed under former president Joe Biden: the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law. Amid escalating uncertainty around federal support, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker preemptively halted construction earlier this week on a billion-dollar megaproject to prevent the spread of invasive fish in the Great Lakes. But Trump's blocking of federal funds for climate and DEI initiatives could put him at odds with longstanding bipartisan support for the Great Lakes — including from Vance. 'We know [Vance] supports Great Lakes restoration and protection,' said Laura Rubin, the director of Healing Our Waters–Great Lakes Coalition, a Michigan-based advocacy organization for federal environmental policy. 'He was a champion of it, and we're hoping that translates into his role as vice president.' The vice president's office did not respond to Grist's requests for comment. Read Next How J.D. Vance's hometown has won millions in climate investment that he calls a 'green scam' Oliver Milman, The Guardian The GLRI began as a bipartisan response to mounting environmental problems in the early 2000s: rampant industrial and agricultural pollution, declining fish stocks, and growing threats of invasive species. Recently retired Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow helped launch the initiative 15 years ago, during the Obama administration. 'We need a fund that has broad jurisdiction, that can be activated immediately when there is a crisis,' she said at a policy conference in January. The GLRI was preceded by a 2004 executive order from former president George W. Bush to create a regional task force — an attempt at improving coordination among federal agencies, states, and tribes to remediate freshwater ecosystems. Since it began, the GLRI has funded over 8,000 projects, with the federal government spending approximately $5 billion over the last 14 years, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 'That [funding] goes to cleaning up some of the most contaminated properties in our harbors and cities,' Rubin said. 'It goes to improving habitats and removing invasive species. It goes to reducing phosphorus and nutrient runoff, and it goes to education and outreach.' Many lawmakers support the GLRI for its economic benefits, such as increased tourism, job creation, and commercial development. A 2018 economic analysis from the Great Lakes Commission and the Council of Great Lakes Industries found that every federal dollar spent through the landmark program resulted in about $3 of additional benefits. Bill Huizenga, a Republican representative from Michigan, co-sponsored the latest push to reauthorize the GLRI. He recently posted a video from a regional environmental summit, urging a plan for how to 'parlay the relationships with J.D. Vance and people who are familiar with' the GLRI and explain what this investment means ecologically and economically. Huizenga's office didn't respond to requests for comment. But funding can't protect the Great Lakes if there's nobody to direct it. The Trump administration, as part of a broader campaign, has begun an aggressive push to gut federal agencies, including the EPA, which oversees the GLRI. Last week, EPA workers were notified that more than 1,000 positions filled within the previous year could be terminated at any time. Not long after, a total of 168 employees who work on environmental justice projects were placed on paid administrative leave. Both deal a major blow to the EPA office that regulates much of the Midwest and Great Lakes, according to Nicole Cantello, president of the union that represents regional EPA workers. She estimated the Trump administration's cuts could cost the office approximately 200 employees — one fifth of its entire workforce. Cantellos said that's bad news for offices like the EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office, which leads GLRI implementation. 'I don't know how strong that program will be after all this round of resignations and dismissals.' she said. The program — which has relied on funding from the the bipartisan infrastructure law to clean up some of the most environmentally damaged areas of the Great Lakes region — has a much lower percentage of obligated funds compared to many others. This means it could be at a greater risk of clawbacks; less than half of the appropriated $597 million had been obligated as of January 6, according to an EPA report. Last year, when the Republican-controlled House of Representatives was cutting overall spending levels, it didn't touch the GLRI, according to Don Jodery, director of federal relations for the nonprofit Alliance of the Great Lakes. Jodery said it's fair for new administrations to review federal funding and agency staffing. 'But some of these programs are really, critically important,' he said,' 'and they really shouldn't be up for debate as to whether or not they need to be funded.' This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Will J.D. Vance save the Great Lakes from Trump? on Feb 14, 2025.
TECHx
27-01-2025
- Business
- TECHx
AI, Inequality, and Labour Resilience
AI, Inequality, and Labour Resilience: Key Findings from Whiteshield's GLRI Whiteshield, in partnership with Google Cloud, has released the 9th edition of the Global Labour Resilience Index (GLRI) during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos. Drawing on over a decade of data and more than 70 indicators, the report offers deep insights into how 118 nations adapt their labour markets to external shocks, including the rapid rise of AI. The event, titled 'The Transformative Impact of AI on Global Economies & Labour Markets,' brought together over 50 senior policymakers, CEOs, academics, and international organizations. Nobel Laureate Sir Christopher Pissarides, Special Advisor at Whiteshield, and Anna Koivuniemi, Head of Google DeepMind Impact Accelerator, chaired the discussion. The report identifies the United States and Singapore as the top performers in labour market resilience for 2025, owing to their entrepreneurial ecosystems, flexible labour policies, and AI leadership. Sweden ranks third, driven by investments in education and R&D. Countries such as India, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia are emerging as key beneficiaries of AI investments, showcasing substantial progress in labour market adaptation. While AI offers transformative opportunities, including improved workforce efficiency and new skilled roles like AI ethics officers, the report highlights challenges such as job displacement, wage inequality, and the widening gap between nations. It emphasizes the need for proactive policies to ensure equitable benefits from AI's rapid integration into global labour markets. The GLRI outlines three resilience pathways: traditional models seen in Sweden and Norway, innovation-driven strategies led by the US, and blended approaches like Singapore's focus on governance and AI investments. It calls for governments to shift toward personalized, AI-driven policies and invest in digital infrastructure to navigate these transformations. Europe dominates the rankings with six of the top ten resilient economies, but disparities persist, particularly in Eastern and Southern Europe. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the least resilient region, hindered by structural and policy gaps, despite its demographic potential. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region showcases a mixed performance, with GCC countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia excelling, while non-GCC nations lag in AI adaptability. The Asia-Pacific region, led by Singapore, China, and South Korea, demonstrates strength in governance, digital skills, and AI innovation. Karan Bhatia, Google's Global Head of Government Affairs, stated, 'The GLRI offers a roadmap for inclusive, forward-looking policies to address the challenges of automation while unlocking AI's potential.' Sir Christopher Pissarides added, 'This year's report provides actionable insights to tackle inequality and foster innovation for sustainable growth.' The GLRI concludes with a call to action for policymakers to embrace AI-driven strategies and prioritize investments in education, digital literacy, and workforce transformation. The report stresses that inaction risks deepening inequality and missing opportunities for sustainable economic growth, urging governments to act now to ensure labour market resilience in the age of AI.
