In the world of science, environmentalism, and just plain incredibly brilliant human beings, this is AN EVENT! 

I was so honored to be allowed to go to this conference, an humbled by the intelligence, concern, 

and down to earth nature of those whose presence I was in.

The conference was held at the lovely Gorton Center in Lake Forest, Il, and started with a continental breakfast catered by a woman-run business, The Gallery.

Elizabeth Joy Guscott Mueller, President of the LVWLMR opened with some information about the Lake Michigan Region League, which includes 4 states and 64 local leagues. She introduced Carol Russ, President of the LWV Lake Forest/ Lake Bluff, who welcomed us to the conference. David Mueller JD, who is a climate lawyer and advocacy committee chair, spoke about the advocacy work of the LWVLMR, including: environmental investments, rule making regarding ballast water, prevention of invasive species and the definition of “U.S. Waters.”

The first speaker of the day was Todd Nettesheim of the USEPA, Region V, Deputy Director of the Great Lakes National Program Office, who spoke about the: 

“Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: A Tour of Projects Around Lake Michigan.” 

He began by stating some facts about the Great Lakes:

The Great Lakes: contain 20% of the world’s fresh surface water; 35 million people live in its basin; it represents a $5 trillion economy, a $7 billion fishing economy, $1.5 in jobs, $60 billion in annual wages; and has 10,000 of coastline.

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement  is a commitment between the United States and Canada to restore and protect the waters of the Great Lakes. It was funded by the Obama administration in 2010 for $300 million per year, and partners with state, provincial, and tribal governments. It focuses on more than just the water in the lakes; it includes the basin, land and entire ecosystem.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan IV is a 5 year plan to make the Great Lakes more resilient to Climate Change. Nettesheim explained that it is important to prioritize projects that people care about, such as those that give them access to recreation, so they will more readily be maintained. 

The Action Plan for 2025-2029 outlines the Initiative’s priorities and goals in five focus areas: 

• Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern; 31 AoCs of environmental degradation were identified

• Invasive Species, such as carp;

• Nonpoint Source Pollution Impacts on Nearshore Health;

• Habitat and Species; and

• Foundations for Future Actions.

Another project is the Lower Fox Demo Farms Network, which emphasizes farmer to farmer learning, showcasing best management practices, and field days and tours.

There are many other projects such as the Field Plan for Green Infrastructure; the Lake Guardian Research Vessel, which monitors fish, air, water quality and wetlands; Restoration of Lake Sturgeon; and legislation on Coal Ash.

Our next presenter was Seth Darling, PhD, Chief Science and Technology Officer for the Advance Energy Technologies Directorate at Argonne National Laboratory. He spoke about

 “The Paradox of Water: Everywhere Yet Invisible.” 

He explained the meaning of that: virtual water= the amount needed to make or grow something, and gave some surprising examples. 683 gallons of water are needed to produce 1 gallon of milk! Another surprising fact was that water never actually goes away- we always have the same amount, just in different forms and places! He explained that 3% of the Earth’s water is fresh; over half is glaciers, and one third is groundwater. He spoke about water sanitation, and gave us some history about the Chicago sewer system. Darling discussed the Great Lakes ReNEW project to recover nutrients and critical materials from the water, recovering precious elements from water through cleaning, such as Lithium and Phosphorus. Other topics he spoke about that relate to water were: PFAS, the Semiconductor Industry, water stress and the lack of clean water. The Joliet Aquifer is running dry. Dr. Darling had copies of the book he wrote with Seth Snyder, for those who were interested in learning more on this topic.

Next we heard from Donald J. Wuebbles, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Atmospheric Science and Presidential Fellow at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and Coordinating Lead Author on several international climate assessments led by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that resulted in IPCC being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. His talk was titled:  

“The Great Lakes and our Changing Climate: An Update” 

Dr. Wuebbles acknowledged that the climate is changing rapidly, severe weather is more intense, and sea levels are rising. Our climate will continue to change for decades, in spite of what we do. He gave us some of his observations: 

The arctic is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world. Climate change is not caused by natural cycles, and it’s not caused by the sun. The costs of climate inaction are far greater than those of taking action. If we stopped carbon emissions, we would see results in 30 years. He spoke about giving briefings before Congress, and why he speaks to our League of Women Voters. He believes we will spread the word and get things done.

The final speaker of the day was Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist Emeritus for WGN-TV, and his topic was:

 ”Climate Change: No Surprise; It's Been Predicted for Centuries! The Work of Two Scientists Who are Taking It On.” He discussed how the building of homes everywhere in the Southwest US affects the water and weather; there are 34 pumps in Lake Mead due to droughts; oceans are more acidic and tornadoes are more frequent and intense. He also spoke about the concern of scientists like Dr. Wuebbles and Ted Fufita, who the Fujita Scale was named after.

The afternoon concluded with the speakers taking questions from the audience as a panel. They agreed that fires are much hotter, and they will get worse; wildfires create their own weather; and permafrost melting from arctic wildfires will release methane.The panelists all agreed that what is needed is a “whole of government” response to this crisis. I think it can be concluded that everyone there learned a lot.

Here is an article from Axios, a Chicago online publication, that you might find interesting, even if you can't visit:

"A sparkling new exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry is spotlighting the global problem of plastic and microplastics in our oceans, and in Lake Michigan.

Why it matters: Harmful, toxic plastics end up in our waterways, which in turn get into our food supply and our drinking water.

What's happening: "The Blue Paradox," a 25,000-square-foot exhibit created by SC Johnson in partnership with Conservation International, opens this weekend to the public, but Axios Chicago got a sneak peek.

The exhibit began as a pop-up in London in 2021.

What they're saying: "Plastic disrupts life cycles, the oxygen cycle, the carbon cycle, and the nitrogen cycle, which in turn affect terrestrial ecosystems," SC Johnson chairman and CEO Fisk Johnson tells Axios.

"All of that affects all of us here in Chicago."

Details: The exhibit takes the latest immersive technology usually found in flashy Instagram museums to guide you into an ocean-like space, showing up close how microplastics are harming waterways like Lake Michigan and the Chicago River.

Zoom in: SC Johnson and members of the MSI took water samples from both the lake and the river in the last year and found fragments of microplastics, including isobutylene rubber, nylon and polyester. Half the litter found in the Chicago River is plastic.

"We know that there are 11 million pounds of plastic dumped into Lake Michigan every year," MSI director of science exhibitions Patricia Ward tells Axios.

"It's a problem. Lake Michigan is an enormously important body of water where all of Chicago gets its drinking water from."

Threat level: You could be ingesting a credit card-size amount of microplastics each week. According to the exhibit:

One disposable coffee cup with a plastic liner releases up to 25,000 microplastic particles while you're drinking from it.

It takes a plastic bag 20 years to break down into microplastics in the ocean.

"City dust" — or the microplastic particles that come from people and buildings — are among the largest contributors to microplastics in our waterways.

The bottom line: The exhibit points out the glaring problem, but it ends with solutions, ranging from curtailing your use of plastic to writing to lawmakers.

SC Johnson says that after visitors toured the exhibit in London, 97% of them pledged to change their habits.

"The objective of this exhibit is to help inspire a collective effort among government, business companies and individuals to stop plastic pollution," Johnson tells Axios. 

"It'll take all of us together if we're gonna solve this thing.""

DAY 13! Morning tea, please!

Across the globe , communities are inspiring others by hosting events and informative gatherings to chat about plastic waste avoidance and solutions.