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NEMWI Publishes Two Op-Eds on PFAS and Climate Change
The Northeast-Midwest Institute recently published two opinion pieces in the Detroit News and the Cedar Rapids Gazette, respectively. The first piece, by Keelan Baldwin, addresses the growing risk of PFAS contamination in food and water supplies and how regulatory action could be taken to alleviate the associated harm. The second piece, by Johanna Moeller, delves into the increased flooding that results from a rapidly changing climate and how it has impacted the Midwest.
The opinion piece on PFAS contamination is available here.
The opinion piece on climate change and flooding is available here.
For more information, please contact
Eric Heath, Senior Policy Counsel f
or the Mississippi River Basin Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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U.S.-China Trade Relationship Grows More Tense with G7 Summit Backdrop
As the respective leaders of the world's largest economies met for the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France over the weekend, the trade tensions between the two largest economies cast a dreary pall over the gathering.
Leading into the weekend, China retaliated against the latest U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods by scheduling the imposition of their own tariffs on U.S. goods, matching the timing of the U.S. levies (September 1st and December 15th) but focusing on U.S. automotive and automotive part exports. President Trump and his economic advisers were inexplicably caught off guard by the retaliation, but responded by increasing the latest U.S. tariffs from 15% to 30%. Global markets tumbled at the news.
Throughout the summit, a number of issues only added to the global tensions already established on the economic front. Iran, Russia, and climate change all served as points of contention over the weekend and likely will do little to alleviate the trade war that is consuming more capital and larger swaths of the global economy with every press release.
Adding to the confusion, President Trump responded to a question from a reporter at the summit by stating that he had "second thoughts" about the trade hostilities with China. Depsite the reporter following up to clarify, the White House later stated that the President misheard the question that his "answer has been greatly misinterpreted. President Trump responded in the affirmative - because he regrets not raising the tariffs higher." President Trump also oscillated from calling Chinese Premier Xi Jinping an enemy to referring to him as a friend after President Trump alleged that the Chinese trade delegation called him and asked to return to the negotiating table.
It remains to be seen if any talks will actually occur. The one seeming certainty, however, is that the U.S.-China trade relationship will remain in flux for the immediate future.
For more information,
please contact
Eric Heath
, Senior Policy Counsel for the Mississippi River Basin Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute
.
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New IAGLR Report Highlights Revitalization Impacts on the Region from Cleanup of Great Lakes AOCs
A new study released by the International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) highlights the positive communal and economic benefits that are being achieved through the cleanup of the most toxic and polluted sites in the Great Lakes. Areas of Concern (AOC), which are defined as sites in the Great Lakes basin that show significant impairment of beneficial uses that have occurred as a result of human activities. Both the U.S. and Canada have designated 43 sites as AOCs, with 27 in the U.S., 17 in Canada, and five shared by both countries. The report presents case studies from ten AOCs, including Buffalo River (NY), Collingwood Harbour (ON), Cuyahoga River (OH), Detroit River (MI), Hamilton Harbour (ON), Muskegon Lake (MI), River Raisin (MI), Severn Sound (ON), St. Louis River (MN and WI), and Toronto Harbour (ON), and concludes that cleanup efforts have prevented pollution, restored critical fish and wildlife habitat, cleaned up contaminated sediment, and therefore created new vibrant waterfronts that connect people to the water and to their communities. The report found that this progress has led to a boom in local economic development and community revival.
The full report can be viewed here.
For more information,
please contact
Matthew McKenna, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute
.
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This Week in Washington
In the Senate:
The Senate is currently on August recess.
In the House:
The House is currently on August recess.
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NEMWI: Strengthening the Region that Sustains the Nation
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