NEWS: Coming off Ohio’s last-place ranking in 2013, we have 3 predictions for this year’s national beaches report.

• Posted by Jared Shepherd
• 4287 Views
• June 24th, 2014
• in Miscellaneous
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Last year, a national report ranked Lake Erie beaches last in water quality. Where will they finish this summer? We could find out this week. Cleveland’s lakefront has made a significant step forward since Cleveland Metroparks assumed control of its beaches last year. But challenges to its recreational water...

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VIDEO: James Earl Jones describes the 1969 Cuyahoga River fire [#Cuyahoga45]

• Posted by Jared Shepherd
• 16295 Views
• June 19th, 2014
• in Miscellaneous
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In this clip from a 1978 documentary, Cuyahoga, James Earl Jones’ booming voice tells the tale of the famous 1969 Cuyahoga River fire that turned national attention on the state of our environment and inspired action in Northeast Ohio and far beyond.

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HISTORY: How a dying river saved our lives.

• Posted by Jared Shepherd
• 5267 Views
• June 12th, 2014
• in Miscellaneous
• 3 Comments

Two men wearing life jackets on a small boat on Lake Erie, 1976. Both the boat and the men are covered in oil polluting Lake Erie. Image courtesy of Cleveland State University Library Division of Special Collections. When the oozing Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969, consider that it...

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NEWS: Could Ohio legislation help heal Lake Erie? A good step, but long journey ahead. #sb150

• Posted by Jared Shepherd
• 3890 Views
• May 23rd, 2014
• in Miscellaneous
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Hazardous algal bloom on Lake Erie, 2011. cleveland.com file photo. If a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, think of Ohio Senate Bill 150 as a first step. A cleveland.com story May 19 reported Ohio Governor John Kasich is preparing to sign a bill that could...

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HOME: A healthy environment starts at home, and it might start with these 33 tips.

• Posted by Jared Shepherd
• 4621 Views
• April 8th, 2014
• in Miscellaneous
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If this is what it looks like under your kitchen sink, there has to be a better way. Better for you, better for our water, and better for the environment. From eco-friendly cleaning solutions, to disposal tips for those trash items that don’t belong on your curb, we have...

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BASEBALL: Burn on, big river. Burn on.

• Posted by Jared Shepherd
• 6367 Views
• April 4th, 2014
• in Miscellaneous
• One Comment

Cleveland, baseball, and Randy Newman are forever linked. Ever since Major League hit the big screen in 1989, Newman’s song “Burn on” (1972) has come to be synonymous with Cleveland, the Cleveland Indians, and the start of summer. For us and our responsibility to protect Lake Erie, it means...

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#DogsCantFlush: Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, but no, Santa Cruz, there is no poop fairy.

• Posted by Jared Shepherd
• 4122 Views
• March 27th, 2014
• in Miscellaneous
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We’re partial to our #DogsCantFlush campaign encouraging dog owners to pick up poop, but we tip our hat to the city of Santa Cruz for the creativity behind theirs. Photo by mobileranger. Read the full post at Santa Cruz Waves. Thanks to Adam for sharing the link.

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VIDEO: This guy kayaks into a DC sewer tunnel. It's educational, but don't try it at home.

• Posted by Jared Shepherd
• 4682 Views
• March 27th, 2014
• in Miscellaneous
• No Comments

This 8-minute video by EarthEcho International—featuring underground construction and a kayaking expedition into the bowels of a combined sewer—highlights the water-quality challenges of Washington, DC and what DC Water is doing about it. Why is it relevant to Cleveland? It’s a tale that reflects the same obstacles and solutions...

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WORLD WATER DAY: The value of clean water, made personal.

• Posted by Jared Shepherd
• 5335 Views
• March 18th, 2014
• in Miscellaneous
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A young resident of Maslakh camp (Afghanistan) takes a drink of water. UN Photo/E. Debebe Flush. Don’t think twice about it. Turn the tap. No big deal. Start the laundry, fill your tub, wash you hands, whatever. It’s just water. The simple fact that we can consider a precious...

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GREEN: St. Patrick’s Day and 5 stories of green with Cuyahoga River connections

• Posted by Jared Shepherd
• 5192 Views
• March 16th, 2014
• in Miscellaneous
• No Comments

Our mighty Cuyahoga has never received the full Chicago River green-dye treatment, but it has some green tales to tell. Here are five interesting stories you may not have heard. 5. The Cuyahoga River was dyed green in 2008. Mysteriously. In January of that year, the City of Akron...

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