To most downstate New Yorkers, the words "Great Lakes" have an alien Midwesterny twang. But the Great Lakes are pretty much New York State's backyard, with almost 300 miles of Empire State waterfront on Lakes Erie and Ontario, and quite a bit on the St. Lawrence Seaway as well. So the ecological state and fate of these troubled waters will have as much impact on New York as on Michigan, Illinois, or Ontario.

WorldChanging Chicago blogger Patrick Rollens has written up a great overview of efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes; read it on WorldChanging global.

Images: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory