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Great Lakes Today was created to highlight issues affecting the lakes. The main partners are WBFO (Buffalo), ideastream (Cleveland) and WXXI (Rochester).Browse more coverage here. Major funding for Great Lakes Today is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American People. Additional funding comes from the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.

Sisters of Mercy bring focus to environmental issues in Walk for Water

by ANGELICA A. MORRISON / Walk for Water, the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, June 2017 Buffalo NY

The issue of clean water was at the forefront of a demonstration Friday morning in downtown Buffalo. Angelica A. Morrison reports Indigenous American musicians played the drums and chanted as hundreds of sisters from the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas took to the streets.  They were marching along Main Street advocating for the right to clean water. Along the way there were spectators who shot photos and videos of the march. The sisters where holding banners and signs reading “Mercy for Earth" and "Water is Life” "We wanted to be public about our concern for the human right to water," said Sister Eileen O'Connor, she’s been a member of the Sisters of Mercy in Buffalo for 61 years. She says the group hopes to draw attention to serious environmental issues and promotes environmental stewardship by encouraging people to take action to help protect the Great Lakes and other waterways. "I’m very concerned about the great lakes and about our waterways and I’m very concerned about proposed massive cuts to the EPA that protects those waterways," O'Connor said. Sister Sharon Erickson has been a member of the Sisters of Mercy in Buffalo for 59 years. For her, she says the event was very spiritual. "The solidarity that you experience in a group has a phenomenal effect on your person your spirituality your belief system. There’s nothing like joining together for the right reason," said Erickson. The event was also a part of their congregational chapter meeting taking place through June 29.

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