From the shocking history of water diversions to modern battles over access, privatization, and climate migration, this episode reveals why the next great resource war may not be over oil — but over water.
Annin, author of The Great Lakes Water Wars, explains why this region could become a global flashpoint — and what’s being done to protect it.
00:00 - Intro
02:10 - Meet Peter Annin: Author, Journalist, Water Advocate
06:40 - What Makes the Great Lakes So Unique (and So Vulnerable)
10:55 - The Great Lakes Compact: A Deal That Changed Everything
15:30 - Climate Change, Drought & U.S. Cities Looking North
19:45 - The Chicago Diversion: Legal or Loophole?
24:20 - Can the Great Lakes Be Bought, Sold, or Traded?
28:50 - Why Canada Needs to Watch These Borderline Water Politics
33:15 - The Role of Indigenous Communities in Water Protection
36:40 - A Future of Climate Migration: Will People Come for the Lakes?
40:55 - Final Thoughts
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.