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Great Wines
Years of Excellence
Perhaps the most significant environmental threat we face on the planet is climate change. Although it plays out differently in different areas, no place is safe from what it may bring. The Great Lakes are no exception. Scientists are telling us that the warmer air temperatures translate into warmer water temperatures, less ice cover, more evaporation, and lower lake levels. They also say there will be less frequent precipitation events, but that they will be more intense, both in summer and winter. With open water longer into the winter, lake effect snow will become a more frequent occurrence. The warmer water temperatures may also create a more friendly environment for invasive species, and less friendly for native plants, fish, and animals. The potential effects and implications are staggering.
The current threats to the lakes present so many challenges that it is hard to focus on ones that will develop longer in the future. This presents a significant question for Great Lakes managers, in terms of emphasis on the short term versus the longer term problems. With limited resources, choices must be made. We do not have the luxury to focus on just a selective set of priorities. Rather, we need to find the right balance among all of the issues and decide how much emphasis to give to the various problems.
Given this situation with climate change and all the other challenges:
1. How much emphasis should be given to dealing with climate change issues in comparison with the other pressing issues faced on the Great Lakes?
2. For the work being done on climate change, how much emphasis should be put on mitigation of the problem versus adaptation to the problem?
3. Because of the global nature of the issue, and the unique aspects of the Great Lakes ecosystem, does the Great Lakes community have any particular responsibilities unique to the area in addressing the problem?
© 2010 Great Lakes Town Hall.
The Town Hall is a program of:
The Biodiversity Project - 4507 N. Ravenswood Ave #106 - Chicago, IL 60640
773-496-4020 -
project@biodiverse.org
Comments
David Ullrich's piece
This brief piece is very interesting but reads like a story without an end. I'd find it helpful if it included 1) who's working on it, 2) what we the general public can do about it, and 3) a broad and brief list of our next steps.
Thanks.
Climate Change and the Great Lakes
Jim,
Thanks for your comments on climate change. I realize the piece I put in is very short, but I wanted to get the sense of people out in the community on the questions I pose as we move forward to address the issue. With not enough resources to deal with the current and historic problems, there will be some very difficult decisions to be made on how to approach climate change, especially because of its global nature.
I am not aware of a good compillation of information on what is currently being done in the GL region. If someone out there is, it would be helpful to know.
Thanks again,
Dave
Climate Change
Dave --
I find it ironic, at best, that the Great Lakes leadership, including the cities, has looked the other way on the bottled water issue in order to pass the Compact. Yet you're concerned about global warming.
While in California, the Attorney General has notified Nestle that --
"It takes massive quantities of oil to produce plastic water bottles and to ship them in diesel trucks across the United States," Brown said in a statement. "Nestle will face swift legal challenge if it does not fully evaluate the environmental impact of diverting millions of gallons of spring water from the McCloud River into billions of plastic water bottles."
There is a disconnect between the Great Lakes political and environmental leadership on bottled water. Citizens groups and progressive states like California and Vermont understand the bottled water problem. Yet, the Great Lakes region, with the support of the big NGO's, Mayors, and Governors, have no problem with bottled water.
Is the Attorney General of California just wrong on this issue?
gw
The link to the full California story.
http://cbs13.com/local/nestle.bottling.plant.2.782999.html
It is really true that the
It is really true that the human behaviour is a major contributor to the climate change. In view of this, we as people should make a coordinated response to combat this change. We should do everything we can to help both to prevent and prepare for rapid climate change. No matter who you are, we can help you take the next step toward minimizing your greenhouse gas emissions and maximizing your sense of community. If we don't do it, not just ourselves but our children will be the one most affected.