A century worth of human innovation including the industrial revolution can wreck havoc to any environment that it comes into contact with. With leaps in scientific measurement we can now look at the world in completely new ways and a side effect of that is being able to look into the future with some certainty. Climate change is a hot topic along with its effects. The Great Lakes and global warming is a situation that will significantly change an entire region.
Already dealing with the onslaught of invasive species, global warming will only add additional pressure to the Great Lakes region. These vast reservoirs of fresh water account for twenty percent of the total amount of fresh water on the planet, a resource that will become scarcer in the future.
Being a huge reservoir for fresh water cannot be downplayed in its importance, but there are other things that the region provides. It is a main player in the waterway shipping, as well as a provider of hydroelectric energy to many surrounding areas. Many tourists flock to its shores, which are also a treasure trove of plant and animal species.
All is not right in the great lakes region, however, as it has been subject to urban development over the past hundred years. This construction and urbanization has led to air and water pollution as well as habitat destruction due to the building up of cities along its shores. All of these issues make something as simple as increased temperatures potentially devastating.
At this point there is still a thin layer of ice that builds up along the lakes at certain times of the year, but with increased temperature the ice will disappear. When the ice leaves, the lakes will evaporate at a higher rate and bring down the water levels.
As recently as last year, the lake level of Lake Superior was at its lowest in seventy seven years and predictions for the future are estimating another three foot decrease. The effects of low water levels include restrictions to shipping and a concentration of pollutants which will damage the water quality greatly, as well as the industry for travel, leisure, and cruises.
Acting now to restore the Great Lakes region is imperative and already building steam in terms of enacting policy. The reality, however, is that the project will cost billions of dollars and last dozens of years. Antique sewage systems will need to be completely replaced and already polluted sediment will have to be cleaned. Wetland areas will need to be bulked up and restored so as to act as a natural barrier against invasive species.
Another issue outside of a lower water level includes more droughts and storms which will create a cycle that could result in increased pollution runoff, virus transmission, as well as oxygen free dead zones within the lake due to the growth of algae.
By the end of this current century it is believed that the temperature of the great lakes region will increase by two to four degrees, with precipitation increasing by 25%. Lake levels are predicted to fall anywhere from 1.5 to 8 feet.
Making a better tomorrow really does mean being better today. Allowing for proactive measure while being realistic about future effects can mean that humans can restore luster to the Great Lakes region.
Already dealing with the onslaught of invasive species, global warming will only add additional pressure to the Great Lakes region. These vast reservoirs of fresh water account for twenty percent of the total amount of fresh water on the planet, a resource that will become scarcer in the future.
Being a huge reservoir for fresh water cannot be downplayed in its importance, but there are other things that the region provides. It is a main player in the waterway shipping, as well as a provider of hydroelectric energy to many surrounding areas. Many tourists flock to its shores, which are also a treasure trove of plant and animal species.
All is not right in the great lakes region, however, as it has been subject to urban development over the past hundred years. This construction and urbanization has led to air and water pollution as well as habitat destruction due to the building up of cities along its shores. All of these issues make something as simple as increased temperatures potentially devastating.
At this point there is still a thin layer of ice that builds up along the lakes at certain times of the year, but with increased temperature the ice will disappear. When the ice leaves, the lakes will evaporate at a higher rate and bring down the water levels.
As recently as last year, the lake level of Lake Superior was at its lowest in seventy seven years and predictions for the future are estimating another three foot decrease. The effects of low water levels include restrictions to shipping and a concentration of pollutants which will damage the water quality greatly, as well as the industry for travel, leisure, and cruises.
Acting now to restore the Great Lakes region is imperative and already building steam in terms of enacting policy. The reality, however, is that the project will cost billions of dollars and last dozens of years. Antique sewage systems will need to be completely replaced and already polluted sediment will have to be cleaned. Wetland areas will need to be bulked up and restored so as to act as a natural barrier against invasive species.
Another issue outside of a lower water level includes more droughts and storms which will create a cycle that could result in increased pollution runoff, virus transmission, as well as oxygen free dead zones within the lake due to the growth of algae.
By the end of this current century it is believed that the temperature of the great lakes region will increase by two to four degrees, with precipitation increasing by 25%. Lake levels are predicted to fall anywhere from 1.5 to 8 feet.
Making a better tomorrow really does mean being better today. Allowing for proactive measure while being realistic about future effects can mean that humans can restore luster to the Great Lakes region.
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