Great Lakes Research Paper
Should we protect the Great Lakes? Why? Why not? If so, How? Why is it important that we protect the watershed surrounding the Great Lakes?
The Great Lakes hold 90% of North America's fresh surface water but this water supply is not infinite. As of now, both Canada and many states from the US are piped with potable water from the Great Lakes. This leads me to believe that we must protect the Great Lakes. If the Great Lakes are used erroneously, both in mishandling of the water and contamination, not only will it annul the fresh water source of over 10 million Canadians and about 25 million more people in the world (Globe and Mail 2016), but it can put a sizable dent in Canada’s economy. Billions of dollars in economic activity, including a quarter of Canada’s agriculture depend on the lakes. In 2012 alone, the Great Lakes region produced a combined GDP of $5.2 trillion among the two provinces and eight states that used Great Lake water, but on average, the Great Lakes region contributes $180 billion to Canada-U.S. trade per year. These lakes and St. Lawrence River region also supports 56 million jobs shared by Canada and the United States (16% of the population of US and CAN combined), showing that these lakes play a vital role in Canada’s economy. The second reason why we should protect the Great Lakes is because It is the largest system of fresh surface water on earth. It contains roughly 21% of the world's fresh surface water, making it a finite, yet extremely …show more content…
valuable natural reserve. The tertiary reason why we must protect the Great Lakes is to prevent permanent and unwanted consequences such as brain damage. Contaminated water can lead to harmful and unwanted health diseases including Hepatitis E, Typhoid Fever and Gastroenteritis.
Although there are many ways to help protect the Great Lakes from possible threats such as excessive nutrients, but 3 methods stand out the most; stopping invasive species, toxic algae bloom and pollution. In 4 out of the 5 lakes, the naturally occurring Lake Trout population was wiped out (Sierra Club 2016). This species was the top of the food chain until the lamprey was introduced. As of now, these 4 lakes require expensive fish-stocking and lamprey removals to maintain the delicate balance of this ecosystem. By removing invasive species, the ecosystem of the lakes can be preserved, perpetuating the natural equilibrium of the Great Lakes.
It is of the utmost importance that we protect the watershed surrounding the Great Lakes because most of the contamination and pollution that is affecting the Great Lakes starts in the very runoff that feeds the lakes.
Globe and Mail. (2016, June 27). Decision to let U.S. town take water from Great Lakes is a bad precedent. Retrieved September 27, 2016, from
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/decision-to-let-us-town-to-take-water-from-great-lakes-is-a-bad-precedent/article30634593/
The Great Lakes hold 90% of North America's fresh surface water but this water supply is not infinite. As of now, both Canada and many states from the US are piped with potable water from the Great Lakes. This leads me to believe that we must protect the Great Lakes. If the Great Lakes are used erroneously, both in mishandling of the water and contamination, not only will it annul the fresh water source of over 10 million Canadians and about 25 million more people in the world (Globe and Mail 2016), but it can put a sizable dent in Canada’s economy. Billions of dollars in economic activity, including a quarter of Canada’s agriculture depend on the lakes. In 2012 alone, the Great Lakes region produced a combined GDP of $5.2 trillion among the two provinces and eight states that used Great Lake water, but on average, the Great Lakes region contributes $180 billion to Canada-U.S. trade per year. These lakes and St. Lawrence River region also supports 56 million jobs shared by Canada and the United States (16% of the population of US and CAN combined), showing that these lakes play a vital role in Canada’s economy. The second reason why we should protect the Great Lakes is because It is the largest system of fresh surface water on earth. It contains roughly 21% of the world's fresh surface water, making it a finite, yet extremely …show more content…
valuable natural reserve. The tertiary reason why we must protect the Great Lakes is to prevent permanent and unwanted consequences such as brain damage. Contaminated water can lead to harmful and unwanted health diseases including Hepatitis E, Typhoid Fever and Gastroenteritis.
Although there are many ways to help protect the Great Lakes from possible threats such as excessive nutrients, but 3 methods stand out the most; stopping invasive species, toxic algae bloom and pollution. In 4 out of the 5 lakes, the naturally occurring Lake Trout population was wiped out (Sierra Club 2016). This species was the top of the food chain until the lamprey was introduced. As of now, these 4 lakes require expensive fish-stocking and lamprey removals to maintain the delicate balance of this ecosystem. By removing invasive species, the ecosystem of the lakes can be preserved, perpetuating the natural equilibrium of the Great Lakes.
It is of the utmost importance that we protect the watershed surrounding the Great Lakes because most of the contamination and pollution that is affecting the Great Lakes starts in the very runoff that feeds the lakes.
Globe and Mail. (2016, June 27). Decision to let U.S. town take water from Great Lakes is a bad precedent. Retrieved September 27, 2016, from
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/decision-to-let-us-town-to-take-water-from-great-lakes-is-a-bad-precedent/article30634593/