A Deeper Green

originally posted on examiner.com

Living in the Great Lakes region it’s easy to take water for granted.

Most of us don’t think about the fact that not only do we have abundant water, but we also have abundant CLEAN water. Unfortunately, clean water is not something that all people have access too. Worldwide 2.5 billion people lack access to proper sanitation including drinking water and toilets.

And this is why in 1993, World Water Day was created by the United Nations to bring more awareness to water issues around the world. Every March 22nd the UN and not-for-profits around the world seek to educate on specific themes relevant to fresh water resources around the world. This year’s theme is “water quality = well being.”

Clean water for every in this world is something that we should all strive to attain. Think about how much of a role water plays in your life. The average American directly or indirectly uses 100 gallons of water each day for cooking or washing or drinking or any number of other things. Imagine what it would be like to not have access to abundant, clean water. For most of us who live here in Chicago, it is almost impossible to imagine. We take our water for granted.

If you are so inclined, use World Water Day as an opportunity to learn more about water issues, not just in our region, but around the world.
For more information about World Water Day please visit the UN World Water Day website.

originally posted on www.examiner.com

So the US Department of Energy ranks that Great Lakes region as a great place to build wind turbines. The region is especially well suited to handle offshore wind installations. The wind near and on the lakes is comparable to the wind on the great plains.

This would seem like a great thing! In an area that is currently struggling economically there is a great source of jobs just waiting to be tapped. Education programs surrounding wind power have been popping up all over the country, and with a few wind installations projects in the Great Lakes there could be a fantastic market for people with the right skill sets.

The downside is that there is a still a lot of opposition to wind power, especially from residents of the region who are nervous about the aesthetics of wind farms and the noise pollution associated with turning turbines. There are additional concerns about the safety of wind turbines for area wildlife that have plagued the viability of wind facilities for years.

At a conference last fall I sat in on a very interesting talk about the effects that wind turbines had on terrestrial life where they were built. The problem with the data is that there is simply not enough of it. And it is difficult to tell if the potential benefits of wind turbines will be able to outweigh the potential problems that might be caused to wildlife.

The fight for and against wind power in the Great Lakes is being played out in slightly different was in places all over the United States and throughout the world. Alternative energy needs to be a part of our future, and wind energy is a part of that alternative energy future. But obviously, there are still a lot of concerns that need to be addressed, in Chicago and the rest of the Great Lakes and the world.

originally posted on examiner.com

So, I’ve been doing a lot of reading and a lot of thinking about the Asian Carp problem over the last few weeks. There are so many different aspects of this problem and so many people trying to place blame that even bringing the subject up seems akin to stepping into an ideological minefield.

Now that we are in the process of poisoning the Illinois River and the State of Michigan is considering re-opening a court case against the State of Illinois to force a closing of the Sanitary and Shipping Canal I found myself facing the question of blame. How did we get in this mess? Why was it necessary to poison miles of river over the last couple days? Why, 10 years later, are we still battling these two fish species? Who is to blame for this situation?

The questions seem practically endless when it comes to this situation. And there seems to be more than enough blame to go around. Should we blame the USDA, who first allowed Asian Carp to be imported on a permit? Should we blame Southern fish farmers for not insuring that the fish could escape into the Mississippi? Should we blame the Chicago officials who 100 years ago, to insure the health of their citizens, reversed the flow of the Chicago River? The answer of course is no, and yes.

Yes, we all carry some blame and some responsibility. Problems like this are made up of millions of small decisions made by hundreds or thousands of people over many years. It’s easy to assign blame in the short-run. We can all point our fingers at the Army Corps of Engineers saying that they implemented a flawed system that needs regular maintenance without properly accounting for how to handle doing that maintenance. We can all point our fingers at every other person who had anything to do with Asian Carp, or shipping, or anything. But what we should be doing is examining ourselves in the mirror. We are ALL responsible for the Asian Carp problem. Just as we are all responsible for any invasive species that created a problem in the Great Lakes.

As always, the past is behind us, we can’t do anything about what’s already been done. But as a region we can take responsibility for what needs to come next. We can support the people who are doing what they can to control the problem. We can make sure that we are fully considering every option on the table.

What would be the consequences to all parties if we temporarily closed the locks between the Illinois River and Lake Michigan and ran a full study of exactly what is happening? Can Chicago work to find a different way to handle waste?

If we all work together and accept the responsibility for this problem progress can be made. Controlling the spread of Asian Carp is in everyone’s best interest, so I say we start from this day forward with a strong plan for helping each other to address this very pressing problem. It means that everyone shoulders some blame and lets go of the past, but I honestly believe that its possible.

Originally posted on examiner.com

Whether its invasive carp coming up the Illinois River or E. Coli breakouts closing beaches in the summer, its no secret that Lake Michigan is facing some devastating problems.

This article by Adrianne Appel places the blame for these stresses squarely on climate change. While I will never argue that climate change does not have an effect on ecosystems, I have a hard time fully supporting Appel’s assertion that all of Lake Michigan’s ills can be traces exclusively to climate change. Even within the article there are several other reasons for many of the ecological disruptions brought up.

The biggest example of this is Appel’s discussion of invasive species. Yes, invasive species are a huge problem in the Great Lakes, and their negative affect on Lake Michigan is well documented, but there is no clear link between invasive species and climate change. Appel makes some attempt to connect the two stating that as our climate gets warmer, invasive species may be more suited to thrive here, but that leaves out a big piece of the puzzle.

Zebra mussels, one example used in the article, have been in Lake Michigan for almost 20 years already, and they were brought by commercial traffic. Climate change did not introduce zebra mussels to the Great Lakes. In fact, the climate where the zebra mussel originates from (Eurasia) is remarkably similar to our climate here. They are not invading from a warmer climate, but enjoying the similarities of our climate to their native climate.

Appel seems to be making the argument that because of climate change, animals like the zebra mussel are more successful at invading Lake Michigan. While I suppose there is a possibility that this is true, it seems unlikely, and Appel certainly doesn’t make a very convincing argument.

That being said there are many other ecological problems facing Lake Michigan that do have a link to climate change, and the article is still worth reading. I just caution you and other readers to not shift the entire blame to climate change. Yes climate change plays a role, but so do many other factors, like agricultural run-off, poorly maintained sewer systems, and the human introduction of invasive species.

So to start off the day at MEEC, we were treated to a great and inspiring speech by Chad Pregracke, the driving force behind Living Lands and Waters. He spoke of his fantastic journey from a 17 year old kid who wanted to clean up the Mississippi River to the creation of Living Lands and Waters and on to what may even be a TV show on the Discovery Channel.

I was totally inspired and was so glad to be reminded that there are people out there that have accomplished things like this. People who are interested in making our world a better, cleaner place. People who are making a difference every day.

I don’t even think I can describe how fantastic it was to hear Chad speak today, but I can leave you with a link to his book From the Bottom Up: One man’s crusade to clean America’s river.

I have not read the above book, but I am planning on buying a copy of my own and providing a review here if there’s no room on your reading list right now.

Basically, just know that this is an organization with a great story and a great spokesman who is out there making the case for cleaning up our rivers, one piece of trash at a time

Some links to info about Chad and Living Lands and Waters:

~ You Should Know… Chad Pregracke, Chicago Magazine

~ Chad Pregracke: Garbage man of the Mississippi, MSNBC

~ Dude over troubled Water, Outside Online

~ Lending a Hand, Living Lands & Waters, Big River Magazine

So I have mentioned this topic in the past on a couple of occasions and today Beth Terry over at Fake Plastic Fish has up a good post about the movie Tapped and what she learned from it as well as some great info on bottled water and steps that you can take to make a difference.

Please read her article and pass it along.

I am hoping to see tapped myself in the nearish future, and hope that you will consider looking for it at a theater near you. For info check out the Tapped website.

Originally posted at www.examiner.com

Every year the Ocean Conservancy puts together an International Coastal Clean-up in an effort to better the oceans and lakes that support life on this planet. Last year the event attracted 400,000 volunteers from 100 countries who were able to pick up 6.8 million pounds of trash!This years 24th Annual International Coastal Clean-up takes place this Saturday at sights all over Chicago’s Lakefront and you are invited to participate!

If you have some free time to donate to cleaning up trash from our beaches this weekend, I strongly encourage you to visit the Ocean Conservancy’s Coastal Clean-up page and make plans to make a difference with your Saturday.

I’ll be out at 12th Street beach lending my hand to our Great Lakes. Look for pictures up early next week.

Hello all. After an unscheduled hiatus I am back and better than ever. At least I hope I am.

I just moved into a new apartment and am still getting settled, but I hope to start back with regular updates here starting now!

First, for your reading enjoyment I direct you to the wonderful blog Fake Plastic Fish. Beth Terry over there is doing a fantastic job cutting down on the plastic waste and inspiring pretty much everyone she meets. Read her break down of the ways that bottled water creates problems in our society.

So today I came across this article talking about research that’s been done on why certain types of exotic species cross over into harmful invasive territory.

The article doesn’t go into too much detail about what the actual study found, but is does touch on the topic of climate change. There are lots of theories as to how climate change may affect the spread of invasive species, but to me it seems clear that those species that reproduce quickly and have a large level of adaptability (like most invasives) will be supremely prepared to take on climate change as it comes.

Sadly, this may mean a lot of not good things for the ecosystems that we all know and love. These ecosystems are already stressed for many reasons. The continuing and likely accelerating threat of invasives will only worsen their plight. As I’ve mentioned time and time again, certain invasives (like the Asian Carp) already dominate the areas that they have made their home.

In light of all the boo to invasive species talk that I’ve been spouting the last couple days, I have decided to share some tips to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.

~ Do not dump any bait or pets into waterways (this is how the rusty crayfish was established in the Great Lakes region)

~ Be sure to thoroughly wash all gear when moving from one body of water to another. This includes anything that touches the water, like boats, fishing lines and poles and other recreation equipment.

~ Spread native plants. When planning a rain garden are you doing your best to use native plants or plants that are considered be complimentary to natives? There are lots of great options out there.

So today I gave my worms a little extra loving and a little bit of water for their bedding, as it was looking a little dry on top. They seem to be settling in ok. I don’t have very many of them, so I am hoping they will get to making worm babies soon! I decided to try a little bit of food for them, as they were already good established worms. They’ve had a little bit of celery, some apples bits, and a couple small potato peels. I also gave them some egg shells, as I hear it helps their digestion. So yay worms!

In other news, I am in Madison this weekend at the Alliant Energy Center Madison Fishing Expo. It seems pretty fun so far. I am hoping to talk to lots of people about invasive species and some water conservation issues. Hopefully the show will be fantastic and we will get to talk to a bunch of people. Wish us luck, and have a great weekend!