A Deeper Green

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.