Climate Change and Water Diversion Won’t Leave Much “Great” in the Lakes

We’ve all heard that climate change will only exacerbate lower lake levels and lengthening shore lines in the Great Lakes over the coming years. These are serious threats that, unfortunately, are not too shocking for those of us who have watched as the ice that once reached near to Canada continues to retreat each year and as water temperatures rise, allowing kids to start swimming in the lakes earlier each summer. Climate Change and Great Lakes Water Resources, a new report prepared for the National Wildlife Federation confirms our observations. But what is most interesting about this report is not so much what is and will be happening in the Great Lakes, as what is expected to happen out West and in the Southeast and how climate change will increase demand for fresh water endangering the Great Lakes all the more. When you think about it, between climate change and the prospect of diverting water to the parched west and south there won’t be any “great” left in the lakes.

A considerable portion of the report by Noah D. Hall, professor of law at Wayne State University and Bret B. Stuntz a Michigan attorney and geologist, focuses on a quickly shrinking ice cap in the Rockies and the melting of Greenland and the polar caps. These simultaneous events will significantly deplete the available fresh water.

In a story that appears today in the Buffalo News, Hall says:

“The Great Lakes are facing the one-two punch of global warming and water diversion,” said Noah Hall, an environmental law professor at Wayne State University in Detroit and a co-author of the report. “We have known for many years that existing laws are inadequate to protect the Great Lakes from diversions and overuse. Now we know that climate change is certain to put additional stress and pressure on the Great Lakes.”

The snow in the Rockies is expected to diminish as the climate warms and we experience more droughts and shorter more intense rain and snow storms. When the snow melts in the spring months it swells rivers and tributaries - such as the Colorado River- which is the major source of water for the Western states. By the end of this century, climatologists expect only 20 percent of the current snow pack to exist in the Rockies. That means thirsty industries and people will be looking for other sources of water.

Along the eastern seaboard freshwater will be replaced with saltwater as Greenland and our ice caps melt forcing the ocean to rise and move inland overtaking freshwater sources. Again, this means parched people and farm lands will need to find another source of fresh water.

Pretty soon all divining sticks will be pointing toward the Great Lakes. With climate change in mind, the report’s authors recommend supporting and approving the Great Lakes Compact to protect the lakes and begin creating a sustainable water policy in the United States–a point driven home in a story in today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

“Water shortages and the pains and the strife they create are only likely to worsen,” said Molly Flanagan of the National Wildlife Federation, which funded a study released Tuesday evaluating existing regional water laws in light of the predicted effects of climate change on the Great Lakes. “We have a remarkable opportunity in the Great Lakes region to act before crises hit,” she said.

Speaking of crisis, Governor and Presidential hopeful Bill Richardson put voice to what a lot of people have been thinking when he suggested that Wisconsin is “awash in water.” After reading this report, I’m convinced Richardson’s gaff is just the first salvo in a long-winded debate that will be held over the coming decades as the west and south continue to dehydrate. So, without further ado, to our policymakers please, keep the Great Lakes Great, pass the compact.

Talking Turkey and Giving Thanks

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, take a moment this week to call your elected officials in the U.S. Congress and thank them for standing up for the Great Lakes.
 
While a lot of work remains to be done in the effort to restore the Great Lakes, we have made some significant gains this year:
 
The Daddy of them all would be the Asian carp barrier that just passed into law. We will finally have a permanent barrier to prevent the insidious invasive fish from destorying the Great Lakes ecosystem and sport fishery.
 
The U.S. House also went to bat in the effort to halt the 24 billion gallons of sewage which enter the Great Lakes each year by approving the reauthorization of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
 
Back in March, members from both houses introduced the Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act, a comprehensive bill that if passed and funded would help restore the health of our lakes and protect our economy and way of life.
 
We’re not out of the woods yet and will continue to push for consistent ballast water legislation and the eventual enactment of our big ticket restoration package, as spelled out in the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy.
 
In the meantime, please give your representative and two senators a call and leave them a message-a simple thank you for their continuing and ongoing support.
 
The Capitol Switchboard, where you can be connected to their offices, is (202) 224-3121.
 
And in the same spirit, we thank you for your dedication to the Great Lakes and for making our campaign a success. Have a wonderful holiday this week.

Local Party Officials Urge Candidates on Great Lakes

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (November 16)—Republican and Democratic Party officials in key counties in Michigan are calling on the 2008 presidential candidates to support Great Lakes restoration funding.

Their call comes on the same day that State Sen. Patty Birkholz (R-Saugatuck Township), chair of the Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee, and State Rep. Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor), chair of the Great Lakes and Environment Committee, are sending a bi-partisan letter to presidential candidates urging them to embrace Great Lakes restoration.

“The time to act for the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes is now, as we face an ever-increasing pressure from invasive species, pollution, and coastal habitat loss,” said Rep. Warren. “Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers recognize that the protection of 20 percent of the world’s available freshwater is imperative and that is why we are calling on Presidential candidates from both parties to commit to fully fund Great Lakes Restoration.”

“Michigan is already doing our part by working to implement the Compact. It is time for the Presidential candidates to commit to protecting and restoring the health of the Great Lakes,” said Sen. Birkholz. “Every day we wait, the problems get worse and the solutions get more costly.”

Republican and Democratic Party leaders from key counties—including Genesee, Ingham, Kent, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland and Washtenaw—are sending the letters to candidates seeking the White House urging presidential candidates to embrace the restoration of the lakes.

“If presidential candidates want to make inroads in vital swing districts in a key battleground state, they would do well to embrace Great Lakes restoration in their platform,” said Stephanie Pazdro, communications director of the Macomb County GOP. “Great Lakes restoration is an issue that cuts across party lines and presents a rare opportunity for candidates to expand their base of support among voters.”

The push by Democratic and Republican Party officials and legislators comes a week after the eight Great Lakes governors, including Gov. Jennifer Granholm, publicly called on the candidates to restore the Great Lakes.

“The region is united,” said Robert Sisson, membership and development director for the Great Lakes Office of Republicans for Environmental Protection. “Great Lakes restoration is not an issue defined by political affiliation. It is defined by the urgent need to act now to protect a resource that is the foundation of our economy and way of life. Presidential candidates who turn their backs on the Great Lakes are failing to protect the needs of millions of people.”

Michigan, the Great Lakes state, has strong support for restoring the Great Lakes in the nation’s capitol. The state’s entire Congressional delegation has signed on to comprehensive federal legislation to restore the lakes based on the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy, a plan crafted by over 1,500 citizens.

“Presidential support comes down to this: Committing to fully fund within 5 years the implementation of a comprehensive restoration plan to stop sewage contamination, halt the onslaught of invasive species, and address other serious threats,” said Brian Beauchamp, campaign manager, Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “It is time for presidential candidates to support manageable solutions to protect our lakes, our economy, our drinking water, and our way of life.”

Michigan and the other Great Lakes states contain 141 electoral votes and are considered a crucial component to winning the White House. Many of the local party officials sending letters hail from key swing districts in the state, including Macomb County. With so much public and political support, presidential candidates who fail to support Great Lakes restoration do so at their own political peril.

“The message these letters send is clear: Presidential Candidates looking for support from Michiganders Red or Blue must commit to restoring the health of the Great Lakes,” said Chris Grubb, field director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “By failing to make a commitment to restoring the health of the Great Lakes, the 2008 Presidential candidates are thus far turning their back on Michigan and the other Great Lakes states.”

For more information: http://www.healthylakes.org/

For Immediate Release:
November 16, 2007

Contact:
Jordan Lubetkin, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, (734) 887-7109, lubetkin@nwf.org
Chris Grubb, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, (734) 887-7104; cgrubb@nwf.org
Robert Sisson, Republicans for Environmental Protection, (269) 651-1808; rsisson@rep.org
Brian Beauchamp, League of Conservation Voters, (734) 222-9651; brian@michiganlcv.org

Kent County Democratic Party example letter to Presidential candidates

Genessee County Republican Party example letter to Presidential candidates

Ingham County Republican Party example letter to Presidential candidates

Macomb County Democratic Party example letter to Presidential candidates
Macomb County Republican Party example letter to Presidential Candidates

Monroe County Democratic Party example letter to Presidential candidates

If I Only Have Time for One Question…

So you’re at a campaign event, Presidential candidate X is wrapping up his/her stump speech, and it’s Q&A time. You recognize that the health of our economy and quality of life is inseparably linked to the health of the Great Lakes. You wisely want to get the candidate on the record in support of restoring the health of the Great Lakes. But you need it boiled down into one simple question.

Well friends, here it is. Recognizing that this scenario will surely play out for many of you in the all important swing states that surround the Great Lakes, the Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives campaign team has developed one simple question that you can ask to demand the candidates commit to the Great Lakes. Drum roll please….

“In 2005, more than 1,500 federal, state, tribal, local, and environmental leaders produced the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy, which outlines an action plan of manageable solutions to protect and restore the Great Lakes. But a lack of leadership has meant that progress in implementing the Strategy has been slow, while threats to the Great Lakes continue to mount. As president, would you commit to funding implementation of the Great Lakes Collaboration Strategy at a rate to ensure all of the identified activities have been fully funded within five years?”

There it is - please use it! Share your experience by commenting on this post. Better yet, follow in the footsteps of Grand Rapids, MI Mayor George Heartwell: have a friend bring a video camera and we’ll help you post the response on YouTube.

Smack, Thud, Silence

Since Gov. Jim Doyle’s gauntlet hit the ground with a resounding thud last week it has been met by a deafening silence from the presidential candidate camps. John Flesher of the Associated Press surmised that the lackluster response to the press conference held by eight Great Lakes Governors to request that presidential hopefuls clarify their positions on the Lakes is evidence that the candidates are scared. They seem about as willing to wade into waters stirred up by a drought stricken west and Southeast as a cream-fed house cat.

Last week, Gov. Doyle bemoaned the fact that Iowa and New Hampshire are not Great Lakes states. If only Iowa or New Hampshire were attached to one or more of the lakes we would have a complete vision for restoration outlined from each candidate with staff members assigned to continually flesh out the issue for the public.

Maybe inspired by the press conference–and the letters sent to the candidates from the region’s governors–the AP followed up by asking leading candidates from the two major parties about their vision for the Great Lakes – including whether regions “awash in water” should be sharing with others.

New York’s Hillary Rodham Clinton provided a “lengthy” response opposing the diversion of water from the Great Lakes and referring to them, as she has in the past, as a “most precious natural resource.” Smart move for a Lady from a state that borders Lake Erie, Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

Republican John McCain, clearly from a waterless Western state, was also against any federal mandate to divert Great Lakes water and said so while campaigning in Michigan. However, that state’s native born son, Mitt Romney, also a Republican contender for the White House, failed to specifically speak to the issue of protecting the Great Lakes. Instead he invoked a Colorado River water sharing agreement among seven Western states as a good example of water policy. It isn’t that surprising that wishful Romney didn’t mention protections or restoration for the Great Lakes since he provides no environmental leadership on his campaign Website and instead advocates for drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. No, I fear the Great Lakes would not be in good hands with Mitt.

Barack Obama’s response was a disappointment. He only said we need a national plan to conserve more water and use the federal government as a moderator between water consumers. Surprising, since the Chicago pol has a history of generous support for the Great Lakes – including sending an emissary to deliver a written statement to the Healing Our Waters Conference this past September.

Still, Obama’s fudgy answer was vastly better than fellow Democrat John Edwards and Republicans Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson who failed to comment all together.

Maybe the AP is right and the presidential contenders are recalling John Kerry’s “balancing act” gaff in 2004 and are scared to stake out a vision for the Great Lakes.

Or, just perhaps, they just don’t get it. It could be that they don’t realize they are dealing with an issue that evokes visceral responses from the residents of the eight Great Lakes States, the stewards of 90 percent of our nation’s fresh water supply. They don’t understand how deeply we care about the Lakes, how much we really want restoration and the resulting revitalization of an entire region’s economy.

Perhaps eight Governors demanding clarification, 141 electoral votes, five battle ground states - any one of which could be the state that delivers the election in 2008 as Ohio was in 2004- perhaps these very salient points have escaped the candidates and their Washington-bred advisors. Perhaps they really don’t get it. Or, perhaps they think that staying silent will keep them out of controversy.

“Candidates who turn their backs on the Great Lakes are turning their backs on our drinking water, our economy, our way of life,” Jordan Lubetkin, spokesman for Healing our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition told the Muskegon Chronicle. “Great Lakes restoration needs to be a presidential platform for Republicans and Democrats.”

Just a hint to you guys (and gal) running for high office: We won’t vote for anyone who is silent or who fails to promise to restore and protect the Great Lakes.

Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition - 100 Strong

The Healing Our Waters (HOW) Great Lakes Coalition reached a milestone recently, growing to over 100 groups throughout the Great Lakes region. The HOW Coalition continues to grow and diversify. This growth symbolizes the importance of restoring the health of the Great Lakes, which are essential to the economic and cultural identity of our region.

HOW Coalition members recognize we have manageable solutions contained in the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy to Restore and Protect the Great Lakes. It is time to use them. Every day we wait, the problems get worse and the solutions get more costly. We must act now to restore the health of the Great Lakes.

For more information on how to join the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, contact Field Director Chris Grubb (grubbc@nwf.org) or Campaign Director Jeff Skelding (jskelding@nwf.org).

As Great Lakes Governors Throw Down the Gauntlet, Which Presidential Candidate Will Respond?

Here we go, as the primary season draws near, the eight great lakes Governors are poised to force Great Lakes Restoration onto the 2008 presidential candidates’ agendas. Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, Chair of the Council of Great Lakes Governors is holding a press conference today to launch the first pitch for aggressive action to save the Great Lakes and prevent anyone from diverting the water to more, ahem, parched parts of the country.

What is the ask? If presidential hopefuls want the votes from the Great Lakes region, an area that controls 141 electoral votes and boasts five promising battleground states, they need to outline their vision for the Great Lakes.

It should be no surprise to the rest of the nation that the U.S. economy depends on Great Lakes success – nearly 30 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product is produced in our region – that’s 60 percent of all U.S. manufacturing.

“Millions of people who depend on the lakes for their jobs and way of life are looking for a presidential candidate who will not stand by as the health of the Great Lakes deteriorates from sewage contamination, invasive species, and habitat loss,” said Jeff Skelding, national campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition.

Amazing, but the idea of diverting the water from the Lakes has already been a campaign issue – ever since New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson implied that Western states should tap Superior and Michigan. Add to it the drought and unquenched thirst that has driven Southern states to start eye-balling fresh water sources – and it is no wonder the region is feeling a bit defensive.

Well, Gov. Doyle has dropped the gauntlet, let’s see who rises to the challenge and finds themselves at an advantage on Election Day.

Governors to Presidential Candidates: Support Great Lakes Restoration

ANN ARBOR, MI (November 8)—The governors of all eight Great Lakes states—home to many of the battleground states in next year’s presidential election—are expected today to urge candidates seeking the White House to support the restoration of the Great Lakes.

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, who serves as chairman of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, will put forward the challenge weeks after Democratic presidential hopeful and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson ignited a firestorm after implying in a speech that Great Lakes water was open for taking by thirsty Western states.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition applauded the action by Gov. Doyle and Govs. Rod Blagojevich (Ill.), Mitch Daniels (Ind.), Jennifer Granholm (Mich.), Tim Pawlenty (Minn.), Ed Rendell (Pa.), Eliot Spitzer (N.Y.) and Ted Strickland (Ohio).

“Millions of people who depend on the lakes for their jobs and way of life are looking for a president who will not stand by as the health of the Great Lakes deteriorates from ongoing sewage contamination, invasive species and habitat loss,” said Jeff Skelding, national campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Presidential candidates who turn their backs on the Great Lakes are failing to protect our drinking water, public health, economy and way of life.”

The coalition is asking presidential candidates to pledge to fully fund within five years the implementation of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy, a comprehensive plan to restore the lakes by preventing sewage contamination, stopping invasive species introductions and restoring wetlands and other habitat.

“Presidential commitment to the Great Lakes means one thing: fully funding restoration now, because the longer we wait, the problems get worse and more costly,” said Skelding.

Crafted by over 1,500 citizens representing cities, industry, conservation organizations, Tribes, and state and federal agencies, the strategy has been introduced in the U.S. Congress as the Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act (H.R. 1350, S. 791).

The Great Lakes are essential to the economic and cultural identity of the Great Lakes region; 42 million people depend on the lakes for their drinking water. A recent independent cost-benefit analysis concluded that implementing the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy would produce twice the economic gains compared to its cost. Overall the strategy would create $50 billion in long-term economic benefits for the region, as well as another $30 billion in short-term economic activity.

“Presidential candidates need to realize that Great Lakes restoration is a jobs engine that will help create thousands of good-paying jobs immediately by positioning the region as attractive to businesses, investors and talented workers,” said Skelding. “Great Lakes restoration will create jobs, boost the region’s economy and benefit the nation.”  

The challenge by the eight governors comes as the 2008 presidential race heats up.

Great Lakes states have helped decide the last several presidential elections and figure to play a pivotal role in the 2008 race. Great Lakes states hold one-quarter of the nation’s electoral votes and are home to five of the nine battleground states that experts believe will play a crucial role in determining the next president. Great Lakes primaries will also play a key role in selecting each party’s 2008 presidential nominee.

Said Skelding: “To presidential candidates, we ask again: Will you use your leadership as president to pass and fully fund Great Lakes restoration legislation?”

For more information, visit: http://www.healthylakes.org/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 8, 2007

CONTACT:
Jeff Skelding, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, (410) 245-8021, JSkelding@nwf.org
Jordan Lubetkin, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, (734) 904-1589, Lubetkin@nwf.org

The Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives Campaign is directed by the Healing Our Waters®-Great Lakes Coalition. The coalition consists of more than 90 zoos, aquariums, museums, and hunting, fishing, and environmental organizations representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes.

Global Warning: The Local Angle on Global Warming

NBC’s Today Show is filming from the ends of the earth this week in an attempt to raise awareness about global warming. They are on location at the North and South Poles as well as the equator, but they didn’t need to travel to such lengths to capture a snap shot of the effects of the problem - they could have filmed from the shores of the Great Lakes.

Lake Superior is the world’s largest fresh water lake – it has the capacity to hold 3 quadrillion gallons of fresh water– which looks something like this: 3,000,000,000,000,000. But instead of rising to capacity, the lake is shrinking at an alarming rate and the water level is at near-record lows. Scientists now believe this is due to air temperatures that have increased twice as fast in the past 25 years causing much higher water temperatures and speeding up evaporation and hampering the development of winter ice.

At a Great Lakes conference last week, scientists said a combination of high temperatures and a rise in wind speeds over the lake are working hand in glove to upset water levels. Lakes Huron and Michigan are also suffering these effects hovering just inches above the record low-level water mark.

The rise in water and air temperatures appears to be occurring together. Climate scientists have documented the increases and seen them speed up since the 1970s. “You would expect that a bigger lake like (Superior) would react more slowly to global warming,” Jay Austin, a University of Minnesota researcher said at the conference. “But just the opposite is happening. It’s exhibiting twice as much change as the other lakes.” He attributes this to the lakes enormous surface area.

Between global warming and continued pollution in the lakes, it is apparent that restoration is needed now. We are in a place in time where we stand on a precipice – a place of no return if we don’t do something immediately.

Great Lakes Lawmakers Vote to Override Bush Veto

Last night Great Lakes members of Congress from both parties rebuffed the Bush administration by voting to override his veto of a bill that authorizes funding for many Great Lakes restoration projects - the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).

A recent AP Article includes quotes from several Michigan Representatives including Candice Miller (R), Bart Stupak (D), Tim Wallberg (R), and Vern Ehlers (R).

Despite reservations about environmentally suspect projects in other parts of the country, WRDA authorizes funding for completing the Asian carp barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. This is one of the many manageable solutions we have to restore the health of the Great Lakes. Congressman Wallberg aptly pointed out the urgency with which we need to act:

“Every day we wait to address these problems they get worse and the solutions get more costly,” said Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton.

You too can be a part of the solution for the Great Lakes. Visit our take action center to find out how.