I Drink, Therefore I Exist

It doesn’t matter if you are from a Red State, Blue State or Purple State, we, as humans, need fresh water to exist. It is as simple as that. We have needed water since life on earth began, but we never needed oil to survive. In fact, oil has only been making our modern lives easier for the last 100 to 150 years.

Now, the world is experiencing not only a food crisis but a water crisis and they go hand-in-hand. Billions of people on earth live without access to safe drinking water at a time when we are choosing not to invest in cleaning up and restoring our nation’s vast fresh water resource – The Great Lakes and her tributaries. In fact, we are putting greater demands on that fresh water reservoir with the production of biofuels at a time when climate change, invasive species and a legacy of industrial pollution is stressing the ecosystem and supply of fresh water.

“Behind the world food crisis is a global freshwater crisis, expected to rapidly worsen as climate change impacts intensify,” World Wildlife Federation Director General James Leape said last week at the World Water Week Conference in Stockholm.

It would take an investment of $26 billion to fully implement the strategy that embeds a swath of programs that would restore and regenerate the Great Lakes fresh water and the economy. Up to now we have been engaged in a band-aid, piecemeal approach to fixing what ails nearly a quarter of our world’s – and 90 percent of our nation’s - surface fresh water. We have learned from economists with the Brookings Institution that spending that $26 billion would generate a$50 billion profit. So, it truly is pay as you go – unlike the War in Iraq that is costing us $10 billion a month while the new government clutches its $79 billion surplus. What is more, we only get 17 percent of our oil from the Middle-East while 40 million US and Canadian residents get their drinking water from the Great Lakes – a number that will surely increase as the water crisis intensifies.

We need a comprehensive plan to deal with the impending water crisis and the Great Lakes are a central piece of our nation’s fresh water reserve – why not rely on the well-thought out strategy devised by national, regional, state and local leaders. The next President of the United States and US Congress should, with all haste, fully fund the restoration of the Great Lakes. It is a matter of our very survival, the essence of our existence and it is time to show some respect for our fresh water.

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Obey’s Scorecard Says it All

Wisconsin Rep. David Obey (D) has one of our most historic Areas of Concern in his backyard, the St. Louis River and Bay habitat, which has been eroding since pioneer days with the latest assaults leaving hazardous waste behind in leaky landfills. Even so, Obey is one of two House Members who has not cosponsored the Great Lakes Legacy Act that would provide the funds needed for cleaning up this mess. But Rep. Obey is in a peculiar position as Chair of the very powerful Appropriations Committee and HOW has been assured that a decision not to co-sponsor in no way indicates a lack of support for the Legacy Act.

“You can look at his record. It is not a matter of cosponsoring – it is a matter of votes and actions and as Chairman, and before that as Ranking Member, Obey has supported the Great Lakes massively,” explains Ellis Brachman, a spokesman for Rep. Obey. “The Congressman is much more about action than co-sponsorship.” Thank goodness. HOW is happy to learn that Obey will be supportive of the legislation, especially since it triples the previous funding and an authorization means much more than just agreeing to approve the legislation.

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We Want a Committment to Save the Lakes and We Want it Now!

Dear Delegates:

The Great Lakes states harbor 141 electoral votes and five potential swing states as well as an unquenched desire to see our Great Lakes restored and our regional economy revived. Both of these goals are achievable if we fully fund and implement legislation fulfilling the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy.

Now, let us remind you of the power you hold at your convention - 53 percent of the Democrat Party delegates are from Great Lakes states and 35 percent of the Republican Party delegates are from Great Lakes states - over one half and one third respectively - that is power. Please use your voice to ensure that our next president will restore the Great Lakes. What we are asking isn’t difficult either, since both Barack Obama and John McCain have signed a pledge to do just that. Also, don’t forget that Joe Biden, Obama’s pick for Vice President hails from Pennsylvania, a Great Lakes State! Really, this couldn’t be easier.

HOW is also circulating a letter to the Presidential Candidates that urges them to make good on their pledge. We are encouraging any and all to sign this letter to show the candidates how committed we are to this issue. No matter which party you are representing, your candidate will desperately need the votes from our states come November and the surest way to win hearts and minds in these states is to talk about saving our greatest resource, you guessed it, the Great Lakes.

Now please, with all vigor and enthusiasm, go forth and spread the word to anyone who will listen.

Sincerely,

The HOW Coalition

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The Day The Great Lakes Drained Away

Charles F. Barker, who grew up on the Great Lakes, wrote and illustrated The Day the Great Lakes Drained Away – a fantastic children’s book that seems to combine the art work of Hans Rey’s Curious George illustrations and the pros of Dr. Seuss. Mr. Barker, a geology enthusiast, was enthralled with the topography of the lake floors and was inspired by their beauty to write a book that has a conservationist message for children and parents. “It is my sincere wish that you and your children and your children’s children continue to be filled with that same sense of reverence and respect, and that they be instilled with a sense of pride and commitment to protecting these rare and irreplaceable resources – the greatest of all lakes – the Great Lakes,” writes Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm in the forward. In the following paragraphs Mr. Barker responds to HOW’s questions about his wonderful book.

Where do you live and what do you do for a living?I live in Plymouth, Michigan with my wife, our 2-year old, and our dog.
I work at an environmental consulting firm in Detroit dealing with soil, groundwater, and surface water impacts, and air quality issues. I also teach introductory geology at Wayne State University in Detroit part-time.
What experience first brought you close to the lakes?When I was growing up, my Dad was an avid sailor, and our family sailed around the Great Lakes- out of Detroit and Lake Saint Clair. Twice we sailed up to Mackinac Island, and once or twice down to Cedar Point. The sailing to Mackinac was great, but in the early 1970’s, Lake Erie was horrible – In the middle of the lake, out of sight of land, you could see nothing but soap suds, dead fish, and oil sheens. Quite a contrast to Presque Isle harbor or Mackinac Island where you could see a quarter on the bottom 30 feet down.
Why were you inspired to write this story?
I was inspired to write The Day the Great Lakes Drained Away after learning of the incredible lake floor features at the bottom of the lakes – Many of which I learned about from maps produced by the National Geophysical Data Center in Boulder Colorado. These maps, some are 3-D, show the incredible submerged ridges of rock under Lake Huron, a suspected meteor impact crater under Lake Ontario, and on and on. I though it would make a cool and educational children’s book to show these lake floor features, but I had to have the water drained away to show them, hence “the Day the Great Lakes Drained Away”. Some think the book is a statement about dropping lake levels, but that was not my main inspiration. Rather, my publisher said about an early draft “we need a villain”, so I went about developing the story of the pipes draining away the Lakes. I use this element of the book and story to speak to kids about how important it is to protect the lakes and not take them for granted.
What do you hope children and adults will take away from this book?I hope that they will both learn about the incredible lake floor features that are rarely considered, and 2) take a moment to think about what it would be like without the Great Lakes and therefore, to never take them for granted. The book also has a link of some fantastic Great Lakes info on the Great Lakes Commission’s website.
If you were granted the power for one day to change the Great Lakes, what would you do?Interesting question – my knee-jerk reaction is to leave them alone – I think when we start tweaking things, hydraulically speaking, there is the possibility of a lot of unintended consequences. Not a very bold answer, but it’s my view right now. Obviously if there were some magic one-day solution to stop the water quality degradation I would do that.
Do you think we will solve the problems that plague the Great Lakes in your lifetime?
The problem of water quality is one that humans have no-doubt caused, and therefore can no-doubt control and solve. I think the key is education – Look at Lake Erie and the positive changes that have occurred since the 1970s – at least visually. I was still incredibly saddened when we took our 2 year old to a beautiful beach on Lake Erie last summer and were told by signage and lifeguards that it was potentially hazardous to swim that day, or even play in the sand.

If you are interested in ordering the book, click here.

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McHugh Throws Support Behind Legacy Act

New Yorkers living in Rep. John McHugh’s district shouldn’t drink their tap water, partake in the regional Friday fish fry ritual or swim in the local waters because doing so exposes them to dangerous chemicals that could cause birth defects, learning disabilities and even cancer! That is why it is so important for the Great Lakes Legacy Act to be approved in September. Rep. McHugh was one of a handful of lawmakers whose name did not appear on the bill as a co-sponsor even though he had Areas of Concern in his district, including: The Rochester Embayment, 18-Mile Creek and the St. Lawrence River. But HOW has just learned that Rep. McHugh did indeed lend his signature shortly before Congress recessed in August. We welcome his support and his efforts to get this bill approved before national elections consume all other affairs of state.

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Big Wheels Keep on Turnin’ Legacy Act Keep on Churnin’

While Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.)and George Voinovich (R-OH) are committed to pushing the Great Lakes Legacy Act through this Congress, the fact that we are up against a national campaign season is weighing heavily on the prospect of passage. Essentially, Congress has three weeks in September to try and finish business for the year and after that it will be all campaigning, all the time.

“We are hoping to get it done in September,” Garrette Silverman, a spokesperson for Sen. Voinovich said, “but as of now we don’t have any timing for floor action.” And there-in lays the rub, if not in September then the much needed GLLA money could languish well into the new year.

There is also a chance for dissention among the ranks since our hard working Great Lakes leaders have managed to successfully triple the reauthorization to $750 million over five years. Hill insiders speculate that the price tag could cause a fight and that will bring further delay. Still, we have reason to hope that the legislation will make it to the floor for a vote - Sens. Levin and Voinovich have promised to make it a priority this September.

On the other side of the Hill, Rep. Vernon Ehlers, (R-Mich.) has been enthusiastically shoving the Legacy Act through the House. Rep. Ehlers told the Muskegon Chronicle he is fairly confident that the GLLA will be approved by the end of this year. Surprisingly, there are still a few Great Lakes Representatives with Areas of Concern in their districts who have yet to cosponsor the reauthorization and they include John McHugh (R-NY), Mary Kaptur (D-OH) and David Obey (D-Wisc.).

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Kaptur Holds Support On GLLA for District’s Good

Marcy Kaptur, (D-OH) is one of the three Great Lakes Representatives with an Area of Concern in her District who is not co-sponsoring the Great Lakes Legacy Act, but she isn’t doing so because she is opposed to the significant reauthorization but because she is hoping to improve it.

“There are a couple alterations that would improve its approach, but that is not to say that she isn’t supportive of the overall thrust of the bill –if anything it is the opposite – she understands the importance of water quality particularly in communities such as Toledo and other industrial cities to the future of our economic development,” explains Rep. Kaptur’s spokesman Steve Fought.

Rep. Kaptur’s district is home to two troubled AOC’s the Black River, a.k.a “River of Tumors” (due to the large population of fish sporting bulbous red tumors) and the Maumee River. Industrial pollution, farm run-off and excessive residential development have left these rivers in grave repair and the communities surrounding these Lake Erie tributaries are fighting for more help.

“She (Rep. Kaptur) is hoping to make the bill more responsive to some of the tributaries in the watershed here,” explains Fought. “The intent here is to strengthen the bill not to weaken it,” he adds.

To learn more about the Black River AOC, click here.
To learn more about the Maumee River AOC, click here.

Please feel free to leave a comment below or to contact Kaptur’s office, click here.

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Dennis No Longer a Menace

Ohio’s infamous Cuyahoga River that sparked the political firestorm that was quenched with the introduction of the Clean Water Act in the 1970s is in Rep. Dennis Kucinich’s (D-OH) district. HOW has just learned that Rep. Kucinich has become a co-sponsor of the reauthorizatin for the Great Lakes Legacy Act - a bill that has trippled the funding authorization to speed up the clean up of the most devestated areas of pollution around the Great Lakes. HOW is ever thankful for his support and hopeful that the bill will come to the floor when Congress convenes in September. To learn more about this area of concern, click here. To thank Rep. Kucinich for his support, click here.

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Senator Feeling Heat for Inaction on Invasive Species

The Associated Press is reporting on federal ballast water legislation now stalled in the U.S. Senate.

It’s time to urge Great Lakes senators to work with their colleagues to get strong protections to shut the door on the influx of non-native invaders entering the lakes.

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US Senate Approves Great Lakes Compact

US Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and George Voinovich (R-OH) pushed the Great Lakes St. Lawrence River Compact through the US Senate today. The Senate passed the bill unanimously this afternoon. The US House is expected to take up the legislation when they return from summer recess in September. Thanks to our Great Lakes Senators for ensuring the success of the Compact!

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