The Major Problems with Pollutants on the Great Lakes

There are many problems in Ohio that require attention for them to be solved. One of our main problems in Ohio right now is the level of algae we have in our lakes and rivers. Having algae in our lakes and rivers is dangerous for our present and future. Having our community drink water with algae in it can get people sick and poisoned. There have been many large algae blooms within these past few years, and having no preparations for the algae in the water caused immense panic in the community. There were stores that limited one case of water per customer, and most stores didn’t even have any water after only a couple hours, while the tap water wasn’t safe for only three days. Given that we didn’t know how long the algae would be in our water, no one was prepared and officials couldn’t tell us exactly when the water would be clean again. Most of the phosphorus that causes the algae to grow comes from our crops, like corn and wheat, being fertilized. This algae causes terror in our community and causes people to react in terrible ways. We need to have a solution figured out so that the terror stops and our families are safe. Having no water is one of the worst situations for so many people to be in when they aren’t prepared for it. This is an issue not only for our community, but for our whole country.

My only hope is that we can stop this polluting of our waters before it is too late. It is only a matter of time before these pollutants start affecting the food that we fish out of these waters and put into our bodies. Who is to say that a contaminated fish would not in turn make the person that eats that fish sick as well. It is already fact that 40% of America’s rivers and 46% of America’s lakes are already too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life. (Grinningplanet.com) Let’s take the steps to make sure that percentage does not get any worse.

Did you know that the Ohio State Park of Buckeye Lake once was a well known amusement park called “Beautiful Buckeye Lake?” In present day the lake is overfilled with dead fish, construction equipment, and rubble, causing a damper on the community on what used to be a historical landmark, is now causing health risk and endangerment to wildlife. Problems like toxic algae blooms arose and then the dam was astonishingly weak, Buckeye Lake was at its worse. The only solution for pre- and post- rehabilitation is to continue to dredge, reduce the agricultural runoff by riparian buffer or build in-stream sediment traps or wetlands, and informing the community about the water pollution issue.We as a community can only do this

For years, there has been debate over who has access to the water in the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes provide about 20 percent of the world’s freshwater resources and many areas would like to use that water for various purposes. Water is also becoming a valuable resource, with many areas lacking the access to it necessary for their area’s needs. Because of this, lawmakers passed a compact in 2008 that was designed to protect the Great Lakes against pressure from other States to withdraw water (Kalsness, 2011). A compact is an agreement between states or nations that bind them to whatever they agreed upon. This compact makes sure that areas outside of the Great Lakes region do not have access to the water. Despite this compact, some want to use the Great Lakes to pipe water to other states that do not have the same natural resources. Proponents of this piping say that is gives water to areas that need it and that it will provide additional income to the area (Cauchon, 2006). Opponents say that piping would go against water conservation and environmental protection as well as water management. They also say that it is a natural resource that belongs to the area and should not be taken away to other areas of the country (Dempsey, 2008). Currently, the debate continues about the correct use of the resource of the Great Lakes.

Clean water is both a necessary part of continued human survival as well as an economic good , and planning for its continued use is an important part of maintaining a healthy society. The Great Lakes, which contain 21% of the world’s fresh surface water, are a critical water source in the American Midwest and Canada. While Lake Erie is the smallest of these lakes in terms of its water volume, it still is important for the large population living in its watershed. Approximately twelve million people, one third of the total population of the entire Great Lakes basin, live in the over 20,000 miles of Lake Erie’s watershed (Environmental Protection Agency, 2015).

Water quality in the Great Lakes is something that has been a criticall issue in the Great Lakes Region for a number of years. Water quality can be anything that affects the benefits humans derives from water. It can include drinking water, food, recreation, and any other use of water that is possible. Many invasive species including zebra mussels and Asian carp pose a great threat to the water quality of the Great Lakes. The ecosystem and industry relying on the Great Lakes are also affected by this invasion. I feel that the best way to stop invasive species from coming into the Great Lakes is to prevent the problem from happening before it already has.

The government and people are cleaning up the sewer systems to make the water more safer to drink and bath. People stopped putting pollution in the sewer and water ways to help the lake beume polled. They had to put all the plastic in the garbage bins for it wouldn't go in Lake Erie they put more

Since the 1960’s, Lake Erie has been recovering from its unhealthy state and it’s public status. Lake Erie was terribly polluted that lead to fires and algae which was something locals were not happy about. Lake Erie’s water even got to the point of restriction. Pollutants were being dumped and phosphorus, fertilizers and pesticides were leaking into rivers that would later lead into Lake Erie. “As a result of these pollutants, Lake Erie contained increased levels of phosphorus and nitrogen, which contributed to eutrophication - a process that encourages the development of algal blooms.” (Rotman). Lake Erie was even known as the “burning river” or even the “dead lake”.

It is difficult to prevent this completely, however, there are steps to be taken that could regulate it. One of which would be to provide funding for state programs such as the Great Lake Restoration Initiative, Clean Water Revolving Fund, and Drinking Water Revolving Fund, which are lacking in funding. These programs work to help clean up current pollutants in the Great Lakes, as well as prevent future pollutants. They also provide clean water for millions, which is a basic human right and should thus be taken as a serious priority. Another step to be taken that would significantly improve the health of Michigan’s waters would be to create a statewide septic code. Michigan is the only state without a septic code and perhaps creating one to regulate septic systems would greatly help pollution issues in the Great

TRASH! TRASH! TRASH! Regardless of environmental laws that protect the quality of streams and lakes, garbage often ends up in our waters. Most of the trash comes from people who fish or participate in other forms of water-related recreation. Regardless of the source, trash is a form of water pollution. The most important issue facing us is the preserving of our waterways for future generations to enjoy. There are several things which can be done to make a difference regarding this issue so we will have a lifetime to enjoy our beautiful rivers and lakes.

The Great Lakes Basin has the largest surface freshwater system in the world. The rapid growth in human population in the basin region increases the challenges of the ecosystem with the increase of invasive species, pollution and water extraction. As cities in the lakes basin grow larger the structure of the ecosystem is changing the nutrient and food chain through the increase of human activities.

The quality of water in the Great Lakes not only effects the different species living in the lakes, but human health, all over Canada as well. “The five lakes occupy an area greater than half a billion square kilometers, have a shoreline of 17,000 kilometers, and are surrounded by a population of over 33 million.” (Sproule-Jones, Mark., 2002.) With the lakes being so massive there are plenty of different species living in them and people surrounding the lakes, living off the water. These factors make poor water quality an even bigger issue. Pollution can be seen in many forms; such as fecal contamination, toxic contamination from metals, nitrates and pesticides,

One issue that I am passionate about is the environment. Not only does our environment provide resources but it also affects our health directly. Living in Southern Western Ontario allows easy access to the Great Lakes that not only provides a scenic landscape but as well economic and resource based benefits. The Great Lakes has faced many challenges such as algae blooms, invasive species, and water pollution. These issues not only directly affect the water quality, and organisms living in that ecosystem but as we consume these organisms it also indirectly affects us. The Great Lakes provides more than half of the worlds freshwater and the fishing industry contributes tremendously to Ontario’s gross domestic product. These issues not only directly

The reserve mining needed to have public intervention because of negative externalities of production. One of the externalities was the pollution of Lake Superior. This cost is external to the firm and external to the supply and demand price system. The externalities are not reflected in the supply curve and private business firms do not have to take the special cost supply curve into account. These private businesses not taking it into account are the reason the government has to get involved. The principle of perfection was used in the 1970s in LA. This is not a very good approach because cost is not taken into consideration.

First of all, what I’m going to tell you is about how water pollution does to wildlife. According to care2.com, over one million birds are killed each year because they ingest plastic. 10 percent of the 100 million tons of plastic produced each year ends up in the ocean. Another thing is how cruise ships are dumping more than 250,000 gallons of sewage into the ocean, legally! Current regulations allow cruise ships to dump untreated sewage from the ship when it is three miles away from the shore. Most of the stuff they dump has harmful elements, such as, bacteria, pathogens, medical wastes, oils, even heavy metals! All of these are putting the marine life at risk of death. Also, water in the atmosphere is mixing with the chemicals emitted from burning fossil fuels, forming acidic compounds. Acid rain has had many effects on ecosystems, especially aquatic ones. Plus there are toxic amounts of aluminum being disposed improperly by being put into the water. This kills wildlife and throws delicate ecosystem out of balance. Don’t you see how deadly and harmful these actions truly are?