The Impacts of Climate Change on the Great Lakes - Essay Example

Geography April 10, The Impacts of Climate Change on the Great Lakes, Canada Climate change has taken its toll in variousplaces in the globe since recently when it was recognized as one of the irreversible trade-offs with the industrialization that we have achieved in our civilization. Climate change is defined as the “long-term shift in overall weather conditions over time measured by changes in temperature, precipitation, wind, snow cover and other indicators” (Government of Canada). Rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns and, increase in occurrence of hazardous weather like the heat waves are already evident in Canada (Environment Canada). The cascading effects of a changing weather has also affected and modified the geographical distribution of life forms in the upland area going to the lowland where they can now be found within residential spaces. Some marine animals have also died of starvation because of the disappearance of their usual preys that probably migrated to keep up with the decreasing quality of water salinity. Indeed, climate change produces adverse effects on the habitat of these living things and also, in the environment we humans live in. Our rivers and lakes in Canada have been recorded to have dropped in water levels due to the intense heat caused by these long trends of shifting weather. It is my goal in this paper to discuss the impacts of climate change on the Great Lakes with emphasis on its geographical implications and, to propose the urgency of the actions we can contribute to mitigate the hazardous effects of climate change being an inevitable consequence of the industrialized systems that we have approved of. Geography and Importance of the Great Lakes The Great Lakes form the “largest fresh surface water system on earth” (Manninen) that being 21% of the whole planet (“Great Lakes”). It is a vast lake found in the northeastern North America, within the Canada-United States border which is connected to the Atlantic Ocean through Saint Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes Waterway (“Great Lakes”). Manninen further defines that it covers more than 94,000 square miles and drains more than twice as much land. It is 9.5 feet deep and holds about 6 quadrillion gallons of water which is like one-fifth of the world’s fresh surface water supply and nine-tenths of United States supply (Manninen). That is a vital role of the Great Lakes basin being “home to 8.5 million Canadians and 30.7 million Americans” (Environment Canada). The Great Lakes consists of the smaller lakes known as Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario. The Great Lakes highly contributed to the development of both Canada and United States. It is their source of potable water. It plays a vital role in their trade and commerce through the convenient transportation routes the Great Lakes provide. It is also a source of hydroelectricity. It also provided them a venue for other developments on industrial, commercial, agricultural and urban aspects (Environment Canada). Additionally, the Great Lakes provide an important habitat to several wetland species. A variety of coastal animals and plants thrive in the ecosystem within the Great Lakes. These life forms are typically and sensitively adapted to their environment. They serve as excellent key indicators on the water quality status of the lakes and also the ecosystem balance that must be maintained within their niche. With the presence of rich biodiversity, the Great Lakes also offer good recreational activities to its residents and visitors. Historical Records of Climate Change Impacts on the Great Lakes In 2009, scientists and oceanographers discovered that the last significant water level drop in the Great Lakes was when the water level went down to 20 meters below the basin overflow outlets and it was caused by dry climate conditions. This conclusion was verified when they saw the ancient shorelines, submerged beaches, and tree stumps on the floor of some lakes that were 20 meters below the present lake level (University of Rhode Island). Furthermore, they explained that the climate and water levels in the Great Lakes region are affected by the interplay of three types of air masses. Scientists classified these three types based on their dryness or coldness and, the geographic location to which the air come from. These are “dry, cold Arctic air from the North, dry warm Pacific air from the West, and warm, moist tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico. They found out that during the period when the lake levels receded significantly, the dry air from the Arctic and Pacific was dominant. Later, when precipitation from the tropical air mass became more frequent, the Great Lakes began to flow from one to another as they do today” (University of Rhode Island). In this report, scientists emphasized that at least once in the last 10,000 years, climate change has already proven that it can pull down the water level radically. That regardless of the vast size of the Great Lakes, its water level can still be affected by these air masses. The air masses are largely influenced by natural and anthropogenic or human-influenced factors. As we can observe today, the fact that we experience climate change means that we have done too much activities concentrated enough to change the quality of the air masses available around us. This concern on the drying up of water in the Great Lakes is not new and has happened before although it is now reaping public attention. This kind of environmental issue has been frequently observed in other parts of the world thereby gaining its popularity. In another reported water level decline in the Great Lakes, researchers observed the consistency of such occurrence in several climate change projections. And so, to validate the impression, they collected the water level data since 1860 up to 2006 in Lakes Michigan and Huron. They analyzed the data with precipitation, evaporation and run-off. Indeed, they confirmed a water level gradual decline since 1973, and accounted it for the intense episodes of evaporation (American Chemical Society).  This is an alarming reminder. Now we know that geographical location may separate each individual from one another however the consequences of our actions may influence even in discrete political geographies. The air mass qualities in the neighboring countries or places around the Great Lakes plus the air mass within the Great Lakes considerably contribute to the present status of its water level. Current Threats on the Great Lakes Caused by Climate Change Global warming drives the occurrence of climate change. Unlike the long-term shift in weather patterns that climate change brings, global warming is but an aspect of climate change that refers to a rise in surface temperature of the surface of the earth. We must be aware and watchful of the geographical coverage of global warming as it causes climate change that can affect each one of us. The world’s largest limestone quarry can be found in Rogers City in Michigan and it is connected with Lake Huron with the steel mills and construction sites it supplies through the Great Lakes. Land use related activities like mining, deforestation, drainage of wetlands, navigation developments within lake areas and many others destroy the habitats supported by the Great Lakes. These are the wildlife and underwater forests that absorb carbon dioxide and other waste gases around us thereby keeping our surroundings cool. Thus, when they are gone, the Great Lakes water and surrounding environment warm up contributing to global warming. As Great Lakes’ water warms, evaporation occurs frequently than rain and snow. Snow is a vital water source for streams around the Great Lakes. And what do we expect to happen next? Increase in temperature around the Great Lakes has been recorded in recent decades where the most alarming one happened on a winter. References tell us that since 1850s, ice season has indeed shortened. Because of the rising temperature, the ice coverage in the Great Lakes has also declined to 8.4 % per decade from 1973 to 2008. The disappearance of ice in the Great Lakes causes the waters to be widely exposed to evaporation which equates to the decline of water level becoming inevitable (Union of Concerned Scientists; Government of Canada). All these events happen subtly that we don’t notice instantly. However, the uncommon environmental events that we now observe in the Great Lakes and other rivers in Canada or even in United States prove that something is wrong within our natural systems. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, if our temperatures continue to rise at its current rates, it is projected for Lake Huron to drop approximately 1.3 feet or 0.41 meters of water level by the end of this century. This again has cascading effects not only in our environment but also in our trade and commerce systems. When the Great Lakes continuous decrease in water level, the capacity of shipping vessels will also be reduced as the distance between the bottom of the ship and the waterline shortens. This equates to lesser capacity to carry cargos and therefore can become costly. It poses a big economic impact. Rising water temperature in the Great Lakes has more negative impacts on the aesthetic, recreational and of course environmental aspects. Since the water receded, more land areas are exposed and the distances to the shore from the docked ships also increase. This is not good for the coastal ecosystem as more organisms and habitats become exposed to toxic intervention by these cargo carrying ships that may result to their destruction. If it continuously occurs, the coast will appear devastated that will make it improper for our recreations. The Hope of Great Lakes from Climate Change Perils The Great Lakes, being the largest fresh surface water system in the world, holds a critical role in the common good of Canada and United States, and also that of North America. Its geographical location and generally temperate zone contribute to the vast rich terrestrial and aquatic resources it hosts. However, the constant environmental changes brought about by both natural and anthropogenic or human-influenced factors, anthropogenic being more dominating, have caused drastic temperature increase and atmospheric changes effectively triggering climate change. Climate change is a global environmental issue and although only certain countries are at high risk of being impacted in the present time by this condition, it will take the efforts from each one of us to at least mitigate its detrimental effects. In the case of the Great Lakes where the rising temperature is drying up the lakes, immediate steps are required to impede if not stop climate change as it directly impacts the quality of life, economy and environmental quality of the Great Lakes community and Canada. With the current rates of changes occurring in the temperature, water level and shifting weather distinctly caused by anthropogenic factors, the climate change that we observe today is likely to exceed that of what we have recorded in history. Our climates will be difficult to adapt with in the lack of planning, human interventions (Environment Canada) and global cooperation. Where do we get the hope to save the Great Lakes from the perils of climate change? I believe that should everyone else be properly informed about the imminent destruction of our current industrial practices and suggestively be communicated of the new economically, aesthetically and doable practices that we want to apply, we can get the cooperation of the majority to be united in the restoration of the natural ecosystems within the Great Lakes and pursue environment-friendly lifestyles. Initially, since we have recognized the possibilities of extreme weather events occurring resulting to disasters such as extreme storms, floods, heat waves, droughts, forest fires, hurricanes among others, it is imperative that new standards of measures be implemented in terms of technological and infrastructure developments and, disaster planning and management (Environment Canada). This is to ensure first the safety of the residents within the Great Lakes area and neighboring places. The mapping technology has indeed advanced nowadays. It has been widely used in risk and disaster management programs. Our knowledge of climate change has been clearly communicated to us through these maps that depicted the extreme weather conditions invisible to our perception. These maps use geographical data with analysis of environmental factors that contribute to global warming and climate change in the Great Lakes. Thus, with further development of similar mapping applications, our projections, modeling tools and sound judgment can guide us to the general objective of targeting actions, regions or people within the Great Lakes zone that will have significant impact on its restoration. This is vital in the identification of areas of focus and priorities. The leaderships of both Canadian and United States government need cooperation in all actions to be implemented for this cause. Climate change significantly addresses modifications in economic strategies so that these can become justifiable with the Great Lakes environment. The Government of Canada has achieved good progress on its reduction target of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions by 17% from 2005 to 2020 through a sector-by-sector approach in alignment with the United States (Government of Canada). They also have initiated the “Greenhouse Gas Regulations” in Canada’s top producers of greenhouse gas emissions, the transportation and electricity sectors (Government of Canada). They are also effectively fulfilling their commitments to the Copenhagen Accord and actively participated in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s 17th session of the Conference of the Parties which are both global initiatives against climate change. All these engagements benefit the Great Lakes as the surrounding places in Canada adapt new ways to lessen the greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically, the International Joint Commission which is the joint support of the two governments involved in the Great Lakes, monitor and decide on the flow conditions of the water bodies in the Great Lakes. It also serves as the accountability partner of the lead authorities of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement as they are required to publicly present their progress on the Great Lakes stewardship. With a big leap of encouragement from these national and international efforts, each of us can contribute significantly through lifestyles of low greenhouse gas emissions, responsible consumptions of natural products and, planting and caring of more trees within our territories. The Great Lakes can be saved when we make a choice to change our lifestyles. Works Cited American Chemical Society. "Declining Water Levels In The Great Lakes May Signal Global Warming." ScienceDaily. 30 December 2007. Web. 10 April 2012. Environment Canada. “Climate Change Science and Research.” Environment Canada. 28 February 2011. Web. 10 April 2012. Government of Canada. “Impacts of Climate Change”. Canada’s Action on Climate Change. 07 October 2009. Web. 10 April 2012. Manninen, Christine. “The Great Lakes”. Great Lakes Information Network. Web. 10 April 2012. “The Great Lakes”. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 29 March 2012. Web. 10 April 2010. Union of Concerned Scientists. “Rogers City, MI, USA.” Climate Hot Map: Global Warming Effects Around the World. 2011. Web. 10 April 2012. University of Rhode Island. "Great Lakes Water Levels Sensitive To Climate Change." ScienceDaily. 13 January 2009. Web. 10 April 2012. Read More