Geography 2011A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Asian Carp, Petrochemical Industry, Sea Lamprey
5 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Waterlife
Uses of the Great Lakes (have changed over time w/changes in environment, technology, economy)
- aquatic life (biota, fish, mammals, birds, plants, habitat for biodiversity...near shore wetlands)
- drinking water (bottled water)
- fishing (commercial, sport, subsistence, cultural value)
- boating (commercial, transportation (canals/locks), recreation)
- dredging
- indigenous values (healing, emotional sustenance)
- recreation (swimming, beaches, boating, tourism, surfing, scuba, living nearby)
- dams power generation economic growth
- industry (pulp and paper) waste, sewer (human) waste
- fish farming
- irrigation for agriculture
- competing uses = competing interests
- e trust that the goeret is athig the ater...soeties, that’s ot happeig
- someone is deciding risk factors for you
Environmental Issues in the Great Lakes (started to notice declines in the 1960s)
- lack of fish for fishery (transformed by overfishing, pollution, invasive species, habitat loss)
- polluted effluent (industrial and municipal; ex. sewage treatment plants, agricultural runoff)
- surface water runoff
- contaminated sediments
- invasive species (ex. Zebra Mussels from ballast water, Sea Lamprey from canals from ocean, Asian
Carp.... eradication is likely impossible...can destroy ecosystems).
- toxic waste damps (lack of ifo. aout hat’s here).
- pollutants of all types
- petro-chemical industry spills
- food web decline (basics of food chain disappearing)
- water levels decreasing = reduced shoreline habitat
- oxygen depletion in Lake Erie - algae dead zone
- climate change - reduced water levels
- BUT the ater looks lea ad eerthig sees oka...e do’t hear warnings from government, so
e do’t pereie hat e are eposed to
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Uses of the great lakes (have changed over time w/changes in environment, technology, economy) Aquatic life (biota, fish, mammals, birds, plants, habitat for biodiversitynear shore wetlands) Recreation (swimming, beaches, boating, tourism, surfing, scuba, living nearby) Dams power generation economic growth. Industry (pulp and paper) waste, sewer (human) waste. (cid:449)e trust that the go(cid:448)er(cid:374)(cid:373)e(cid:374)t is (cid:449)at(cid:272)hi(cid:374)g the (cid:449)aterso(cid:373)eti(cid:373)es, that"s (cid:374)ot happe(cid:374)i(cid:374)g. Someone is deciding risk factors for you. Environmental issues in the great lakes (started to notice declines in the 1960s) Lack of fish for fishery (transformed by overfishing, pollution, invasive species, habitat loss) Polluted effluent (industrial and municipal; ex. sewage treatment plants, agricultural runoff) Zebra mussels from ballast water, sea lamprey from canals from ocean, asian. Toxic waste damps (lack of i(cid:374)fo. a(cid:271)out (cid:449)hat"s here). Food web decline (basics of food chain disappearing) Water levels decreasing = reduced shoreline habitat. Oxygen depletion in lake erie - algae dead zone.
