On Planet On Planet Earth, the Great Lakes
are absolutely unique.
The decisions we make in our daily lives, and the choices we make in who represents us
in our government may affect generations to come. The Great Lakes system is a treasure. Understanding
their natural processes and understanding the dynamics of what we do is
essential to these life giving waters.
The way to solve pollution problems is to think globally and to act
locally.
Picture yourself as an astronaut looking down from a
spacecraft at this beautiful planet, the Earth. From space, it is easy to see
that everything is connected to everything else. The great masses of swirling clouds travel
over the continents, drop rain, and sometimes along with the rain, pollutants.
The lakes, rivers and seas are interconnected. In order to control global
pollution problems they must be controlled at their source.
In order to act locally, some communities, both adult groups
and school age students have adopted a stream.
They have observed the places where pollution might be occurring then
they have spoken out against pollution in their communities, city councils or
other government agencies. Local groups
of people are in the best position to observe what is happening to their local
stream.
Local citizens can help develop cleanup strategies and local
pollution prevention programs. The problem is too important to leave to
government officials and industries alone.
Legislation to curb pollution needs to be on a global level
as well as on national, state and local levels since everyone is a part of the
global whole and flowing air, water and land ecosystems.
The view of planet Earth as seen from a satellite in outer
space shows the continents, deep blue oceans and white swirling clouds of
vapor. The five Great Lakes show their distinct, interconnected shapes; unique
bodies of fresh water.
Of all the planets our satellite cameras and telescopes have
probed, only Earth looks inviting or habitable.
A famous photograph taken from the moon shows Earth rising against a
barren moonscape where nothing lives. In
the foreground we see jagged rock, but rising in the distance is Earth with its
liquid medium: water. Water and life are
inseparable. Where there is life, there is water; where there is water, there
is life.
All nations as well as all living things share the water and
air supply that is the planet’s life support system; therefore we all share a
responsibility for the cleanliness of the air, water, land and its living webs
of life. Air and water never stop to show a passport, but circulate freely
around the globe. The great swirling
airstreams and water systems we can see from a satellite circulate continually.
If we thought of the Earth as an apple, a layer of life-
supporting air, soil and water would only be as thick as the apple's skin.
Life on Earth is only possible as long as our limited life support system
works.
excerpted from The Dynamic Great Lakes by Barbara Spring
