It’s been an interesting 8 days in terms of both science and policy. On Nov 17, Rick Smith of CELA blogged a series of articulate, high-level concerns about the implementation of the Great Lakes Protection Act, entitled Can Words Protect the Lakes. It is available on CELA’s blog, at http://www.cela.ca/blog. The blog notes that implementation depends on political will and adequate funding, and a list of high-level needs, including comprehensive regulations, protective policies, funding for expanded institutional capacity at all levels, and effective operational programs developed with input from municipalities, First Nations, stakeholders and the public.
Two days later, a piece by Cherly Katz in Yale University’s environment360 provided a chilling insight into how climate change appears to be impacting large northern lakes, and describes Lake Superior as “amongst the fastest-changing”. The article can be seen at http://e360.yale.edu/feature/on_thin_ice_big_northern_lakes_are_being_rapidly_transformed/2933/.
The OHI continues to support the implementation of the GLPA, and called for spending forecasts, implementation plans, and the integration of great lake initiatives with enhanced watershed management of its tributaries and their watersheds through the three times the draft bills were under consideration by the legislature. It would be wonderful of the articles noted above helped expedite the Ontario government’s commitments in these regards.