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Environmental management faces moving targets
Many of the world's big lakes are threatened by
pollution or huge drainage schemes. But there is at least one (fairly) bright
spot. The Great Lakes and the St Lawrence River system between Canada and the
United States, which together account for a fifth of the world's non-polar fresh
water, are much healthier than they were. Can they stay that way? Though Lake Michigan is wholly within the United
States, all five lakes are governed by the Boundary Waters nearly of 1909,
implemented by an independent binational joint commission. In 1978, both
countries agreed to try to clean up the water in the lakes, several of which
were heavily polluted. They have done SO - though in fact the improvement owes
as much to economic change as to government action. Steel and other heavy
industry have given way to cleaner industries and services, both in Ontario and
in American lakeside states. The result: tests on fish and birds show residues
of heavy metals have declined (though dangerous levels of mercury are still
found), while in the past ten years the rivers near Toronto have been
successfully stocked with salmon. There are still worries. One problem is farming. This
uses much lake water (29% of the total that is withdrawn) for irrigation, while
also polluting the lakes and river systems. The huge quantities of manure spread
on farms in Ontario and Quebec also causes pollution, by running off the land
into streams, rivers and then lakes. Neither local, provincial nor national
governments have programmes to tackle this. Then there is a plan to route a
natural-gas pipeline in a 150km (93-mile) trench across Lake Erie. Critics say
this might disturb the toxic sediment lying on the lake bottom, while ice
scouring might rupture the pipe. Some scientists also worry that water levels will fall
permanently. Climate change is likely to cut rainfall in the Great Lakes basin,
while ever more water will be drawn from the lakes by a rising urban population.
General consumption in the basin will increase by 25% in the next 25 years,
according to a forecast by a consultant to the commission. Other threats include some 140 exotic species of flora,
fish and shellfish that have found their way into the lakes, some via ships'
ballast. The zebra mussel from Eastern Europe is the most notorious and probably
most damaging to the environment. It consumes a lot of oxygen (though it also
helps to clean the water). Lastly, there is the hazardous prospect of
decommissioning Ontario's two dozen ageing nuclear reactors, which line the
shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Huron. Fortunately,
the long history of successful co-operation between the two countries and among
local governments suggests these threats can be managed. The commission has long
run the St Lawrence hydro-power project at Cornwall, Ontario, and regulated the
river flow without dispute or political interference. In June, the governors of
eight American states and the premiers of Ontario and Quebec signed an accord
setting out principles for controlling bulk-water exports. They are due to work
out binding rules on these within three years. Canada's Parliament is close to
approving a government bill to protect boundary waters against bulk removals. Both governments have approved the commission's plan to
set up international watershed boards across the continent. These are to take a
"holistic" approach to ecosystems. Maybe the Zebra mussel and the farm
run-offs have met their match. The Economist. November 17th 2001 |
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