From today's Chicago Sun Times
Great Lakes threatened, and it's time to protect them
October 2, 2005
On Sept. 19, at Shedd Aquarium, the results of a new study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association were revealed, showing that Lake Michigan has the highest mercury levels of any of the Great Lakes. In addition, scientists with the Environmental Protection Agency have identified the Chicago area as a ''hot spot'' where relatively large amounts of airborne mercury fall back to Earth. This is the latest compelling evidence that the Great Lakes are in trouble and will recover only if people cooperate and take action now.
For those of us who live in Chicagoland, let's remember that Lake Michigan supplies the water we drink and use to cook, shower, wash our clothes and water our lawn. We spend time with our families enjoying Lake Michigan's beaches, fishing and boating. It is no exaggeration to say that Lake Michigan plays an integral role in our life every day. It's in our best interest to protect its waters, as well as the animals that live in and around it.
Earlier this year, Shedd Aquarium, the Biodiversity Project and other Great Lakes leaders launched Great Lakes Forever in Chicago, an awareness campaign that aims to draw public attention to the value and vulnerabilities of the Great Lakes.
As the NOAA study illustrates, this is a pivotal time for the Great Lakes: The threat to all of us who depend on them is real, and so is the opportunity to reduce that threat.
Shedd Aquarium applauds U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) for asking NOAA to conduct this study, as well as the continuing efforts of Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.), Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) and Mayor Daley to protect Lake Michigan. It is important for all of us who depend on the Great Lakes to support Great Lakes protection efforts, get involved and contact community and federal leaders to let them know how important this freshwater resource is to us all. Each one of us can play a role in helping to conserve these magnificent, yet vulnerable, bodies of water: our Great Lakes. Click on www.great lakesforever.org to learn more.
Jeff Boehm,
senior vice president,
Shedd Aquarium