On January 29th of this year President Obama nominated Lana Pollack of Michigan to the International Joint Commission (IJC).

The IJC is the U.S. and Canadian agency that advises the two governments on a range of transboundary water issues, and one need only look at a map to see the vast scope of what the commission touches.

In the scheme of presidential appointments, Pollack's received scant attention but that doesn't diminish its importance. Water defines the U.S. - Canada border and if it's the oil of the 21st century and beyond, the IJC and Pollack have the potential to be critical players.The Great Lakes region of the U.S. and Canada are stewards of 20% of the Earth's fresh surface water.

I try not to be a keeper of "things" and admire the philosophy of Chris McCandless, the inspiring but tragic figure whose life was chronicled by author Jon Krakauer in Into the Wild.  McCandless wanted to experience life and eschewed material possesions.

On being told by his parents that they were buying him a car he responded, "I don't want any things."

It's hard to not collect things in a society that constantly promotes consumption.

Following a presidential election the attenton immediately shifts to speculation about who will fill the new president's cabinet. It's an interesting exercise as names surface, many times as a trial balloon, cautious levels of interest or disinterest are expressed, and finally a selection is made.  

2008 was no different and during the post-election process many in the Great Lakes community were focused on who would get the top job at the USEPA. Interestingly, one prominently mentioned name was that of Robert Kennedy Jr. of Kennedy clan fame and environmental activism notoriety.

In one of those curiously timed anouncements - right before a long holiday weekend -the USEPA announced on Friday that Kennecott Eagle Minerals does not need a key federal permit to begin mining opertions in a pristine and sacred area of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

This is the region where the State of Michigan, following the use of dubious procedures at best, and against the wishes of local citizens, has allowed Kennecott to begin a controversial mining operation.

In fact, Kennecott had already withdrawn its federal permit application saying that the permit granted by the Michigan was all it needed.

The recent discovery of a live Asian Carp near Lake Michigan has generated a predictable outcry.

Perhaps the most puzzling one comes from the Great Lakes senate delegation who wants the president's immediate assistance in the fight against Asian Carp.

That assistance comes in the form of a request to create a position titled Coordinated Response Commander "to fight this battle." This was disclosed last week in a letter from 12 Great Lakes senators to President Obama. The letter also says we need to marshal "the best and brightest - scientists, engineers, and environmental experts" to focus on keeping carp out of the Great Lakes.  

Letters like this are cheap and common in Washington but this one borders on the bizarre.

As the gulf oil disaster drones on, we're starting to hear accounts of what we didn't learn from past disasters that we should have. Say from the Exxon Valdez spill 20 years ago, for example.

To that point, Boston College Environmental Law Professor Zygmunt Plater spoke recently on NPR about the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez spill, and the subsequent Oil Pollution Act law passed to minimize the chance of reoccurrences.

This country was brought to its knees by the economic meltdown based on the greed and recklesness exhibited by Wall Street and the financial service industries. The smartest guys in the room who went to the best schools - this era's best and brightest - displayed a hubris and arrogance rarely seen and years later we are still reeling from their work.

In the wake of the crash there have been congressional hearings on what went wrong, volumes have been written and spoken on what happened and why, and on how we can prevent a reoccurrence. New legislation has been proposed designed to reign in some of the most egregious practices, and surprise, Wall Street executives are railing against attempts to restrict their dangerous behavior.