Looking Beyond a Legacy of Pollution

Becky Baack: Far Light House ~Enlarge

Dear Friends,

Growing up in a suburban Detroit town named after the mall, I saw the open fields disappear each passing year only to be replaced by big box stores and increased exhaust from the thickening traffic. My parents warned to keep away from the stream behind my house due to fears from pollution. Although the creek was part of a wildlife preserve, it is a tributary to the Rouge River and Tonquish creek had a distinct lack of aquatic life.

My summer vacations consisted of traveling to Cedar Point's roller coasters over Lake Erie, the Ludington and Chicago beaches of Lake Michigan, the cold waters of Lake Superior lapping the shores of Paradise, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and visiting my Grandparents on the sugar sand beaches of Lake Huron in Greenbush.

After college, I landed in Syracuse and discovered Lake Ontario and the Thousand Islands of the mighty St. Lawrence. I find amazing inspiration in the Ontario-St. Lawrence Watershed, punctuated by fertile farmland, majestic Finger Lakes, and a rich progressive tradition for gender and racial equality.

The Great Lakes states I have called home face similar struggles: living with the legacy of industrial pollution, sprawling development, and economic recession. I believe hope is strong in the Great Lakes Basin and I am truly heartened by the dynamic Great Lakes community. The vision for our Great Lakes renaissance is expanding and coming to fruition. While we face more challenges, there are even more opportunities to shape our sustainable future.

We know the stewardship of the Great Lakes begins at home however sustainable stewardship needs be guided by sustainable policy to provide the framework to address the most critical issues, from water management to energy production and climate change.

In the coming days, I will discuss the Great Lakes energy and water quality future. Our freshwater ecosystem provides us with abundant resources that should no longer be misused. It is our obligation to advocate, act, and achieve the restoration and protection of America's freshwater wonder.

With hope,

Dereth