plz don't read!

Author: featherpelt
From: riverclan, USA
Age: 127
Date: 26th Nov 2007, 12:09 AM
Rating: Not yet rated
Comment:
Title: plz don't read!

ok so i had to publish this because microsoft is not working and it's my geography essay that is worth like 1000 points. so ignore this!

Pollution Redution on the Great Lakes!

written by:Chelsea Roberts


Hello, my name is Chelsea Mai Roberts. I live in Ontario and work for the Canadian wildlife service. I am here to talk to you today to make sure you understand how important it is to keep our great lakes healthy, and how to deal with habitat loss and invasive species.
We all know that the Great Lakes are our greatest source of fresh water in the united states and canada. We get most of our everyday water from them, the water we drink, bathe in, water our lawn with, and mix in with foods... but what would happen if the Great Lakes were undrinkable? How would we get enough water to go around? Without drinkable water we would die of sickness, disease, and dehydration! This could happen if we don't stop polluting the Great Lakes. Although at present we are doing better, there was a time when nobody could drink from them without getting sick. On June 1969, the Cuyahoga river which flows through Cleveland, Ohio caught fire from being so badly polluted! It had not been the first time the river had been up in flames, but this particular fire had not only caught fire.. it had also caught the attention of the nation as well. They began to increase the water pollution controls, and in the 1970's the Great Lakes Clean Water Act and Water Quality Act had taken flight! Pollution is caused not only from littering but also from sewage disposal, toxic contamination through heavy metals and pesticides, overdevelopment of the water's edge, runoff from agriculture and urbanization, and air pollution. Not only are we suffering, but the animals that have made the Great Lakes their home are too! Animals such as seagulls, lake trout, and herring gulls are being effected! When a fish is poisoned it hurts the animals that eat it and the animals that eat it effects the animals that eat them! this results in a break in the food chain. During the seasons of this.. a whole 2 species of fish are uneatable due to poison.
Speaking of species.. have any of you heard about invasive species? Invasive species are animals that have traveled and made the great lakes their permanent home. Since the 1800s, scientists have identified more than 160 invaders - fish, crustaceans, aquatic plants and species of plankton, all of which have made the great lakes their permanent home. On basis that is approximately a whole species integrating every 11 months! Some are so common that people think that they have always existed there. Some of these are named the carp, the alewife, and the lamprey. A sea lamprey is a jawless fish that that at one time was native to both sides of the Atlantic ocean. It is about a meter in length and has an eel like appearance. It feeds off fishes by attaching itself to it's prey and slicing through the scales to get to the liquid and body fluids within. Only 1 in 7 fish could survive the attack. By the 1940's the lamprey had invaded Lake Erie and the upper great lakes wiping out the lake trout and whitefish population. Another type of invasive species is the zebra mussel. Zebra mussel's arrived at the great lakes in the tank of a ship. They can still be found in their old environment in the Caspian sea. Ever since zebra mussels were discovered in Lake St. Clair in 1988, they have spread throughout the Great Lakes and across Ontario, Quebec, as far west as Kansas and down to the Gulf of Mexico. Zebra mussels cluster together and cause clogs in pipes and cooling systems. In one season nearly 32,000 zebra mussels can cover a whole surface!
Another problem is habitat loss. Toxic pollutants, especially from the atmosphere, are a major concern to the livelihood of the Great Lakes habitat. The wetlands are one these. The wetlands of the Great Lakes are home to many plants and animals, some of which can be found nowhere else. They also are counted on for sustaining a productive fishery, with many species of great lakes fish for successful reproduction.Wetlands provide habitats for many kinds of plants and animals, some of which are found nowhere else. For ducks, geese and other migratory birds, wetlands are the most important part of the migratory cycle, providing food, resting places and seasonal habitats. Wetlands also play an essential role in sustaining a productive fishery, with many species of Great Lakes fish depending on coastal wetlands for successful reproduction.
So as you can see, the Great Lakes are not as healthy as they seem. We must do something to help keep our Great Lakes clean and drinkable. Here are a couple ideas that you can do everyday to help the Great Lakes stay beautiful;
wat should be done!
First, you can pick up trash you find in or near them, this means no littering also. Second, you can walk places that are not very far away as much as possible. This helps with the car pollution problem. third, take in any animal besides fish that needs help to the wildlife resevoir. this includes the animals, seagull, eagle, or any other kind of bird. fourth, plant trees and try not to use the trees in the wetlands. fifth, if your car is leaking gas then see to it that it gets fixed. This is because when it rains the rain will wash anything that is on the streets or sidewalk into the lakes. I hope that you now have a different view on the Great Lakes- thank you for your time.
Chelsea mai roberts


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