The Great Lakes–Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superior–hold 20 percent of the world’s supply of surface fresh water and provide sustenance, work, and recreation for tens of millions of Americans. But they are under threat as never before, and their problems are spreading across the continent. The Death and Life of the Great Lakes is prize-winning reporter Dan Egan’s compulsively readable … readable portrait of an ecological catastrophe happening right before our eyes, blending the epic story of the lakes with an examination of the perils they face and the ways we can restore and preserve them for generations to come.
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I grew up in Michigan and have wonderful childhood memories of time spent at the Great Lakes. We mostly visited Lake Michigan and Huron but the other three lakes – Superior, Erie and Ontario are just as impressive.
When I saw this book, I knew that I had to buy a copy and read about the changes in the Lakes during my lifetime. The author gives his readers the history of the lakes but much of the book takes place in the 1960s to present day.
The St. Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959 so that large ocean-going vessels had a clear route into the industrial cities around the Great Lakes. Unfortunately, the large ships also brought invasive organisms to the lakes -lamprey eel, alewife, Asian carp, and zebra and quagga mussel have killed off native fish and left the lakes in poor ecological shape. There have been some rebounds with the introduction of salmon and whitefish but the future of the lakes is still not decided. Who will make the decisions that will bring life back in the lakes? It appears that our children and the people who love to swim and fish in the lakes will have to work with the politicians to make the lakes viable again.
Parts of this book left me very distressed because I was not aware of how bad things were. I realize now that we need to work to get the lakes cleaned up so that they become not only a viable source of drinking water but also for the fun and recreation that they provide to great numbers of people. We need to spend some money and realize how global warming is contributing to the downfall of the Great Lakes. I have great memories of my time on the shores of Lake Michigan and hope that future generations have the same opportunity.
Dan Egan’s book is sobering, a perfect example of how sometimes when we try to fix something we end up making it worse. He tends to fault actions from 200 years ago as too reckless, that the people who pushed for the Erie Canal should have had the foresight to see that connecting the Lakes to the ocean was going to cause to problems. I think that’s expecting 19th century politicians to have 21st foresight; the science wasn’t there to affect their decision. All in all, a descriptive (sometimes overly) account of how we almost lost the Great Lakes and hope that we can restore them even now.
Lake Michigan was the ocean of my midwestern childhood. Its vast waters seemed to hold limitless wonders. So, reading the secret stories of what’s going on beneath the surface in this book is fascinating. This is a tale that ranges from the microscopic to the global, from politics to science, through the sublime and the absurd. Egan does a terrific job of both engaging and explaining, and making you care without despair. It’s a great example of effective science and nature writing.
This is an important book. It details the man-made devastation done to the ecosystem of the Great Lakes and why it’s important to take action now to protect these natural resources.
wonderful. any one living in the upper midwest should read this book. Very informative
Important reading for environmental future of our water
An important book that addresses the real need for us to be vigilant about our water supply. Everyone should read this book to understand the past and present issues that are affecting these Great Lakes, since these lake bodies contain 20% of our fresh water supply. Highly recommend to all!