GREAT LAKES

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

This thread is about the "history of the Great Lakes", the people who have been associated with any of the Great Lakes and/or any events associated with them.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

The Death and Life of the Great Lakes

by Dan Egan

Synopsis:

A master reporter’s landmark work of contemporary ecology.

The Great Lakes hold 20 percent of the world’s freshwater, and they provide food, work, and weekend fun for tens of millions of Americans. Yet they are under threat as never before.

In a work of narrative reporting in the vein of Rachel Carson and Elizabeth Kolbert, prize-winning reporter Dan Egan delivers an eye-opening portrait of our nation’s greatest natural resource as it faces ecological calamity. He tells the story of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Chicago ship canal—good ideas in their time that have had horrendous consequences. He explains how invasive species such as Asian carp, sea lamprey, and zebra mussels have decimated native species and endanger the entire United States. And he examines new risks, such as unsafe drinking water, the threat of water diversions, and “dead zones” that cover hundreds of square miles of water—while showing how the Great Lakes can be restored and preserved for generations to come.

[Douglass, HBC Admin/TL - Economics/Finance]

I read The Death and Life of the Great Lakes last year. It is a really interesting discussion of ecology, natural history, and human history of the Great Lakes region. Before reading this, I did not realize how much of the destruction of the ecosystems was caused by the federal government. This is a really good read for anyone interested in the region, anyone who cares about environmental conservation, and anyone who thinks water is important (so really everyone).

by Dan Egan

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Douglass - I have it on my to be read list and it looked like a very interesting read.

Thank you for posting your recommendation. It has convinced me that I should move it up.