Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
“Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.” The GLRI is a multiphase long term conservation plan for the entire Great Lakes region. The initiative outlines detailed plans to combat discharge of toxic substances and waste into the Great Lakes, tackling invasive species, reducing the amount of agricultural chemicals released into the watershed areas of the lakes, restoration and preservation of natural terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and educating the future generations about the greater Great Lakes region. Michigan is the center for US automotive production, and the Great Lakes region is no doubt home to some of the most diverse and largest industrial complexes and manufacturing in the Americas. AccerlorMittal, the largest steel producer in the USA, has seven of their fourteen US location in the Great Lakes region, with two locations being directly on the shoreline. Microplastics have been found in great numbers in fish following lab analysis, and municipalities aren’t required to test for microplastics in the public drinking water supply. They have been found in drinking water and beer produced in the region. The effects of long term microplastic ingestion on the human body are still unknown.
The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater system in the world.
They account for more than 20% of the worlds freshwater.
The Great Lakes are the primary source of water for more than 40 million people.
22 million pounds of plastics enter the Great Lakes every year.
1 in 3 people do not have access to clean drinking water.
What can you do?
To help be part of the solution, here are some easy at home changes you can make to help reduce pollutants and conserve water.
Ban single use paper and plastic products in your home.
I did this and I came to love it. I know it isn’t easy and it’s even less convenient, but it adds up in the long run. It’ll even save you money long term.
Conserve water when you wash dishes.
When you hand wash dishes, fill one side of the sink with water for scrubbing, and fill the other side with cool water for rinsing the dishes and cutlery before leaving to dry. Don’t let the water run the whole time. Don’t worry, the antibacterial properties in the dish soap will sanitize the dishes. The rinse water will get a sheen of soap on it, but it will remain clean. If you have a dishwasher, don’t run it for anything other than a chock full dishwasher.
Buy from companies who are committed to sustainability and sustainable practices.
There are numerous companies that make everyday products such as napkins and paper towels in a sustainable and eco friendly way by either making their products from recycled waste or choosing to use sustainable materials. I wear bamboo socks because they’re even softer then cashmere, naturally antimicrobial, 100% biodegradable, and bamboo is carbon neutral.
There’s hardly a process so perfect that it’s truly a carbon neutral or 100% sustainable, I know. There are holes everywhere. Often one process looks so wonderful on paper because there are ten processes behind it that are horrible for the environment just to make one look so good, but there are little things we can do everyday to ensure the inheritors of the Earth have it better than we did, that we leave behind a better world for them. If everyone with access to clean drinking water saved just one gallon of water per week, we’d save 131,685,840,000 gallons of water per year. That’s 131 trillion.
