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Opinion | Climate change puts Great Lakes at risk, but solutions are in sight
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Summer is winding down, and many of us are going to the lakes to swim, fish, boat and play on the beach before chillier weather.
The Great Lakes are where we live, work and play. The lakes are a diverse, robust ecosystem and provide outdoor recreation opportunities enjoyed by millions of people, supply safe drinking water to 40 million people, and support the region’s vital economic vitality.
All of that is at risk, however, as climate change threatens our Great Lakes. All’s not well on the surface: green scum algae plagues western Lake Erie. Beneath the surface, there’s a clear warning: climate change is accelerating and threatening our freshwater future.
The updated 2025 Great Lakes – Climate Change Impacts Report by Big 10 University scientists and the Environmental Law & Policy Center explains that the Great Lakes region is warming fast. Average annual temperatures have risen nearly 3 degrees since the 1950s, including more than 1 degree in just the last six years. These shifts may sound small, but the consequences are profound for Michigan’s environment, economy and way of life.
Let’s get the hard truths out of the way first, but don’t just despair – there is hope and we can make a difference.
Climate change affects the chemistry of the lakes. Warmer waters fuel larger and longer-lasting toxic algae outbreaks on Lake Erie and, now, Lake Superior. That chokes aquatic life, threatens drinking water, and drives families off beaches. Who wants to swim or paddle or even look at this green scum,
Certain fish that once defined Great Lakes culture are disappearing from warmer waters. Even if fishing halted tomorrow, scientists warn that whitefish may be gone from some lakes within five years. Trout habitat is shrinking, while invasive species like mussels and lamprey thrive.
Although we might not yet want to think about winter, our cold-weather activities are likewise affected. Winters once meant solid ice on the lakes, protecting shorelines and sustaining local traditions like ice fishing, skiing, and skating. In 2024, average winter ice cover dropped to just 4.3% – the lowest on record. That disappearance accelerates shoreline erosion, undermines infrastructure, and guts winter tourism industries.
Climate change isn’t just an environmental crisis; it’s a public health emergency. Heat waves are straining infrastructure and endangering vulnerable populations. In cities like Detroit and Chicago, urban heat islands mean some neighborhoods are 10 degrees hotter than surrounding areas. That translates to higher electricity bills, overstressed power grids, and tragic spikes in heat-related illness and death.
Making matters worse, federal leadership is headed in the wrong direction: slashing funding for many clean water programs, dismantling climate protections, forcing the uneconomic J.H. Campbell coal plant in West Olive to keep running, and even targeting the National Weather Service. This leaves Michigan communities less prepared for severe storms, flooding, and toxic air.
Here’s the good news: we already know some solutions.
First, let’s support vital, common sense, effective Great Lakes programs have achieved demonstrably strong results: the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and coastal resilience programs; and continued federal support for widely relied upon water quality monitoring by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and for sound scientific research through theCooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR) based at the University of Michigan and engaging nine other universities.
Second, Michigan and the Midwest should advance renewable energy that avoids pollution, creates jobs and grows the regional economy. Ditto with cleaner vehicles, better public transit, and modern higher-speed passenger rail service that improve mobility, enable healthier clean air, support jobs and accelerate a resilient regional economy. Win-win-win and win.
Third, apply enforceable standards to reduce the phosphorus pollution coming from manure produced by super-sized concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and excessive fertilizers running off large agricultural fields. That “nutrient pollution” of the water system fuels the harmful algae growth that plagues Lake Erie every summer. Let’s clean it up!
We all love the Great Lakes! They shape Michigan’s identity, fuel the economy, and provide reliable drinking water. What will these waters look like in 2040?
The choices we make now will determine whether our children inherit thriving beaches, healthy fisheries, and safe drinking water, or a degraded legacy of short-sighted denial. Let’s work together to protect and restore our Great Lakes.
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