Climate Change in Monroe, MI
Monroe is a small city located in the South-East corner of Michigan nestled right up on the shores of Lake Erie. Like any other city, Monroe is not immune to climate change, and the signs of it are starting to show. Within this post I will discuss the impacts climate change is having on the city, and possible ways individuals and the community can try to fix it.
Physical Impact
As I stated before, Monroe sits right on the shores of Lake Erie. The lake has had its ups and downs in the past, but as we’re starting to see, we’re getting to a low point again. A common issue on Lake Erie is the growth of harmful algae blooms, and right now they’re seeing some of the worst growth yet. To give a little more context, warming waters are the ideal conditions for harmful algae blooms to grow, so as the temperature in the air slowly increases, so does the temperature of the water. So now the question is why this is a problem.
I’ve seen with my own eyes the impact the algae has had on the lake. The shores of Lake Erie are covered with a thick, green layer of algae that sticks to anything it touches. Sterling State Park also sits right on Lake Erie and the beaches there are covered too. To swim in the lake is to put yourself in danger of getting the algae in your mouth or eyes. The reduced water quality also has a very negative impact on the wildlife that lives in the lake or that drinks from the lake. The thick layer of algae covering the surface of the water isn’t allowing enough sun light to get through to the organisms underwater which is causing them to die.
Economic Impact
The algae blooms are not only a physical issue, but also an economic issue for Monroe. There’s a few reasons as to why the economy will suffer due to the growth of harmful algae in Lake Erie.
As I mentioned before, Sterling State park is right on the shores of Lake Erie, and it’s a popular hangout spot over the summer for most people in Monroe county. To get in to the state park you have to buy a pass, and that money helps keep the park clean and enjoyable for people to visit. With the thick green algae covering the beaches, less people will want to visit the park, which means they’ll have less income to maintain the upkeep. This could potentially cause the county to have to start taxing people more to keep the state park in business which won’t make the community very happy.
Another impact on the economy would be the quality of drinking water. Lake Erie supplies drinking water to many communities, so if that water starts to become toxic due to the algae, then those communities won’t be able to use it anymore. Water will start to become more expensive if people have to start sourcing it from other locations father away from them.
Actions Individuals Can Take
The growth of this harmful algae can all be rooted in climate change. If individuals want to start making a change they have to actually change some of their actions. One way they can make a small but important change is by turning the lights off in rooms they aren’t using at the very moment. This would cut down on electricity being used which would in turn cut down on the amount of carbon they’re admitting from electricity. Another thing individuals could start doing is taking recycling seriously or cut down on their plastic use. Using reusable containers is a great way to make steps towards this.
Actions The Community Can Take
A very easy and simple action the community could take to help Lake Erie is by organizing “clean-up” days throughout the year. They could make events where people can all come together and clean up a lot of the garbage on the shores of the lake to start making the water clean again. A little bigger action the community could take is to try to raise money to eradicate the algae blooms in the lake. This is a more extensive cleaning process, but actions like this have been taken before in the past.
Questions To Still Be Answered
One big question we need to think about is why we continue to let Lake Erie be contaminated. It’s not like this is the first algae bloom the lake has had, and they’ve tried to fix it before, but it still happened again. Officials know how dangerous the blooms are, yet they let it happen again. Why has the community not taken serious actions to try to prevent these blooms from occurring? How much worse are they willing to let the issue get before it’s too late to reverse? It’s questions like these that I’d hope would cross the minds of many people who understand what’s happening to the lake over and over again.
Citations
“Climate Impacts in the Midwest.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 30 Sept. 2016, 19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-midwest_.html#Water.
“Here’s What Climate Change Is Doing to the Great Lakes.” The Weather Channel, weather.com/science/environment/news/great-lakes-lake-erie-harmful-algae-bloom-climate-change.
“Harmful Algal Blooms & Drinking Water Treatment.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 17 May 2018, www.epa.gov/water-research/harmful-algal-blooms-drinking-water-treatment.
Nissen, Jack. “Uncertainty Floods the Future of Great Lakes’ Water Quality and Quantity.” Great Lakes Echo, 2 June 2017, greatlakesecho.org/2017/05/26/uncertainty-floods-the-future-of-great-lakes-water-quality-and-quantity/.
“Office of Energy and Environment.” Number of Severe Algal Blooms in Lake Erie to Double, Forecast Says | Office of Energy and Environment | The Ohio State University, oee.osu.edu/%E2%80%8Bnumber-of-severe-algal-blooms-in-lake-erie-to-double,-forecast-says.html.
CMB.Contact@noaa.gov. “Climate at a Glance.” National Climatic Data Center, www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/county/time-series/MI-115/pcp/1/6/1950-2019?base_prd=true&firstbaseyear=1901&lastbaseyear=2000.
