“This report paints a stark picture of changes in store for the lakes as a result of our changing climate.”. And the report says the Great Lakes Region is smack-dab in the center of some of the most damaging impacts from climate change. The northern Great Lakes states could see a month or so fewer days where the temperature does not get above freezing. Learn more. There are numerous efforts underway to refine predictions of future climate conditions and to predict impacts on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin. Great Lakes are rapidly warming, likely to trigger more flooding and extreme weather Report also predicts more severe algae blooms will increase water treatment costs. Fortunately, there are solutions that can benefit both farmers and fishers. Take action to prioritize science-based election reforms. Call for investments in public health and human security, not nuclear weapons. Solar and wind development are growing in Wisconsin, driven largely by falling prices. Tony Evers, a Democrat, and the Legislature, which is controlled by Republicans, to push for more solar and wind development, improve energy efficiency, accelerate electric cars and reduce runoff that pollutes the lakes and their tributaries. Climate change is fueling extreme water levels in the Great Lakes — and scientists are predicting “higher highs and lower lows.” By Tony Briscoe Jan 9, 2020 2 Brattle Square, Cambridge MA 02138, USA The Environmental Policy & Law Center report found climate change threatens the Great Lakes' water quality in other ways. Between 1901-1960 and 1985-2016, the temperature of the Great Lakes basin increased 1.6 degrees in annual mean temperature compared to a 1.2-degree increase for the rest of the continental U.S. By the end of the century, global average temperatures are projected to rise by 2.7 degrees to 7.2 degrees, depending on how much greenhouse gas emissions are produced. These findings echo a federal report released in November that found climate change will reduce agricultural production in the Midwest to levels seen in the 1980s. As one of eleven NOAA-funded regional centers, GLISA builds capacity to manage risks from climate change and variability in the Great Lakes region. Solar geoengineering technologies cool the earth by reflecting sunlight back into space—but they pose many risks, challenges, and uncertainties. All rights reserved. Wisconsin state lands agency eliminates ban on climate change advocacy, Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, Agencies ask Wisconsin lawmakers to approve measures in Tony Evers' budget to clean up drinking water, Wisconsin Gov. An outcome of rising temperatures is that a warmer atmosphere contains more moisture, which the report said would increase the frequency and intensity of heavy rains and snow. Climate change is causing significant and far-reaching impacts on the Great Lakes and the Great Lakes region. 2. The report’s findings are separate from the policy recommendations. See EPA’s About PDF page to learn more.. Lake Superior Climate Change Impacts Report (PDF) (139 pp, 4 MB, January 2014) The report estimates climate change could reduce crop yields for corn and soybeans up to 30 percent in the southern parts of the Great Lakes region like Illinois and Indiana. Water level and water temperature are two important and interrelated indicators of weather and climate change in the Great Lakes. Climate change presents challenges to the Great Lakes, with complicated effects and inter-relationships. The energy choices we make today could make or break our ability to fight climate change. Wetter springs could delay planting and put crops at risk in hotter and drier conditions later in the season. Urge Congress to pass a budget that prioritizes people and our planet. Text "SCIENCE" to 662266 or sign up online. Here's how. Meanwhile, a legislative task force held its first hearing Wednesday in Madison on water quality issues. Snow, climate change and land use change could therefore result Ice Cover and Lake Temperature Lake temperatures have been increasing faster than surrounding air temperatures. But scientists hoping to communicate the consequences have to … 1. (617) 547-5552. The report projects precipitation patterns will change, with wetter winters and springs, and by 2100, summer precipitation should decrease by 5 percent to 15 percent for most of Great Lake states. The old paradigm: There would be large drops in lake levels from evaporation. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Can we prevent them from being used again? This report, from 18 leading scientists and experts from Midwest and Canadian universities and research institutions, draws on the array of existing research to assess how the shifting global climate impacts the unique Great Lakes region. The report was designed to raise awareness of climate change and broaden understanding of its potential impacts and solutions. Minimize the pressure on the environment, thus reducing the vulnerability to the impact of climate change. > neds for effective climate change adaptation in the e Great Lakes region. But these seasonal changes are expected to be reversed in the northern Great Lakes, where winter temperatures will rise more than summer's. Output from some of these global models has been “down-scaled” or regionalized to help predict future Great Lakes climate conditions. The report was commissioned by the Environmental Law & Policy Center of Chicago and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs — and thus has a political context. In a sign that water issues are a growing concern in the state, Evers' two-year budget includes more money and attention to limit runoff pollution. You may need a PDF reader to view some of the files on this page. By continuing, you accept our use of cookies. In Wisconsin, it says it will provide the information to Gov. > Ways that ecological restoration efforts as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative or other federal funding programs can be improved to integrate current and future climate change impacts. The Great Lakes can unify our region only if every community has an opportunity to be part of the clean water conversation. The section on North America starts on page 887; it was published in 2007, so it’s fairly up-to-date. Reduce the risk of climate change by reducing emissions. US electricity infrastructure is aging, inadequate, and vulnerable. Climate change is one of the most devastating problems humanity has ever faced—and the clock is running out. Why isn’t it? The Great Lakes region is warming... Warming climate. Help protect workers from dangerous heat. No purchase necessary. Confronting Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region: Impacts on Our Communities and Ecosystems was a comprehensive report released by the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Ecological Society of America, and written by leading university and government scientists in the Great Lakes region. As climate change brings more extremes and our pipes continue to age, we can’t just wait for federal dollars. Terms and conditions. More recent research has shown smaller drops on average and the possibility that there could be a small rise in lake levels through the end of the century. An array of Global Circulation Models (GCMs) has been created over the last decade, all differing in assumptions, scale and structure to predict global climate change. The US food system should be providing healthy, sustainable food for everyone. The frequency and intensity of storms in the Great Lakes region have already increased, and will continue to do so as the effects of climate change become more pronounced, reports NOAA. The Great Lakes Integrated Sciences + Assessments Center is a collaboration between the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. Water level (the height of the lake surface above sea level) is influenced by many factors, including precipitation, snowmelt runoff, drought, evaporation rates, and people withdrawing water for multiple uses. > Climate change adaptation actions specific to the Great Lakes region. © 2020 www.jsonline.com. This could increase demand for irrigation, which could tax groundwater supplies, the report said. Confronting Climate Change in the Great Lakes (2003). Further detail on this work is contained in this section of t… Grappling with climate change requires transforming how we power our economy, and no sector requires more fundamental change than transportation, which accounts for the largest share of US global warming pollution. Climate change impacts are being observed in the Great Lakes basin. “Climate change is now adding more challenges and another layer of stress,” Wuebbles said in a statement. Some of these findings include research from the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts at UW-Madison. Public transit needs support from Congress now. The report foresees a … "What we are seeing with climate change now in the Great Lakes region is more rocking and rolling in water levels — higher highs and lower lows and a … A REPORT OF The Union of Concerned Scientists and The Ecological Society of America Confronting Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region Impacts on Our Communities and Ecosystems Lake Michigan Lake St. Joseph Plains Nipigon Plains Thunder Bay Plains Superior Highlands Matagami Chapleau Climate change is eroding shorelines, altering ecosystems, and causing flooding and economic damage along the Great Lakes. The authors said the Great Lakes will experience corresponding changes. Climate change is causing significant and far-reaching impacts on the Great Lakes and the Great Lakes region. Each year, nitrogen runoff from Midwestern farms produces a large "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico, damaging fisheries and the people who make their living from them. A blog on science, politics, and activism. More precipitation could also spur increased runoff, sending more nutrients and bacteria into the lakes. From 1973 to 2010, annual average ice coverage on the Great Lakes declined by 71%. But in the Great Lakes states, precipitation rose nearly 10 percent, with more of it coming from large storms. In December 2015, a “State of Climate Change Science in the Great Lakes Basin: A Focus on Climatological, Hydrologic and Ecological Effects” report was released, which synthesizes the state of climate change impacts in the Great Lakes Basin. Confronting Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region: Impacts on Our Communities and Ecosystems was a comprehensive report released by the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Ecological Society of America, and written by leading university and government scientists in the Great Lakes region.This report examined the potential impacts of climate change upon the various … The center says that it will use the findings to highlight climate impacts on the region. We need to grow a resilient food system from the ground up. The warming climate also could mean less overall snowfall even as lake-effect snowstorms get bigger. The report projects precipitation patterns will change, with wetter winters and springs, and by 2100, summer precipitation should decrease by 5 percent to 15 percent for most of Great Lake states. Tony Evers to join group committed to cutting greenhouse gases, implementing Paris accord, Oil and Water: Pipeline Pressure Builds in the Great Lakes, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The report noted that scientists' projections on lake levels have “undergone a major change of course” in recent years. RELATED:Agencies ask Wisconsin lawmakers to approve measures in Tony Evers' budget to clean up drinking water, RELATED:Wisconsin Gov. The election is over, but the crises are all still here. Beaches, dunes and shorelines will experience more erosion from heavier rainfall, the report predicted. We use cookies to improve your experience. But lawmakers in recent years have been wary of efforts calling for a larger hand by state government. 2 Brattle Square, Cambridge MA 02138, USA, Infographic: Wildfires and Climate Change, Building Equitable, Clean, and Climate-Safe Infrastructure. This Great Lakes Fishery Commission completion report goes a step further than the Nature Communications publication (link above) by describing more intimiate details of the experiment as well as future climate modeling in light of the relationship between winter duration and yellow perch reproductive success. Tony Evers to join group committed to cutting greenhouse gases, implementing Paris accord, RELATED:Oil and Water: Pipeline Pressure Builds in the Great Lakes. A scientific report says the Great Lakes region is warming faster than the rest of the U.S., which likely will bring more flooding and other extreme weather events such as heat waves and drought. How all of this will affect lake levels is unclear. On average, the Great Lakes regions are projected to see slightly higher increases in the summer than in the winter. A team of Midwestern climate scientists has released a new report with grim predictions about the impact of climate change on the Great Lakes region. In recent years, our planet has experienced, some of the warmest temperatures ever recorded, record-breaking weather extremes, powerful storms, increasing tragic flooding from rising sea levels and associated storm surge, huge wildfires, and continued melting of glaciers and polar sea ice. Forest firefighter and conservation biologist Jon Trapp talks about analyzing wildfires, close calls with endangered wolves, and the urgency of global warming. They’re the most dangerous invention the world has ever seen. From 1975 to 2004, the annual number of days with land The influx of nutrients and higher water temperatures could lead to more algal blooms, such as those in Green Bay where scientists are tracking a seasonal "dead zone" where there is virtually no oxygen. Between 1901-1960 and 1985-2016, the Great Lakes basin has warmed 1.6°F in annual The region is already warming faster than the rest of the country. This report examined the potential impacts of climate change upon the various ecosystems of this diverse and rich region. © Union of Concerned Scientists The US continues to keep intercontinental ballistic missiles on high alert—creating the risk of a mistaken nuclear war in response to a false warning. This is especially true for the Great Lakes states. Scientists predict the impacts will affect the ecology of the lakes, stress water infrastructure systems and pose problems for recreation. Our transportation system is outdated and broken—and it needs to change. “As I read through (the report), it’s a comprehensive assessment of impacts of climate change on the Great Lakes, not only on the lakes themselves but to a certain extent on regions around the lake as well,” said Daniel J. Vimont, a climate scientist at UW-Madison, whose work is included in the report. Bacteria into the Lakes, stress water infrastructure systems and pose problems for recreation all still.... 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