Climate Change
Lake Huron e-news March 2010
Submitted by Geoff.Peach on March 1, 2010 - 1:00am
At Your Service ...
Continuing on the theme of biodiversity (in celebration of
the
International
Year of Biodiversity), this issue will explore some of the services
that ecosystems provide us, and why it's important to protect these
benefits.
To begin, an ecosystem is a community of animals and plants interacting
with one another and with their physical environment. Ecosystems include
physical and chemical components, such as soils, water, and nutrients
that support the organisms living within them. These organisms may range
from large animals and plants to microscopic bacteria. Ecosystems
include
the interactions among all organisms in a given habitat. People are part
of ecosystems. Our health and well-being depends upon the services
provided by our local ecosystems and everything that makes them up
organisms, soil, water, and nutrients. Along Lake Huron, some of
our coastal ecosystems include wetlands, bluffs, dune grasslands,
alvars,
and woodlands.… continue reading »
Lake Huron e-news February 2010
Submitted by Geoff.Peach on February 3, 2010 - 5:28pm
Stepping Back
In our last issue, we introduced the term
"biodiversity", the diversity of living things in our
environment. In this issue we'll discuss biodiversity from a broad
lake-wide perspective, and how plant life in particular contributes to
the health of our lake environment.
When we observe environmental problems showing up at the beach,
like excessive algae washing ashore, or posted beaches due to high
bacteria, often these problems originate beyond the local beach area.
Some of these issues are compounded by the state of our watersheds.
The Lake Huron watershed covers roughly 134,000 square kilometres.
Since European settlement of the Lake Huron region, the watershed has
undergone significant changes, particularly south of the Bruce
Peninsula,
and along southern Georgian Bay. Forest cover, for instance, has been
reduced from an estimated pre-settlement extent of 90% to around
18%, and as low as 6% in some of Huron's river systems.
Lake Huron e-news January 2010
Submitted by Geoff.Peach on January 1, 2010 - 7:37pm
It's a Wonderful Life
This new year celebrates the International Year of Biodiversity. Over the course of 2010, e-news will include topics that are linked to biodiversity - and more specifically, coastal biodiversity.… continue reading »
Lake Huron e-news - December 2009
Submitted by Geoff.Peach on December 2, 2009 - 3:25amGive like Santa, Save like David Suzuki
Having a hard time thinking of a unique gift for a family member or
friend? Why not give something that is not only special, but benefits
Lake Huron's environment? We've listed some ideas that anyone with a
passion for Lake Huron would love to receive. Just select an item from
the list, send a cheque with a note naming your selected gift, the name
and address of the recipient, and we will send them a gift card from you
with the item you bought for them.
… continue reading »
Lake Huron e-news - November 2009
Submitted by Geoff.Peach on November 18, 2009 - 5:28pmCopenhagen Summit
In advance of the United Nations Climate Change Conference being held
December 7-18, 2009 in Copenhagen Denmark, we thought it would be
worthwhile revisiting the climate change issue and its effects on the
Great Lakes region.
Climate change projections for Lake Huron suggest that we will see
changes in water levels, temperature and precipitation in the coming
decades, making our work or leisure experience something different than
what we've been used to.
Studies
by federal and provincial agencies indicate that municipalities, business
and property owners will have to make adaptations to cope with these
changes. Some of the key findings are listed below.
… continue reading »
Hogweed Article
Submitted by Ross Klopp on July 26, 2009 - 8:32pm
Hogweed
Interesting article about the Giant Hogweed plant that is prevalent particularily in some of the gullies along Bruce Beach..
Algae Staying Away, Hogweed Creeping In
Submitted by Ross Klopp on July 25, 2009 - 9:50pmHuron Kinloss
by James Morgan
It's nothing out of National Geographic or a documentary film, but Mother Nature is doing interesting things in Huron-Kinloss.
Mayor Mitch Twolan says algae is in shallow areas of Lake Huron but it hasn't washed up on shore like it usually does during the summer.
He attributes that to the cooler than usual weather and water temperatures this summer, and adds while that's good for keeping algae away, it's not the best for swimmers wanting warmer water.
While the algae is staying away, Giant Hogweed is creeping in. …continue reading…
International Upper Great Lakes Study - public meetings
Submitted by Ross Klopp on July 2, 2009 - 5:56pmWater Levels Study to Hold Three Additional Public Meetings
The International Upper Great Lakes Study (IUGLS) has announced that, using web-conferencing technology, three additional public meetings will be held on July 7 and 8 in Fish Creek, WI, Collingwood, ON, and Mequon, WI, to solicit comments and answer questions on the draft report, Impacts on Upper Great Lakes Water Levels: St. Clair River. The Study has already held fourteen public meetings in communities around the Great Lakes basin.… continue reading »
Discussion Paper: Healthy Great Lakes, Strong Ontario
Submitted by beachcomber on April 15, 2009 - 10:52pmComment Period: 59 days: submissions may be made between March 18, 2009 and May 16, 2009.
Description of Policy:
Taking a broad look at what the Great Lakes mean to Ontario, the ministries of the Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs have identified five proposed long-term Goals. These five Goals concentrate on protecting and increasing the many benefits that healthy Great Lakes give us:- Resilient ecosystem
- Human health and well-being
- Green, diverse economies
- Sustainable natural resources
- Strong communities
Lake Huron e-news - December 2008
Submitted by Geoff.Peach on December 1, 2008 - 10:29pmGive like Santa, Save like David Suzuki
Having a hard time thinking of a unique gift for a family member or friend? Why not give something that is not only special, but benefits Lake Huron's environment? We've listed some ideas that anyone with a passion for Lake Huron would love to receive. Just select an item from the list, send a cheque with a note naming your selected gift, the name and address of the recipient, and we will send them a gift card from you with the item you bought for them. … continue reading »
