PRESS RELEASE

Audubon New York * Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper * Citizens Campaign for the Environment * Environmental Advocates of New York * Great Lakes United

May 28, 2008

RESTORATION PLAN KEY TO HELPING LAKES ERIE, ONTARIO & ST. LAWRENCE RIVER BUFFER IMPACTS OF GLOBAL WARMING

Healing Our Waters Coalition Releases New Report on Global Warming Impacts to Great Lakes

(ALBANY, NY)—Enacting a comprehensive strategy to stop sewage overflows, halt invasive species, and restore wetlands and other habitat will be essential to efforts to mitigate the impacts of global warming on Lakes Erie and Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, as well as the other Great Lakes, according to a new report released today.  

The report, “Great Lakes Restoration & the Threat of Global Warming,” released by the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, documents the likely impacts climate change will have on the lakes, including lower lake levels, more sewage overflows, and increased pressure to divert Great Lakes water. 

The report documents challenges to Lakes Erie and Ontario, including: 

Lake Erie

• Decline in lake level by 2.7 feet

• Larger oxygen-depleted dead zones

• Increased storm events leading to combined sewage overflows and beach closings

• Exposed toxic sediments leading to public health risk

• More susceptible to invasive species

• Damage wetlands and other habitat

Lake Ontario

• Decline in lake level by 1.7 feet

• Sensitive to oxygen depletion in deeper waters, threatening some cold water fish

• Increased storm events leading to combined sewage overflows and beach closings

• Exposed toxic sediments leading to public health risk

• More susceptible to invasive species

• Damage wetlands and other habitat

“As global warming is one of the leading threats to birds and other wildlife, it’s no surprise that the problems in the Great Lakes will only get worse as the climate warms,” said Albert E. Caccese, Executive Director of Audubon New York. “We need strong federal and state actions to mitigate the threats posed by global warming, which, as this important report highlights, makes good environmental and economic sense.”  

“As the Healing Our Waters Coalition report illustrates, restoring Lakes Erie and Ontario and the St. Lawrence River will help New Yorkers and our wildlife better adapt to the threat of climate change,” said Katherine Nadeau, Environmental Advocates of New York. “Forty percent of New York State lies within the Great Lakes Basin and roughly four million New Yorkers rely on the Lakes for drinking water, energy and jobs. We cannot afford to drag our feet on Great Lakes restoration. With two of the three candidates vying to become our next president calling Great Lakes states home, Environmental Advocates of New York is hopeful that the Great Lakes will make it onto this year's election agenda." 

The report recommends several federal policy initiatives, including: 

• Restoring the Great Lakes through enactment of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy, a comprehensive plan put forward by more than 1,500 citizens and backed by the region’s mayors, governors and Congressional delegation;

• Protecting the Great Lakes from water diversions by passing the Great Lakes Water Resources Compact, a regional agreement to ban diversions outside the region and promoting conservation within the region; and,

• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit the magnitude of change to our climate and ecosystems.

“The Great Lakes already suffer from more than four billion gallons of raw sewage released from overwhelmed treatment plants when it rains,” said Derek Stack, executive director of Great Lakes United. “That’s 37,000 swimming pools of crap,” he added. “It’s hard enough to keep the beached open—extreme weather caused by global warming will only make it worse.”  

“Many people in the Buffalo Niagara region understand that climate change is a critical issue and that our water is Western New York’s most strategic revitalization asset.  However, very few people have made the connection between climate and water levels.  Niagara's tourism, hydropower, recreation and waterfront development—all depend upon clean, abundant water. We can't afford to lose our water to climate change any more than if we pipe it to the Sunbelt,” said Julie M. Barrett O’Neill, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. 

“This important report demonstrates the need for the Great Lakes to be restored now, before the impacts of global climate change push the lakes past the tipping point of ecological collapse,” said Brian Smith, WNY Program Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “The Great Lakes hold the key to our quality of life and economy, and we need strong and swift action at the state and federal level to mitigate the problems that plague this amazing natural resource. We cannot afford to wait any longer.”

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