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| Copyright 2006 Mary E. McKinney Schmidt |
| Fresh Water-Healthy Lives Engaging Everyone in Preventing a Great Lakes Crisis |
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| Sunrise on the Manistee River |
- The Holland Sentinel
March 12, 2007
Guest Column
More Precious Than Gold
The photographs still haunt me.
Displayed by an elderly couple at a public hearing on water diversions in 2005, one picture shows a
house with a dock and little fishing boat out front. That was “before” Nestle North America built the
water bottling plant in northern Michigan. The “after” photograph shows a dock stretched over
swamplands. The boat was gone. The water was gone.
Who owns and controls our water?
That question is at the heart of the current debate regarding the diversion of Great Lakes waters. In a
world of increasing water scarcity, it’s a question of great importance to those of us living in a state
fondly referred to as “The Great Lakes State.”
In 1998 the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources granted a company called the Nova Group a permit to
export up to 50 tankers/year of Lake Superior water to Asia. The public got the permit rescinded. But
the event sparked negotiations between the eight Great Lakes Governors and Premiers from Ontario
and Quebec to develop an agreement recognizing the importance of protecting Great Lakes waters
from abuse inside and outside the basin.
Called the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, the agreement was
signed by the Governors in December of 2005. If approved, it gives Great Lakes states control of Great
Lakes waters, prohibiting diversions to places like Asia or the Southwestern United States. It would be
the first legally enforceable agreement to protect against diversions. It would also establish standards
for water usage within the basin. And while it would provide states with flexibility, it does require the
implementation of water conservation programs across the region.
It now must be ratified “as is” by all eight states and approved by Congress. And while it took over a
year to get introduced in Michigan’s legislature, Senator Patty Birkholz introduced the bill several weeks
ago and signed 2/3 of the Senate as co-sponsors. The bill was just introduced in the House.
That is the good news.
Unfortunately, the Compact does not treat water shipped in containers less than 5.7 gallons as a
diversion—meaning water bottling plants are excluded from regional review and water conservation
programs. And yet, the agreement Nestle reached with the city of Evart, MI will remove up to 168 million
gallons of water/year—more than the initial request from the Nova Group. Regardless of whether the
water is exported in tankers, pipelines or bottles, the outcome is the same.
Michigan should take the lead in calling a spade a spade and include bottled water factories as
diversions in state legislation. But legislators should also address the issue of ownership, recognizing
the Great Lakes waters--including streams, tributaries and other waterways that flow into the Great
Lakes--belong to the people. We should not be giving away our water, allowing others to sell it for
profit. It is our state’s greatest natural asset.
But ownership also requires responsibility. Michigan needs to toughen up its conservation policies—
going further than the Compact. It’s easy to take water for granted when everyone in the state lives
within 85 miles of one of the Great Lakes. Our leaders need to develop policies that force us to adopt
behaviors that reflect the growing scarcity of water.
Fortunately, while the issues are complex, the Holland community boasts an active, enthusiastic board
of the League of Women Voters. Recognizing the importance of the Great Lakes to our community, the
board voted unanimously to make Great Lakes legislation its top priority. According to Suzanne Dixon,
chairwoman of the Great Lakes initiative for the League, they will be hosting a public forum designed to
inform voters on the Compact on April 23rd at 7 p.m. at the Holland City Hall Council Chambers.
This is a “must attend” meeting. Michigan has the most to gain and lose from water diversions. We
need legally enforceable legislation and we need it now. After all, the Great Lakes are the gold of our
community. It is time to protect our gold.
If you live in Michigan or a Great Lakes state, contact your governor and your state legislators and ask them to support the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact. Ask that the legislation be passed in 2007! But ask them to go further. In state legislation, we must insist that our water be part of the public domain. As such, our government has a responsibility to protect it. And water diverted in small containers need to be considered a diversion and regulated accordingly. But we, too, have a responsibility to conserve our water. Ask your legislators to include stronger conservation measures in state legislation. |
April 9, 2007 Guest Column Heroes of the Great Lakes The 4th grade students watched in amazement as I dumped a large bag of trash collected from the Holland beach on the classroom floor. We had just finished talking about heroes--individuals they described as courageous, willing to make a difference, people who work hard and with integrity, role models. “Oooh, grotesque,” were the first words to spill out as they plugged their noses and eyed the accumulating pile of litter. “Where did all those balloon ribbons come from?” someone asked. For while there were bottle caps, candy wrappers, straws and plastic containers, it was the colored ribbons tied to remnants of balloons that made up the bulk of the pile. I ask myself that same question every time I walk the beaches of Lake Michigan. No one from the 4th grade classes of Kathy Nemeth and Donna Altman at Quincy Elementary School in Zeeland wanted to build sand castles or play on beaches littered with garbage. But no one had ever considered balloons trash. The Great Lakes need heroes, the class decided. But rather than address the broader issue of litter, the students decided to tackle balloons. Never again would they release their own balloons. And rather than ignoring the colorful strands partially buried in the sand, they committed to picking up the ribbons and placing them in appropriate containers. But the 4th graders went further. By working together they decided they could educate and influence others. Creating the slogan “Don’t let it fly or the Great Lakes will cry,” they are launching a multi-media campaign that includes a filmed public service announcement, t- shirts, signs to be displayed in retail outlets selling balloons, and letters to the editor to newspapers in Western Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois. (With predominant west winds, they decided to include those who live on the other side of the lake.) Wow! Sometimes the number, magnitude and complexity of issues facing the Great Lakes can seem overwhelming. As adults, we are tempted to give up, leave the challenges to others. But by narrowing their focus to balloons, the Quincy students kept the project manageable. And by working together, they expanded the scope and reach of the solutions beyond what they could accomplish as individuals. Since moving here roughly two years ago, I have discovered many people in this community share my passion for Lake Michigan. Most, I am learning, don’t understand the challenges facing the Great Lakes ecosystem. Fortunately, the League of Women Voters is making it easy to get informed by conducting several public forums on the Great Lakes. The first is slated for April 23rd at 7 p.m. in Holland City Hall. Next, we have to be willing to get involved—at least individually, identifying an area of focus that resonates within us but is something we can realistically tackle. And if we can figure out how to work together—in organizations, businesses and as a community, we can create momentum that has the potential to reverse the ecological slide of the Great Lakes. Following their example, we can join the 4th graders in creating a future that includes an abundance of safe, clean, fresh water for our children and grandchildren. All it takes are heroes of the Great Lakes. |
appeared in the Quincy Elementary School newsletter: Dear Quincy Students and Parents, Do you know what the #1 type of trash is on the Great Lakes’ beaches? Yeah, we know, you might guess candy wrappers, pop cans, or bottle caps. Good guesses, but we are talking about balloons! Why balloons you ask? Well, when people let go of their balloons outside, many eventually pop, drop, and land in the Great Lakes and become litter. What’s so bad about all this balloon litter? Well, when gulls and fish mistake the balloons as food, it often kills them. Besides this, who wants to build a sand castle or play on the beach with ugly balloon litter? So PLEASE, join the fourth graders at Quincy Elementary to stop balloon litter and to promise to…”DON’T LET THEM FLY, OR THE GREAT LAKES WILL CRY!” Hang on to your balloons and throw them away in the trash! Thanks for caring, Summer Blauwkamp Margaret Pung Allison Veldheer Quincy Elementary 4th Graders |
| Favorite Quote We are responsible for our efforts on this earth, not necessarily the results. |
| Story Update... As a result of the passion and efforts of the Quincy Elementary School 4th graders, both Zeeland High Schools have decided to scrap plans to release balloons during graduation ceremonies! That means 300 fewer balloon potentially trashing Great Lakes beaches! Congratulations to all involved in this decision! Hopefully, other school districts across the region will follow their lead! |
After realizing the amount of
balloon trash that litters the
beaches of Lake Michigan,
the Quincy 4th graders
decide to get involved!
Visiting local state parks,
the students cleaned and
groomed the beaches,
picking up hundreds of
balloon ribbons in addition to
plastic containers, candy
wrappers and other litter.
balloon trash that litters the
beaches of Lake Michigan,
the Quincy 4th graders
decide to get involved!
Visiting local state parks,
the students cleaned and
groomed the beaches,
picking up hundreds of
balloon ribbons in addition to
plastic containers, candy
wrappers and other litter.
The 4th graders were surprised at the
number of balloons and balloon ribbons
that I picked up along the beaches of Lake
Michigan. They decided to try to prevent
people in the community from releasing
balloons. Efforts included making t-shirts,
neighborhood fliers, and posters.
number of balloons and balloon ribbons
that I picked up along the beaches of Lake
Michigan. They decided to try to prevent
people in the community from releasing
balloons. Efforts included making t-shirts,
neighborhood fliers, and posters.
According to both 4th grade
teachers, one of the greatest
lessons learned by the students
was they could make a difference!
teachers, one of the greatest
lessons learned by the students
was they could make a difference!
| All Quincy 4th grade photos courtesy of Kathy Nemeth. |