Loving and Saving the Great Lakes

lake superior water

Imagine a huge, blue body of water, white sandy beaches, waves crashing onshore and kids playing in the sand. You might be tempted to think of an ocean scene, but I’m talking about a typical July day on any of the Great Lakes. Sans the salty smell and the abundant sea life, the Great Lakes support a large tourist business, a busy shipping industry and are responsible for more than 1.5 million jobs in the U.S. and $62 billion in wages every year.

Together the lakes contain six quadrillion gallons of fresh water (one-fifth of the world’s fresh surface water). If that amount were spread evenly over the U.S., our entire country would be submerged under more than nine feet of water, or North America, South America and Africa would be covered by a foot of water. You can even see the Great Lakes from space.

But these great, tremendous lakes are being threatened by climate change, unsustainable water issues, and more. Read more about the magnificence of these lakes, the threats they are under, and how to save them on our sister site, EcoLocalizer: Saving the Great Lakes.

Image Credits: Jim’s outside photos

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