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The Death and Life of the Great Lakes Dan Egan 9780393246438 Books

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The Death and Life of the Great Lakes Dan Egan 9780393246438 Books

How much can the Great Lakes take? Dan Egan chronicles the successive invasions by lampreys, alewives, and zebra and quagga mussels. (Interesting fact: under some conditions, these mussels can filter "all of Lake Michigan in less than two weeks, sucking up the life that is the base of the food web and making its waters some of the clearest freshwater in the world.") He explains why salmon were introduced in lieu of an emphasis on restoring native lake trout. He documents the spread of invasive species (into and out of Lake Michigan) through the flow-reversed Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. He follows the northward approach of bighead, silver, and black carp. He persuasively argues for ballast-loaded overseas ships transferring their cargo to local ships or railroad lines instead of squeezing though the St. Lawrence Seaway. Egan demonstrates the urgent need for the United States and Canadian governments to actively protect an eco-system holding 20% of the world's non-frozen surface fresh water. Most importantly, after all the bad news, Egan concludes with proposals and discoveries that provide hope for our Great Lakes. Fascinating reading; highly recommended.


Tags : The Death and Life of the Great Lakes [Dan Egan] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <strong>A <em>Los Angeles Times</em> Book Prize Finalist<br /> Winner of the J. Anthony Lukas Award<br /><br /> A landmark work of science,Dan Egan,The Death and Life of the Great Lakes,W. W. Norton & Company,0393246434,Ecosystems & Habitats - Lakes, Ponds & Swamps,Environmental Science,United States - State & Local - Midwest (Ia, Il, In, Ks, Mi, Mn, Mo, Nd, Ne, Oh, Sd, Wi),Great Lakes (North America) - Environmental conditions,Great Lakes (North America);Environmental conditions.,Introduced organisms - Great Lakes (North America),Introduced organisms;Great Lakes (North America).,Lake ecology - Great Lakes (North America),Lake ecology;Great Lakes (North America).,Nonindigenous aquatic pests - Great Lakes (North America),Water quality - Great Lakes (North America),FRESHWATER ECOLOGY,General Adult,HISTORY United States State & Local Midwest (IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI),HistoryUnited States - State & Local - Midwest(IA,IL,IN,KS,MI,MN,MO,ND,NE,OH,SD,WI,NATURE Ecosystems & Habitats Lakes, Ponds & Swamps,NatureEcosystems & Habitats - Lakes, Ponds & Swamps,Non-Fiction,POLITICAL SCIENCE Public Policy Environmental Policy,Political SciencePublic Policy - Environmental Policy,SCITECH,SCIENCE Environmental Science (see also Chemistry Environmental),Science,ScienceLife Sciences - Ecology,ScienceMath,ScienceMathematics,U.S. LOCAL HISTORY - OLD NORTH,U.S. Local History - Old Northwest States,United States,United States - State & Local - Midwest (Ia, Il, In, Ks, Mi, Mn, Mo, Nd, Ne, Oh, Sd, Wi),Water quality - Great Lakes (North America),HISTORY United States State & Local Midwest (IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI),HistoryUnited States - State & Local - Midwest(IA,IL,IN,KS,MI,MN,MO,ND,NE,OH,SD,WI,NATURE Ecosystems & Habitats Lakes, Ponds & Swamps,NatureEcosystems & Habitats - Lakes, Ponds & Swamps,POLITICAL SCIENCE Public Policy Environmental Policy,Political SciencePublic Policy - Environmental Policy,SCIENCE Environmental Science (see also Chemistry Environmental),ScienceLife Sciences - Ecology,Freshwater Ecology,U.S. Local History - Old Northwest States,Science,ScienceMathematics

The Death and Life of the Great Lakes Dan Egan 9780393246438 Books Reviews

I've had the advantage of hearing Dan Egan from a front row table promote his book, and he was very good. But, his writing is 10X better than his speaking skills. He takes complicated issues and breaks them down for the average Joe. I recommended this book to my book club, which is currently reading it. All of the feedback is fantastic positive. He places these issues in both a national and international context. It's not just another regional issue. About the only significant threat which he misses is the 65-year-old oil pipeline which runs under the Mackinaw Straits. But, that may have come to the forefront after his book went to print. He makes a cogent argument that the Great Lakes are left open to the import of more invasive species in small ship ballast tanks, which are the only ones which can still get through the St. Lawrence Seaway, and these ships bring less than 2% of foreign cargo into the United States. Bottom Line That cargo could just as easily be off-loaded to trains and trucks at our seaports at very little extra cost. I would like to see a more quantitative economic analysis of this argument. But, Egan is a newspaper reporter, not an economist.
The first 2/3s of this book focuses on invasive species and the people who are contesting those biological incursions. There is a bit of history tying it all together, and a lot of fantastic research illuminating the issues, but a fair chunk of the story focuses on the impact and consequences as felt by the fishing industry, vacationers, the shipping industry, and municipal water managers. I greatly appreciated the occasional geological, ecological, and hydrological perspectives of the various scientists interviewed by the author, as well as the motivations and decisions of policy makers and how their endeavors affected the region.

The last third of the book looks to the future and addresses the concern of resource extraction, exploitation, and degradation. I would have loved to seen more of this topic, but the author finished on a positive note with restoration and rehabilitation being the rallying cry of anyone hoping to pass this regional treasure onto future generations (for better or for worse).

This should be purchased and passed around the Great Lakes communities so that the 40-50 million locals can appreciate what they have before it is lost. Politicians only care about their reputation while in office, and profiteering capitalists only see this land as an opportunity for personal gain. Authors like Dan Egan provide us with the knowledge necessary to protect and defend these fragile and finite resources. This is an important work of journalism and deserves the respect and appreciation of anyone and everyone living in the Great Lakes Watershed.

Thanks Dan.
This is an excellent telling of the ecology of the Great Lakes. It emphasizes the role that invasive species have played in the decline of the Great Lakes during the 20th Century. The book can be trying to read if you love the Great Lakes and grew up near them as I did; almost everything humans have done in and to the Great Lakes watershed have caused problems. But it helps to have a concise discussion and history of those problems and Egan's book does this admirably. The book is very well written. The narrative flows quickly and Egan does a great job of keeping your interest piqued. Egan makes clear that in a natural system as complex as the Great Lakes, humans really have little clue what we are doing. Nor do we have the insight to understand what our actions will cause decades hence. I've feared for some time that as a planet and species, we're screwed. Sadly Egan's book did little to allay that fear. Highly recommended.
Maybe not of interest to everyone, but if you have history with, and love for the Great Lakes this is a great read. I turned the pages like it was a murder mystery and I could hardly wait to find out the next clue about what would live and what would die beneath the waves. Full of fascinating science and interesting trivia and history. I am going to read it again to help me remember what I learned.
Dan Egan's book is fascinating from start to finish. I learned a myriad of new facts about the Great Lakes' geological and inherent histories, as well as about accounts of invasive species introduced through the miscalculations of people and governments. Egan's compelling talent for telling stories with engaging details and intriguing characters makes this book an enjoyable educational experience.
How much can the Great Lakes take? Dan Egan chronicles the successive invasions by lampreys, alewives, and zebra and quagga mussels. (Interesting fact under some conditions, these mussels can filter "all of Lake Michigan in less than two weeks, sucking up the life that is the base of the food web and making its waters some of the clearest freshwater in the world.") He explains why salmon were introduced in lieu of an emphasis on restoring native lake trout. He documents the spread of invasive species (into and out of Lake Michigan) through the flow-reversed Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. He follows the northward approach of bighead, silver, and black carp. He persuasively argues for ballast-loaded overseas ships transferring their cargo to local ships or railroad lines instead of squeezing though the St. Lawrence Seaway. Egan demonstrates the urgent need for the United States and Canadian governments to actively protect an eco-system holding 20% of the world's non-frozen surface fresh water. Most importantly, after all the bad news, Egan concludes with proposals and discoveries that provide hope for our Great Lakes. Fascinating reading; highly recommended.