If invasive giant Asian carp make it into Lake Michigan, these voracious predators could wreak havoc on the entire Great Lakes ecosystem, home to 1/5 of the world’s fresh water. Bighead and silver carp can quickly take over habitat, out-eating and out-breeding native fish. Re-establishing barriers between the Great Lakes basin and Mississippi River watershed is the most effective way to stop the carp’s advance, as well as preventing future invasive species advances.
Posted May 12, 2012 by Henry Henderson in Curbing Pollution, Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
This must have looked like a dismal week for the folks overseeing the efforts to keep invasive Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. In the face of news that their vaunted anti-carp electric barrier had suffered a mechanical...continued→
Posted May 7, 2012 by Henry Henderson in Curbing Pollution, Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
I got a call over the weekend looking for my take on news that the electric barrier, billed as a “success” and the best tool to keep the invasive Asian carp away from Lake Michigan, had lost power, leaving...continued→
Posted January 31, 2012 by Henry Henderson in Curbing Pollution, Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
No big decision is made overnight. And many of the biggest take years to come together… before finally, at a critical moment, all of the necessary pieces fall into place. That is what is happening in the discussion around...continued→
Posted November 2, 2011 by Henry Henderson in Curbing Pollution, Living Sustainably
This week sees the release of a very important book by visionary architect Jeanne Gang, Reverse Effect: Renewing Chicago’s Waterways. The book sprouts from the collaboration between Jeanne Gang, her excellent colleagues at Studio Gang, very smart students at Harvard’sGraduate School of...continued→
Posted September 9, 2011 by Thom Cmar in Curbing Pollution, Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
The Army Corps announced today the release of three separate reports related to the ongoing Asian carp invasion of Lake Michigan, as I blogged about here. The report that is likely to get the least public attention out of the...continued→
Posted September 9, 2011 by Thom Cmar in Curbing Pollution, Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
The Army Corps announced today the release of three separate reports related to the ongoing Asian carp invasion of Lake Michigan. Much of the Corps’ announcement contained familiar refrains, most notably the Corps’ continued emphatic assertion that its electric fish...continued→
Posted August 12, 2011 by Henry Henderson in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places, Solving Global Warming
Illinois Senator Mark Kirk released the first of what is promised to be an annual “Report Card for Lake Michigan” this week. Senator Kirk is a long-time Great Lakes advocate, having targeted sewage management, beach water quality, industrial pollution...continued→
Posted August 3, 2011 by Thom Cmar in Curbing Pollution, Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
The state and federal agencies who collectively participate in the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee have all gone fishin’ this week. It may be August, but this isn’t a pleasure trip: they are looking for live Asian carp in Lake...continued→
Posted July 28, 2011 by Henry Henderson in Curbing Pollution
It’s official. Saturday was the rainiest day in Chicago’s history. And after big storms last night, it has been the rainiest month on record for this town. That’s why a little story in the Chicago Tribune caught my eye...continued→
Posted July 20, 2011 by Thom Cmar in Curbing Pollution, Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
Today I discovered that the Army Corps this week posted on its web site new environmental DNA (or “eDNA”) test results detecting the presence of Asian carp near Lake Michigan. The results reported are from eDNA tests done this summer,...continued→
