Why are the Great Lakes so valuable?

The Great Lakes, a collection of five freshwater lakes located in North America, are an invaluable resource for numerous reasons.

Firstly, they are a significant source of fresh water. Technically, the Great Lakes hold one-fifth of the world’s fresh surface water. That’s a lot of water, especially when considering that one in four people around the world don’t have reliable access to safe drinking water. It’s a badly needed resource.

Some 97 percent of all the water on our planet is saltwater. And most of the globe’s freshwater supply is either frozen in glaciers or buried underground. One reason why the Great Lakes are so important is they harbor 20 percent of the Earth’s fresh water. All the more reason to keep them pollution-free. Exactly how much water are we talking about here? Put together, the five Great Lakes have 6 quadrillion gallons of it. For metric system fans, that’s 22.7 quadrillion liters.

Secondly, they provide a source of drinking water to approximately 28 million Canadians and Americans. This makes them a vital resource for these populations, ensuring their health and well-being.

Thirdly, the Great Lakes are important to the economies of both Canada and the United States, supporting manufacturing, transportation, farming, tourism, recreation, energy production, and other forms of economic growth. They have played a significant role in making the U.S. an economic powerhouse.

Lastly, the Great Lakes are home to a diverse range of fish species, which migrated into the area from drainages like the Hudson Bay and the Upper Mississippi River after the last ice age. This biodiversity makes the Great Lakes a crucial habitat for these species and a valuable resource for fishing.

However, the Great Lakes face many threats, including climate change, pollution, and invasive species, which threaten their complex ecosystems. These threats underscore the importance of preserving and protecting the Great Lakes, not just for their current value, but for future generations as well.

In conclusion, the Great Lakes are valuable due to their provision of fresh water, their support of various economies, and their rich biodiversity. As such, they are a resource that deserves our utmost respect and protection.