"Great Lakes, Great Legacy?"
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  • Thesis
  • Poisoning the Well
  • Making a Splash
  • Building Bridges
  • A Drop in the Bucket
  • Conflicting Legacy
    • A Murky Future
    • Rippling Effects
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  • Home
  • Thesis
  • Poisoning the Well
  • Making a Splash
  • Building Bridges
  • A Drop in the Bucket
  • Conflicting Legacy
    • A Murky Future
    • Rippling Effects
  • Resources
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Making a Splash

In 1962 Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring, exposing the consequences of DDT use, which had been linked to cancer and genetic damage in humans. Carson's book triggered an environmental movement, leading to Canadian and American acknowledgement of deteriorating conditions in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
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"William Ruckelshaus’s swearing in as the first EPA chief, 1970" Courtesy of NRDC
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"Silent Spring", 1962. Courtesy of the New York Times
“Only within the moment of time represented by the present century has one species -- man -- acquired significant power to alter the nature of the world.” -Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, 1962
The US and Canadian governments requested that the IJC recommend action to reduce phosphorus, particularly by improving sewage treatment. This action led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970.
"Erie's curse of the Cuyahoga, which snakes through Cleveland carrying a load of detergents, sewage and to the Lake.", 1969. Courtesy of "Life Magazine"
"Coverage of the first Earth Day", April 22, 1970. Courtesy of The New York Times.
"Administrator William D. Ruckelshaus introducing his successor, Russell E. Train, at a 1973 press conference." Courtesy of the EPA

"Water Pollution of Great Lakes..." 1969. Courtesy of the EPA
"Environmental problems do not respect national boundaries..." - Great Lakes, Great Legacy?, 1990
"Lake Erie already is a dead sea where there is no recreation, no fishing, and virtually no life" - U.S. Representative Abner Joseph Mikva, 1972
Initially, neither country stepped up to lead water quality efforts. This led to conflict over who held responsibility, fueled by paranoia over the power differences between the two countries. The US had a more developed environmental protection program, leading to suspicion that they would force Canada to complete the majority of the combined objectives. ​The IJC observed that these conflicts were a repetition of earlier disagreements which led to the Boundary Waters Treaty and reported them to the governments.
"'Lake Erie, the Dead Sea?', appeared in the Cleveland Press on June 3, 1968." Courtesy of Cleveland State Library Special Collections by Bill Roberts
"Warning Sign, 1971: A sign posted near a Lake Erie beach in Cleveland, 1971." Courtesy of Cleveland State Library Special Collections
"'Pollution Tidal Wave', appeared in the Cleveland Press in 1970." Courtesy of Cleveland State Library by Bill Roberts
Poisoning the Well
Thesis
Building Bridges
"Throughout human history, water has defined our sense of place. International water law reflects the connections between water and local people, communities, and the environment. "      -Noah D. Hall, environmental and water law, 2010
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