Governors for Ohio and Michigan are poised to sign the Great Lakes Water Compact leaving only Pennsylvania as an outlier needing to come on board and prevent other states from gulping up Great Lakes water. At the same time, Presidential Hopeful John McCain reiterated his commitment to keeping Great Lakes water in the Great Lakes region.
When asked at an Ottawa, Canada press conference last Friday whether he would consider diverting Great Lakes water to dehydrated states, McCain said, “I don’t think that’s a viable option to be honest with you. It would be hard for me, in Arizona, to convince people in Michigan that we need your water when we are not practicing conservation to anywhere near the level we need to be. I’d say no, that’s just a non-starter.”
While the idea of preserving and restoring the Great Lakes has the support of both presumptive presidential candidates, there is no doubt that water as a political issue is going to continue to grow. In fact, at the same press conference, McCain said “Water is going to be the looming issue of the 21st century.” With this in mind, should we reconsider relying on candidates promises to keep our water safe? The sooner there is agreement among the states and nations surrounding this vast natural resource the better. The sooner there are a suite of laws available to protect the lakes the easier it will be to argue for the clean-up and restoration of the lakes and region.
Related posts:
- McCain Signs Pledge, State Houses Demand Others Follow Suit
- McCain on Great Lakes Water Diversion
- A Step in the Right Direction
- President Obama Signs Great Lakes Restoration Initiative into Law
- Fast-Pace Ratification!