LETTER: Survival of fish populations in Lakes threatened by warming

To Ozaukee Press:

Perhaps the most disturbing conclusion of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report is the permanence of climate impacts. Changes like shrinking ice sheets, rising sea levels and oxygen depletion of oceans and lakes are deemed “irreversible for centuries to millennia.”

How will we in the Great Lakes states be affected by the climate crisis? An article in Carbon Brief, “Climate change could cause
irreversible impacts to lake ecosystems,” illustrates why sharp emission reductions are needed if our region is to avoid some of the worst effects of global warming.

Warming will deprive fish of the oxygen they now find in cooler, deeper waters of the Lakes. Fish migrate to deeper waters to escape warmer conditions at the surface. A decrease in oxygen at depth will mean that fish will have no thermal refuge. They can’t survive when oxygen concentrations are too low.

A $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill with major climate provisions is being considered in Congress. This is a crucial opportunity for climate action that can’t be blocked by filibuster. Please contact your representatives and urge them to include a price on carbon dioxide emissions in this legislation. According to the IPCC, it’s the single most powerful way to reduce emissions.

Terry Hansen
Hales Corners