Why is the water dropping in the Great Lakes?

If you walk along the shores of any of the Great Lakes these days, you notice that the water levels have dropped significantly.

This morning I was down at the Lake Ontario waterfront and saw for myself that the water line is about a foot-and-a-half lower than last year. Moorings and pilings are getting higher and drier.

Scientists and environmentalists are not sure what's causing this drop in water levels. It may be a change in rainfall patterns, it may be related to global warming or, as others suggest, it may be related to human activity, like dredging and industrialization in the Great Lakes basin.

Whatever the cause, it's disturbing. We can only hope it's temporary. According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, between 1998 and 2000 the levels of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron fell at the fastest pace ever recorded and the situation is similar to the drop that occurred during the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Earlier this year, residents on both sides of the Canadian and U.S. border pushed for an investigation into whether erosion in the St. Clair River, between Lakes Michigan and Huron, was causing a big drop in the water level in Lake Huron. The Georgian Bay Association wondered whether dredging had caused erosion significant enough to cause nine billion liters of water per day to drain from Lake Huron into the lower Great Lakes and out into the ocean.

A few weeks ago, the International Joint Commission, which provides information to both the American and Canadian governments, concluded that there's no evidence that erosion is the cause. The findings are still preliminary, but video pictures from the bottom of the channel seem to indicate a stable rock bed. However, many questions remain to be answered and more studies, over longer periods of time, will need to be done.

We've seen lots of related stories in recent months. Residents of Atlanta went through a difficult summer, as a prolonged drought in the Southeast led to significantly reduced water levels in Lake Lanier, a primary reservoir for the city.

Let's hope science provides some clues to the cause of these changes. It really would be a sign of trouble, I think, if the Great Lakes were to continue drying up.

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Photo: http://www.stock.xchng/

The world on the point of a pencil

Visual artists have the ability to transform what the eye sees into images that can be preserved for posterity.

In the process of recording what the eye sees, artists usually transform the object of their attention into something that is unique and personal.

A lot of variables come into play in this process: the materials used, the medium on which the image is recorded, and the personal stylistic preferences of the artist, to name a few.

Gabi Campanario, who works for the Seattle Times newspaper, is a graphic artist and illustrator who goes one step further. He's also a blogger -- a "sketchblogger," to be precise. At his site here, Campanario shares his passion with the world. And I'm very grateful he does.

He has more pages organized in albums at http://www.flickr.com/photos/baconvelocity/

Campanario is originally from Barcelona, Spain. He has a journalism degree, and it seems he cannot stop drawing. I can't imagine when he finds time for work. He fills his blog with illustrations that show scenes from his daily life in the Pacific Northwest. He rides the bus and he draws what he sees. He looks out his office window and he draws the view. He draws when he goes on weekend excursions. He draws his friends. He gets an e-mail from his library reminding him to return some books, and he draws.

Each illustration is a representation of what he sees in his world. They're portrayals of his living environment; but because they're illustrations, they are also intensely personal and unique.

Thanks, Gabi.

I wish I could draw.

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P.S.
Gabi Campanario is not alone…
If you enjoy seeing the world through sketches, there are many, many others…

He has sketchblogs listed on his site.

Here are a few more:

Jana Bouc (http://janabouc.wordpress.com/) is from California

Mattias Adolfsson (http://mattiasa.blogspot.com/) blogs from Sweden.

And then there's Sarah, from Texas: http://www.sarahmensinga.blogspot.com/

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Photo courtesy: stock.xchng

What happens when the fighting stops

On this day each year, on the 11th day of the 11th month, when we remember and honor those who died in war, we not only reflect on the human sacrifice of conflict, but also on a sad irony: that the seeds of war are often planted at the moment of surrender.

Every generation, it seems, is burdened by the deeds of its predecessors.

As we seek to understand the conflicts in the Middle East today, our thoughts on this Remembrance Day go back to the First World War because of its pivotal importance.

It was supposed to be the "war to end all wars." Sadly, after nine million soldiers and five million civilians lay dead on all sides, and twenty-one million remained wounded, the peace treaty that was signed laid the foundation for yet another global conflict.

The Treaty of Versailles imposed such punitive measures on Germany that the treaty became a primary cause of the rise of the Nazi Party and the subsequent onset of World War II.

Now, as we reflect on the wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan, we see a similar pattern replaying itself. As a result of poor management by the forces that ousted the previous regimes, the situation is grim: societies in chaos followed by the struggle for some semblance of stability. The disaffection and suffering of millions of civilians and subsequent exploitation of the situation by militant forces have resulted in insurgency and internal conflict; in short, a real mess.

At the end of the Second World War, the Allies faced a similar dilemma. While it's true that the power struggle between Russia and her Western allies sowed the seeds of a divided Europe, it's also true that the world responded very differently towards the countries in need. The cessation of hostilities led to the Marshall Plan and the rebuilding of Europe. The United States also led the rebuilding of Japan, another defeated power. As a result, Europe and Japan recovered, the seeds of the European Common Market (now the EU) were sown, and these nations became contributors to peace and stability in the world.

As we recognize the collective sacrifices of humanity at war, let us hope that we also remember that what we do when hostilities end is just as critical in honoring those who died and those who remain with us, on all sides of a conflict.

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Photo courtesy stock.xchng.

Saturday night

The radio in the car is playing upbeat trumpet jazz and the road is bright: big city lights ahead. Saturday night and the cares of the week have been left behind; at six-thirty the highway is a river of headlights flowing easily towards the heart of Toronto.

The skyline glitters with office towers and condominiums; the gigantic CN tower rising above them, a multi-colored light show decorating it's tall concrete base. The tower is trying to present a younger image of itself, having undergone somewhat of a makeover. A light show draws attention to it: think of an enormous needle with a swoosh of light rising rapidly to the top, much like mercury rising with unnatural speed along a gigantic thermometer, and then quickly dropping to the base, only to repeat again in different colors.

The radio tuner in the car moves from radio station to radio station, reflecting my feelings tonight -- a little bit of rock-and-roll, then some disco, back to upbeat jazz and over to funk. No racing the clock tonight; just rhythm and movement; an easy drive without any need to hurry.

I drive along Lake Shore Boulevard, the music high. Lake Ontario to the right is dark, except for occasional reflections of light on the water; shafts of light that stretch and waver with the movement of the water. The boardwalk along the coastline is empty, but the grass on the side still comes through green despite the darkness.

The city presents itself as a big and pleasant party destination: the Toronto Maple Leafs are playing the New York Rangers in ice hockey; people are stepping out to for dinners or theatre shows; a walk with friends, a talk at Starbucks or a drink at the local bar.

Toronto really is growing up, looking more and more like Chicago, Boston or parts of Manhattan. On a fine autumn night, it presents itself with blemishes hidden and its jewelry on, ready for an evening of fun.

Lately, the Canadian dollar has risen vigorously above its American cousin, and held its own in the international markets. It seems the city wants to show the world it has come of age.

Last train to the suburbs

Taking the last train out of the city in the evening sometimes feels like it really is the last ride.

The passengers are tired and silent after a long day at work. Now that the darkness comes earlier, the windows show no scenery and instead reflect back images of the inside of the train. Only occasionally, when the train arrives at a station or crosses a road, do you see some points of light through the windows. Otherwise black dominates.

People doze off. At night, the train seems to travel quietly and slowly; nothing at all like the morning's imperative to arrive on time in the heart of the city.

Clackety-clack-clack. Only the muffled sound of the locomotive and the hum of the ventilator in the car. People sitting apart from each other, spread out evenly in the car, each person in their own space, wrapped in their own thoughts.

The train arrives at a station; again quietly, it seems. The conductor announces the stop. One or two people get off. The train slowly resumes its course.

I wonder if this will be the way after death, as we travel to a destination beyond. Will we also sit as silent strangers on that night train?

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Photo courtesy Egidio Bacigalupi, through the stock.xchng

A neat idea

Imagine what would happen if we could harvest energy from the random movement of people.

This is what two MIT students recently proposed in an ingenious idea they call the "Crowd Farm." It's a concept that won them the top prize in a sustainable-construction contest in China.

James Graham and Thaddeus Jusczyk noticed how physical objects flex when people place their weight on them. Think of what happens when you walk downstairs, for example.

They then reasoned that renewable energy could be harvested where many people congregate and move around; places like airports, railway stations or stadiums.

According to USA Today the two graduate students thought about the possibilities and came up with a sub-flooring system of blocks. The blocks move slightly when the force of people's footsteps is brought to bear on them. The sliding of the blocks against one another generates electrical power.

While the concept is still too costly for practical use, the idea is stirring imaginations. Everywhere we look, it seems, we see the potential for simple forms of renewable energy based on human power.

That's exciting, because lots of little ideas like this one, put together, can make a big difference.

King Tut's face on display

85 years to the day after Egyptologist Howard Carter found the hidden tomb of King Tutankhamun, the face of the legendary boy-king has gone on display in Luxor.

We're not talking about his ceremonial sarcophagus cover (shown at left), but his actual face.

It turns out that King Tut was a buck-toothed teenager, not that different from other young people in our own time. He was also slight; only five feet, six inches tall. It's unknown what caused his death at the age of 19.
A CT scan conducted on his body two years ago discovered that a few days before he died he had broken his thigh bone. Scientists speculate he may have died from a subsequent infection.

In order to save the king's body from decaying into dust, curators placed Tut into a climate-controlled glass case, where he will be seen by an expected 700 visitors a day.

The display is a reminder of how the past can still reach out and remind us of the march of civilization.

King Tut ascended to the throne at the age of eight, about one thousand years before Christ's time. And yet here he is, in 2007, looking up at us; the boy who led one of the most advanced civilizations in the ancient world.

The 1922 discovery of his glittering tomb decorated with golden objects and jewels, and, of course, the famous mask, captured the world's imagination and intrigues us still.


For more, including photos: King Tut from Associated Press
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Blog photo credit: Enbrut Dani, through the stock.xchng

Words of wisdom

The Dalai Lama spoke some encouraging words during a speech in Toronto the other day.

His message is one that resonates because it reminds us that we are all linked together.

The Dalai Lama told his audience that one of the keys to peace in the world is good bonding, especially early in life. Maternal affection during infancy, he said, helps children have a warm-hearted approach to others. This eventually contributes to peaceful cities and peaceful nations.

"A healthy community must start from individuals," he was quoted as saying in the Toronto Globe and Mail.

"Today's reality [is that] everything is dependent and interconnected. Whether you love others or not, your existence depends on them, so you should consider others part of yourself."

The Dalai Lama encouraged his audience to "make this century the century of dialogue."

May it be so.