What if it were Lake Michigan?

"...It was summertime in Northern Michigan
Splashing through the sand bar, talking by the campfire
It's the simple things in life like when and where...
...Catching walleye from the dock
Watching the waves roll off the rocks...
...We'd blister in the sun, we couldn't wait for night to come
To hit that sand and play some rock 'n' roll..."
-Kid Rock, All Summer Long

July and August are the months that really heat up here in Michigan. I definitely look forward to visiting beautiful Lake Michigan each summer. There is no doubt that I take it for granted, it has always been a constant in my life. And, there is no doubt that Lake Michigan, along with the other 4 lakes that comprise the Great Lakes, are an important part of the livelihood of our state. 


Maybe that is why I feel such empathy for the residents of the Gulf of Louisiana, and what are they are going through now. You take for granted that you will wake up each morning to a beautiful sunrise (or sunset) on the water, get in your boat and fish, or go down to the beach for a quick dip. And then one day that is gone. The water is poison, the fish and wildlife are dying, and your way of life is ruined for maybe the rest of your adult life.

After the last three months you would think this would have been an important lesson to all of us. To set new goals, find new ways and try to make it right. What is this generation leaving to future generations?  While politicians, family and friends bicker about money and power, who is right and who is wrong, who is a true American and who isn't, we are forgetting one basic thing.


Without a healthy planet Earth, it is all irrelevant. For all the wealth and all the kingdoms one may possess, it can't get bring you fresh air, clean water and the basic necessities of life. 


So when I hear things like THIS my head spins violently! I really have to wonder why are we not LEARNING anything? How can you look at the beauty of the world we've been given, and even suggest that drilling in any of the Great Lakes is even an option? 


I would like Lake Michigan to be here for my children to take their children, and their children to take their children, and so on, and so on, and so on. I long for them to have the same experiences on the beaches of Michigan, fishing and swimming by day, campfires by night.


Is it too much to ask to leave the place the way we found it?

Related Links:
Natural Gas Gold Rush also threatens our inland lakes, rivers, streams and wells.