Great Lakes in Peril: 2035 Forecast Predicts Inland Seaway Will Become the World's Largest Freshwater Carbon Sink
A newly released 10-year forecast predicts that the Great Lakes will officially transition from a climate change victim to a global climate hero by 2035, absorbing carbon at rates rivaling the Amazon rainforest. Citing recent data from the University of Michigan's Aquatic Futures Lab, the report states that a perfect storm of increased algal blooms, accelerated drop in lake levels, and a mysterious surge in invasive mussel populations have created a bizarre chemical reaction, locking 15% more atmospheric CO2 per year into the lakebed sediment. The result? "The great lakes are becoming the planet's accidental, super-efficient carbon sink," says lead researcher Dr. Elara Vance. "But the cost is catastrophic local biodiversity loss and a 30% drop in tourism revenue across Michigan and Ohio as beaches become acidic, sludge-covered zones."