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-- ~S tl quarterly ne~,vsletEer foe m~~i»1~~~rti ~ai~~i ii~i~~Ilci~ i>t lh~~ 1-'r~~~h~~~~~teY~ Society --~ tlOlUtYlC' 2/, NO. J ~ -- ~ - --rR er-r :- ~~- ~ ~--r~ -4-~ ,~..~ ' ~e~F~}{~~~ 11 ~..~ ~~~~®~ ~°~s tr s ever -~ orldwide, ten to twenty Development, Environment, and Security ~ thousand people die every lays out these global threats and offers day from water-related ways to solve them by breaking the [~~ ~ ~ `' diseases and half of all wetlands have destructive patterns of the past. The From Pacific Inst~hrtc for Stiulies in I~c~~~°lii~ inent, F.n~a ri~nm en t, and 5ccu[ ity already been lost to development and -`- conversion. Global climate change will wreak potential havoc on the world's freshwater. - In short, across the globe, the world's scarce freshwater resources are being threatened as never before. To make matters worse, the traditional methods long-used to ensure our supply of water -dams, reservoirs, and pipelines -are actually adding to our woes. The good news is there are solutions. A new assessment recently released by the Pacific Institute for Studies in report was funded by the United Nations Environment Programme. "The aim of this new assessment is to look ahead at four critical emerging threats to the world's freshwater resources," stated Dr. Peter H. Gleick, director of the Pacific Institute of Oakland, California and the report's lead author. "And when we do, the picture is not pretty Growing populations, increasing water pollution, and the wild-card of climate change all point to an upcoming crisis." World's Fresh Water eontinned on page 5 re t eS rter eX: rteCtl a are es rCe '~ "'4" Tt". T{"'~ The. Executive Director's Perspective ........:...:..... 2 Energy Saving YVinter Tips for Your Home ..................4 Minnesota Weatherguide Calendars ..................:.4 upcoming Events .............~ Dick Gray's Passwords ........ E Freshwater iblessa~e .... .... 9 Membership Fonn ............ 7 By David Gillette he Great Lakes sustain the serious environmental and economic industrial heartland of North challenges facing Basin residents by America. They also contain 20 percent signing The Great Lakes Charter, anon- of the world's freshwater and are home partisan agreement that outlines to countless living organisms. Residents principles for managing the Great Lakes of the Great Lakes Basin correctly Basin's natural resources, with an consider themselves the stewards of a emphasis on monitoring proposed tremendously vital resource. As our withdrawals of Great Lakes water. T`he culture's ever-increasing demands for 1985 Charter stated that withdrawals of reliable freshwater reserves begin to be Great Lakes water greater than five understood, the Basiri s unique million gallons per day must be properties, coupled with the local reviewed and approved by the affected population's desire to maintain an states and provinces before unpolluted, economically viable implementation. In an effort to ensure waterway, make responsible policy that the Charter's regulations were development a priority. enforced, the Council of Governors also In 1985 the governors of the eight created notification and implementation Great Lakes states and the premiers of programs that adhere to the agreement's Ontario and Quebec responded to the principles. Great Lakes Glarter Annex continued on page 3 FED 2 0 2~u2