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Lake Superior has historically been seen as the cleanest of the Great Lakes and unaffected by the seasonal algal blooms that blight other areas of the world, including Lake Erie. However, a combination of climate change and growing human development along its shores has changed this and Lake Superior now experiences annual algal blooms for the first time in its history.
Algal blooms are ecologically destructive and can produce toxins harmful to both humans and non-humans alike.
Today in The Conversation Canada, Sapna Sharma and Joshua Culpepper of York University discuss the growing problem of algal blooms in Lake Superior, the climate change fuelling their emergence, and what can be done to help limit their destructive impacts. They argue that “the public health risks from cyanotoxins underscore the importance of addressing global environmental degradation to prevent the proliferation of these species.”
Also today:
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Harris Kuemmerle
Environment + Energy Editor | The Conversation Canada
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A dense cyanobacterial bloom is seen in the Kyiv Water Reservoir during an extreme heatwave near Kyiv, Ukraine in November 2020. While common across the world, Lake Superior has historically been too cold to host cyanobacterial blooms — until now.
(AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Sapna Sharma, York University, Canada; Joshua Culpepper, York University, Canada
The spectacular landscapes and pristine waters of the north shore of Lake Superior, which once provided inspiration for the Group of Seven, are now vulnerable to algal blooms.
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Drinking water is the easiest source of ‘forever chemicals’ to treat when trying to reduce our overall exposure to these substances.
(Shutterstock)
Sébastien Sauvé, Université de Montréal; Benoit Barbeau, Polytechnique Montréal; Termeh Teymoorian, Université de Montréal
‘Forever chemicals’ can be detected almost anywhere using the right analytical equipment. This raises concerns about the health effects of current exposure levels.
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As a first step in determining whose interests patient groups align with, we need more transparency about the source of their revenue.
(Shutterstock)
Joel Lexchin, York University, Canada
Patient advocacy groups are often funded through pharmaceutical companies, but there are currently no regulations governing disclosure of this potential conflict of interest.
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People make their way through downtown Ottawa on June 18, 2024.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Alexander Wray, Western University; Jamie Seabrook, Western University; Jason Gilliland, Western University; Sean Doherty, Wilfrid Laurier University
Instead of trying to force unwilling workers back to the office, Canadian cities should instead focus on developing downtowns that people genuinely want to visit and experience.
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In this combination photo, B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad speaks during a campaign stop in Abbotsford, and B.C. NDP Leader David Eby speaks during a campaign stop, in Langley, B.C., both on Sept. 28, 2024.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Philip Resnick, University of British Columbia
More than 70 years ago, right-wing W.A.C. Bennett became a B.C. political powerhouse after a failed Liberal-NDP coalition. There are parallels to today’s rise of the B.C. Conservatives.
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La Conversation Canada
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Le 10 septembre 2024, António Guterres, secrétaire général de l’ONU, prend la parole dans le cadre de la 79e séance de l’Assemblée générale des Nations unies.
(AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Mathieu JP Poirier, York University, Canada
La résistance aux antimicrobiens (RAM) est devenue une urgence mondiale, et les pays du monde entier doivent traiter le problème de la même manière que le changement climatique.
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Des personnes participent à une marche à l'occasion de la Journée nationale de la vérité et de la réconciliation à Montréal.
La Presse canadienne / Graham Hughes
Christophe Premat, Stockholm University
Les 150 ans du Traité 4 offrent une occasion de réévaluer les relations entre le Canada et les Premières Nations. Des mesures de compensation semblent désormais inévitables.
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Arts
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Harry F. Dahms, University of Tennessee
Using films like “The Matrix,” a sociology course examines how factors beyond our control shape the world we live in − in fact and in an imagined future.
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Culture + Society
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Victoria Gibbon, University of Cape Town; Joscha Gretzinger, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Stephan Schiffels, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Ancient human genomes reconstructed from remains at a southern African rock shelter show remarkable genetic continuity over time.
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