Lake Levels on BoDiscourse around the world is addressing the effects of climate change. Th is resulted in the political agreements that were reached in 1992 and 1997. Last year in Copenhagen, non-binding commitments were made by more than 20 countries to cut emissions of greenhouse gases. As concentrations of greenhouse gases rise in the atmosphere, trapping solar energy, altered climate patterns could wreak havoc on the wildlife and the economy that are part of the fabric of life in the Great Lakes region and around the world. Unfortunately, marine engines emit greenhouse gases, and have not been regulated for at least 20 years; the increased attention to global warming indicates that change may be coming. With the announcement last year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of new, stricter standards for marine engines, the agency may have opened a new chapter in the legislation of this area.

The effects of climate change are increasingly felt in the Great Lakes region. Spring thaws arrive earlier each year on 56 lakes in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ontario and Wisconsin, and air temperatures rise by 0.4 degrees Celsius, according to a team from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The many negative consequences will likely increase the threats to fish and other aquatic animals because of the proliferation of dead zones, and worsen water quality because of more intense storms. In addition, climate change on the Great Lakes will likely lead lake levels to drop in each of the Great Lakes in the next century: by about 2.7 feet in Lake Erie, three feet in lakes Huron and Michigan, 1.7 feet in Lake Ontario and one foot in Lake Superior.

Statistics support the idea of legally dealing with marine emissions; pleasure crafts emit 17,399,940 tons of carbon dioxide each year, or about 8 percent of all non-road engine and vehicle emissions of carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, as new regulations of boat design requirements, fuel economy standards, and/or decreased emissions standards are instituted, the costs for recreational boaters will probably increase. However, if legislation allows for elements, including reasonable time frames for compliance that limit boater costs and offer purchase rebates, then recreational boaters may find the changes to be manageable. Regulations can and should be enacted in a manner that allows boaters to continue to boat and to contribute to a healthier environment for all.