Q. Sharon Hanshue, of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, asked how to manage public expectations about changing water levels and get away from media sensationalism.

A. One panelist commented that the media only report bad news, but no real solution or alternative was suggested.

Q. Katherine Silverthorne, of the World Wildlife Fund, noted that while much attention is paid to the potential costs of mitigating climate change, little is paid to those sectors and industries that may suffer because of climate change, such as shipping or recreation industries. She inquired whether carriers have attempted to “get the message out about the economic impacts on their industry.”

A. George Ryan replied that we are telling the shippers and the government about the severe impact of lower lake levels. Adaptation Measures

Q. Cameron Davis, of the Lake Michigan Federation, asked whether increased dredging would result in more water being lost from the lake system.

A. Dave Schweiger, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), replied that dredging historically did result in a permanent lowering of Lakes Michigan and Huron.

Q. Questions about adapting the shipping fleet and ice-breakers came from Ned Dikmen, publisher of the Great Lakes Boating Magazine, and Virginia Reiner, a freelance writer.

A. George Ryan replied that the new multi-mission icebreaker would have a shallower draft. Wayne Smith noted that the Great Lakes fleet is aging, and new freighters will be built only if adequate returns on capital investments are received. He added that policy makers should compare the full environmental costs of marine, rail, and truck shipping.

Q .Tim Eder, of the National Wildlife Federation, noted that the environmental impacts of extending the shipping season need to be taken into account.

A. George Ryan replied that any extension would not happen overnight. “All parties — federal, state, local, and tribal — will be consulted during the environmental impact analysis. With global warming, a longer shipping season is a natural adaptation.Ó

Q. Arthur Brooks, of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and two other participants asked about control structures and construction of new locks for wider vessels as an alternative to dredging.

A. Ryan pointed out that both environmentalists and the shipping industry historically have opposed new control structures. With respect to the proposed new lock size, he said it would be wide enough. Science

Q. John Lenters, of University of Wisconsin-Madison, and another participant asked about smaller-scale effects of climate change and how to model them, given the coarseness of the GCMs that Lofgren described. Another participant asked when new model results for the Great Lakes region might be available.

A. Peter Sousounis replied that the present models, despite their coarse resolution, still provide “large-scale patterns from which we can get some idea of short-term impacts.” As to when we can expect model results for the Great Lakes to become available, Brent Lofgren replied, “Within 1.5 years.” Sousounis added that the next generations of the Hadley model “may be more in line with the Canadian model.”

Q. Phil Keillor, of Wisconsin Sea Grant, asked whether climate change might increase the risk of structural damage to ships that hit bottom during loading at docks.

A. Smith and Ryan noted that hulls are always at or near the bottom during loading, and the problem of improper loading is not a new one. In addition, the shipping industry is working with NOAA and the USACE to improve communication so that ship captains will know when barometric changes and wind shifts displace the water. In Lake Erie, Ryan added, “with a strong northwest or westerly wind you can have an extra 9 feet of water in Buffalo and 9 feet less water in Toledo.”

Q. Amy Hennen, of the Izaak Walton League of America, raised the issue of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

A. Smith replied that the Canadian government has become more involved in mitigation, and Don Biganeiss noted that manufacturers of personal watercraft are switching to cleaner four-cycle engines. The session concluded with the comments of Lee Botts, of the Indiana Dunes Environmental Learning Center: “Don´t we all—industry and environmentalists—have a common interest in trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? The only good thing about the climate change debate is that everyone has a stake in getting beyond our immediate interests and looking at the big picture.”