Seats in the theater at Memorial Union filled up quickly as people waited for Dan Egan, this year’s Go Big Read author, to discuss his book about the ecological disasters of the Great Lakes on Tuesday evening.
After graduating from the University of Michigan and reporting for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Egan wrote “The Death and Life of The Great Lakes” to expand his knowledge about how certain factors contributed to the destruction of the lakes and how society can help preserve them.
Egan shared his experience visiting Fox River as a child, saying that growing up near it expanded his appreciation for the Great Lakes and the importance of preserving them.
“I never would've gotten into the field that I got into had I not been exposed to the lakes in this manner,” Egan said.
With his interest in protecting the Great Lakes and understanding the factors that have caused their destruction, Egan began studying the lakes’ ecologies in greater depth by tracking the return of sockeye salmon in Redfish Lake.
“In this particular summer, there were eight fish that had been tracked passing the last dam, and one fish made it back," Egan said. "It made an impression on me watching a whole species disappear, it was profound."
Egan also discussed his concern for the ballast water in the lakes and presented ways in which the shipping industry can help this problem. He said the industry “working with us” and flushing ballast water with salt water has gone a long way.
Along with presenting issues with the shipping industry, Egan expressed concern about protecting the Great Lakes to the audience, explaining that it isn't too late to preserve them.
“We can’t go
