In December I wrote about the threat of Asian carp to Lake Michigan, and the drastic measures being taken to stop them. The issue reached the U.S. Supreme Court today, which denied the state of Michigan's request for an injunction to close Chicago-area locks to block the fish. The Great Lakes states, and the Canadian province of Ontario now rely on President Obama as a last resort to temporarily buttress the lakes until a permanent solution is found. To return to the wellness parallels in this story, let's revisit why the carp are in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. In the 1960s, southern states had overgrowth of algae, and imported Asian carp, voracious eaters with no natural predators. The carp flourished and spread north through the rivers, and now a half century later threaten the Great Lakes ecosystem. This reminds me of attempts we might make to make ourselves feel better, only to cause damage in the long run, and in perhaps unexpected ways. Then we need to turn to outside resources (like Michigan turning to the Supreme Court) to offer solutions. How do I self-treat or self-medicate in ways that might be harmful to me? |
