Commentary: Why we must make the Great Lakes ‘smarter’ to prepare for climate change

Smart technologies, such as sensor networks linked with powerful computers, have been used with great success to track air quality in Chicago and detect wildfires in the West. Now we need to make the Great Lakes smart, too. The health of this enormous resource — and our drinking water, shorelines and livelihoods — depends on it. The Great Lakes region is facing tremendous uncertainty from climate change, extreme weather and shifting economies. It is difficult to predict the long-term outcomes of these changes in the Great Lakes. By increasing innovation in smart technologies and sharing the re...