Access to clean fresh water already is becoming the defining issue of global warming in the western United States. And as population growth, pollution, and other global mega-trends steadily drive up worldwide demand, the abundant supplies available in the Great Lakes -- and the knowledge about how to manage them -- are the region's ace in the global economy. There are several ways to leverage the unique competitive advantage in the pursuit of 21st century prosperity:
1) To retain and grow existing industries. Ready access to clean, accessible lakes and rivers shore up traditional economic sectors like tourism, agriculture, and manufacturing. The Great Lakes region, for example, supports 60 percent of the nation's manufacturing industry.
2) To gain an edge in the global competition for modern companies and talented workers. The new economy uses information as its essential raw material and is defined by technology and mobility. Companies and their workers are no longer bolted to a specific place by the need for natural resources like iron ore. They can be almost anywhere. As a result, quality of life, and especially access to water and water-related activities, continually ranks among the critical assets employees and executives cite in choosing where to live and do business.
3) To spur new industry. Water is a booming business. Worldwide, annual industry revenues are estimated at $300 billion. And entreprenuers in the Great Lakes region now are discovering that there is a lucrative worldwide market for new ideas to clean and conserve water. Check out Falcon WaterFree Technologies or Sensicore.
