People living in the Great Lakes region are already feeling the effects of a changing climate. Shifts in seasonal temperatures and precipitation patterns could have dramatic impacts on the economy, ecology, and quality of life. In this illuminating and thorough volume, leading scholars address the challenge of preparing for climate change in the region, where decision makers from various sectors—government, agriculture, recreation, and tourism—must increasingly be aware of the need to incorporate climate change into their short- and long-term planning. The chapters in this revealing book, written by some of the foremost climate change scholars in North America, outline the major trends in the climate of the Great Lakes region, how humans might cope with the uncertainty of climate change impacts, and examples of on-the-ground projects that have addressed these issues.

Probes climatic patterns in the Great Lakes, atmospheric controls, the ways in which the Great Lakes affect weather, and the role of man in altering the weather of the Great Lakes region.

"This report presents a summary of the "Starting a public discussion" series of eight seminars on climate change and some of its likely effects on Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region that were held at seven locations around the state in 2007."