The U.S. and Canada say they will increase efforts to reduce pollution around the Great Lakes, clean up contaminated sites and work to stop invasions by exotic species. The two countries have announced the renewal of a 40 year old environmental pact. The updated Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement means both nations will continue the initiative started when the lakes were poster children for ecological decay. The new version of the agreement includes language on recent challenges which have emerged like climate change, the loss of wildlife habitat and the assault by invasive species like the Asian carp.
