Green Daily

The Great Lakes in the Upper Midwest contain one-fifth of the world's fresh water. In an age where water is as valuable, if not more so, than oil that's a valuable commodity. States like Colorado, Arizona and California have all courted the Great Lakes states--New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota--for their water.

That's despite steadily declining water quality and an ever increasing number of invasive species further damaging the water quality and habitat. With this in my, Senator Barack Obama pledged to create a five billion dollar trust fund that would fund sewage-system upgrades, wetland restoration and invasive species eradication. The plan would also stiffen regulations on mercury emissions, a pollutant in the Great Lakes region.

Obama says he would do it by increasing taxes on oil companies. McCain's campaign said the presidential election was about results not proposals. And it must be said that Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Pennsylvania are considered battleground states in this election.

[via MPR]