System Theory

I'm reading Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas Friedman.  Please, even if you can't buy your own copy, just read the first chapter!  It is that important.

http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Flat-Crowded-Revolution-America/dp/0374166854

One of the many concepts Friedman develops that will change your world view is "system theory".  Now, I'm sure there is a robust field of study that looks at systems abstractly, and then applies those concepts to specific systems in economics, management, engineering and nature, etc.  But the bottom line is this:

Everything is part of the same system.

and

The system ALWAYS wins.

So, we can play around with new techniques or modify some aspect of a system in order to affect a desirable outcome in one or more parts of the whole.  But the entire system will respond to those changes -- even beyond the parts we manipulate or exploit.  In most cases, the effects may be so far from the part of the system we are interested that they go un-noticed.  In some cases, changes to one part of the system effects other parts in dramatic ways that we might not expect.

But in all cases, the system re-balances itself, finds a new equilibrium, and then keeps right on going.

The problem is that the new system is always different from what we desired when we began manipulating the piece we were interested in.

If you are reading this, you are probably someone I know, and you are probably smart enough to already be thinking of examples.  Maybe from nature, or maybe from your work or your personal finances.

Friedman uses an engineering example, the Toyota Prius, to demonstrate how a better engineered system minimizes effects to other parts of the overall system.  Regenerative braking, used on that car, results in better mileage and less CO2 emission than cars without regenerative braking.  Minimizing those effects creates less of an impact to natural systems that must cope with CO2 in the atmosphere and political systems that engage in the supply and demand for natural resources.

That's all I have to say about system theory, at least for now... Except that the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes Regional Center has generously offered us the use of a Toyota Prius for our "Five Great Lakes" pocket adventure this summer, and we intend to take them up on it!

Thanks!

How do we plan to swim in all five Great Lakes in one day?

From the westernmost point of Lake Superior to the easternmost point of Lake Ontario is nearly 800 miles.  Clearly, we will not be swimming across all of them.  The plan is simply to swim IN each of them.

The Swim:

We've defined the term "swim" to mean hopping in, going under, and "Bobbing around" (my Dad's name is Bob) for some ambiguous period of time to be determined by the water temperature and our schedule.

The Trip:

We'll need to do five swims between sunrise of day one and sunrise of day two.  We will travel from lake to lake, visiting and documenting our adventure along the way.

It will involve a bit of driving.

1. Lake Superior:

The plan currently calls for an overnight somewhere near Brimley, Michigan.  That's on Whitefish Bay, on the eastern end of Superior.  The adventure begins at about 6:00AM, as we hit the surf at sunrise and go for our first swim.  Then we will head down to the Straits of Mackinac, approximately 60 miles away.

2. & 3.  Lake Michigan and Lake Huron:

Technically, the two lakes are a single lake connected by the Straits.  We still intend to swim both of them, though.  There are available sites for swimming both of these lakes, within minutes of each other.  Specifically, we are considering Wilderness State Park on the Michigan side, and Edgewater Beach in Mackinaw City on the Huron side.

4.  Lake Erie:

We will head down U.S. 75 towards Toledo, Ohio, and then spend the afternoon traveling the southern shore of Lake Erie.  There are many beaches and parks throughout that region, but my family is partial to Edgewater Park in downtown Cleveland or Mentor Headlands beach in Fairport Harbor, Ohio.  We may need to consider the time of day when choosing our Erie location, as many beaches close at sunset.  Road time from Brimley, Michigan to Fairport Harbor, Ohio is about eight-and-a-half hours.  Combined with detours for swimming, eating, and stretching, and it could be close to sunset before we get to Northeast Ohio.

5.  Lake Ontario.

One of the seeds that started this adventure was my nagging desire to swim in Lake Ontario, the only Great Lake I haven't already visited.  We will spend a few hours of our first evening traveling to western Lake Ontario, somewhere between Buffalo and Rochester.  There are a few parks with campgrounds and beaches that we may target.  Niagara Shores Park, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, is an attractive target, and further east is Hamlin State Park.  After a short night, we will awaken around 5:30AM...

Pop into the Speedos...

At approximately 5:45, as the sun rises over Lake Ontario, we will step in and complete the adventure!

Five Great Lakes. Twenty Four Hours.

This is the first "pocket adventure".  A pocket adventure is something challenging, something one might mention to one's grandchildren.  It is also something that pretty much anyone can do.  No special skills, training, or financing necessary.  A pocket adventure is a smaller challenge than climbing in the Himalayas or exploring South Sandwich Island.  It "fits in the pocket" rather than, say, on a team of Sherpas or in the hold of a ship.

But it is still challenging, still exciting, still something one can look back on with a sense of accomplishment and fond memories.

A friend and former professor inspired me.  He's swimming around the island he lives on near Seattle.  It's a pocket adventure -- he's doing it in short stages based on the time he has available after work or on weekends.  It's something that almost anyone could do, even though few ever will. Challenging?  Yes.  Exciting?  Sure.  It's a pocket adventure.

Get it?

So, I've set the goal:  To swim in all five Great Lakes in one 24-hour period.  I've also recruited my father.  He will be a newly-retired fisheries biologist when we undertake our adventure.  My son and my nephew have also expressed interest... stay tuned.

To add meaning to our pocket adventure, we will be doing some fundraising and attempting to bring publicity to issues effecting the Great Lakes, including things like invasive species, water quality, and conservation.

We are considering donating proceeds from our effort to the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes Natural Resource Center.

If you are interested in pledging a gift for the NWF/GLRNC, contact me.  I'll send you a note and forward your gift to them.  They are aware of our plans, and excited to work with us to make our pocket adventure even more successful and meaningful.

Thanks,

Rob