1st Key Question: Why is this topic/issue important?

Although we can’t see it, phosphorus is there. Phosphorus, with higher temperatures, create algae blooms. And there are lots of high temperatures due to climate change, but that’s a whole other issue. A lot of people, and pets swim in Lake Champlain’s poisonous waters. More than 140,000 people also drink it. If phosphorus and algae win this battle for Lake Champlain, we won’t be able to swim there anymore. Literally thousands of people won’t have a drinking source. The fish and plants that already live in our lake, will die. Algae is toxic to us and our pets, and the “slime” sucks out the oxygen out of the water. Do you really want you or your pet getting sick for one day at the lake, or the native fish and plants dying from oxygen deprivation? After all, that is their home (also a bit of ours too) and they were there first.

2nd Key Question: What’s the story with this topic/issue?

• Main Conflicts: All good stories also have the conflicts within the story. For this story; nitrogen is required for some of the clean-up measures, but nitrogen also causes algae blooms. Also, phosphorus is a naturally occurring chemical, necessary for plant life, but there are little ways to reduce it once there is too much, which there is within Lake Champlain. In addition, Vermont is the leading contributor of phosphorus, so we are the most obligated to do something. Most of the weight is on our shoulders. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but some people might think it is.

• Characters/Groups: As we said on September 16, all good stories include good characters. The characters for Lake Champlain’s story are the Environmental Protection Agency, Burlington Wastewater Treatment Plant, Governor Peter Shumlin, Lake Champlain Basin Program, and the Lake Champlain Committee. I bet there are more, but these are the ones I found. These groups are here precisely for the cleaning of Lake Champlain.

• What are the stakes?: What are the stakes if this doesn’t go the way we want it to? Well, since nitrogen is used to clean up the lake, and it also makes algae blooms, it would be very bad if we couldn’t control the nitrogen. That would be a very big setback. Also, the lake would close more during the summer, when people actually want to go to the lake, or there could be more algae related sicknesses. Or worst case scenario, people will just not care at all. They’ll use phosphorus loaded fertilizer and use phosphate
  detergents without thinking twice.

3rd Key Question: What am I seeking?:

I want you to join me in the fight for Lake Champlain. I want you to help me spread the word about Lake Champlain’s horrible story. I want you push people to use phosphorus free products. I want you to help me find more ways to reduce phosphorus and nitrogen within our lake. I want you to help me fund raise and donate to the groups already there for this sole purpose. This is a real problem, and it needs to be fixed. We can and will do it! My vision for Lake Champlain are big, like every one else already fighting for the lake. I would rather swim in a clean lake where I can see the fish swimming around. I would rather drink the purest water I can find. I would rather be able to swim, instead of sitting at home, sad, because I can’t go swimming because of the algae. I would rather help make Lake Champlain clean, then sit by and let phosphorus, nitrogen, and algae destroy and kill our lake.

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All of this text comes from my slides (made by Prezi software). Enjoy!