Cyanobacteria Threatens Life of Lake Atitlan

Western civilization meets head on with the Mayan culture at Lake Atitlan in the Guatemalen Highlands. This show will discuss the environmental disaster occurring and the serious poverty conditions facing the 60,000 Mayans living on the shoreline. Once known as the most beautiful lake in the world, now Lake Atitlan, a 1000' deep volcanic lake 130 square km in size, has been taken over by a massive bloom of cyanobacteria that is now entering its toxic phase ending the basic source of water for the thousands of lake shore inhabitants as well as halting the livelihood of indigenous fisherman. Authorities on lake pollution in a recent gathering at Istanbul listed Lake Atitlan as the world’s most threatened lake in 2009. With haphazard garbage collection and no raw sewage and water treatment, the once crystal clear water is now undrinkable.