Lake Superior and Climate Change

Watch this video on Boreal to learn about how climate change and human impacts are affecting Lake Superior. Researchers at the University of Minnesota, Duluth explain how we are changing the lake system. There is another video on climate change on that website called "Lake Superior and Climate Change: Part 1".

Image from www.minnesotalakes.net

Air Pollution in China

I remember hearing sometime in the past year about China having an air quality alert. Their AQI was over 200, which is considered very unhealthy. For some perspective, the AQI in Grand Portage is usually under 20, which is considered good. To prepare for the 2008 Olympics, China implemented many air pollution controls, and it seems that they were able to improve their air. According to an article on Science Daily, if China continued reducing their air pollution, they could reduce deaths from lung cancer in Beijing by 10,000 in this lifetime. The team of researchers who found these results studied air pollution in China and the health benefits that would come with reducing air pollution. They found that many lives would be saved with air pollution control, and they were only researching one type of pollutant, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs.

The PAHs released in China and other developing countries are spreading to the United States, so not only do we need to be concerned with the health of the people in China and other developing nations from air pollution, but we need to consider how it is affecting us. Pollution in the air can travel very far. Mercury is another example of pollutants that are traveling here to Minnesota and affecting our environment and health. The mercury in our fish comes from pollution in Minnesota, but it also comes from sources all over the world.

Fish Consumption Guide

Chemicals such as mercury and PCBs are found in store bought or wild caught fish. These chemicals can be harmful to humans, so people should monitor their consumption of fish in order to limit the accumulation of these chemicals in the body. Grand Portage released a Fish Consumption Guide for fish caught within the reservation boundaries. It is recommended that you follow the guidelines from the table below and take other precautionary measures when consuming fish: eat smaller fish, eat fewer predator fish, eat less fatty fish, and trim fat off the fish.

For fish caught in Grand Portage waters, follow this consumption advice:

The “Special Population” includes pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, or children under age 15.

Species	Sensitive Population Consumption Advice	General Population Consumption Advice
Brook Trout Under 12"	unlimited	unlimited
12" or over	1 meal per week	unlimited
Coho Salmon	1 meal per week	1 meal per week
Chinook Salmon Under 22"	1 meal per week	1 meal per week
22" or over	1 meal per month	1 meal per month
Herring	1 meal per week	unlimited
Lake Trout Under 21"	1 meal per week	1 meal per week
between 21” and 43”	1 meal per month	1 meal per month
34” or over	1 meal every two months	1 meal every two months
Walleye Under 20”	1 meal per week	unlimited
20” or over	1 meal per month	1 meal per week
Whitefish	1 meal per week	unlimited

If you eat fish caught outside of Grand Portage, you can find the Minnesota State guidelines at the Minnesota Department of Health website.

Stop by Trust Lands if you would like to pick up a copy of the Fish Consumption Guide.