Lake Superior has a reputation for being cold, but that reputation may be at risk. John Shepard with the Center for Global and Environmental Education at Hamline University has been busy presenting this temperature change on film. A Sea Change for Superior: The Warming of the World's Largest Lake premieres tonight at 7pm at the Mitchell Auditorium on the campus of The College of St. Scholastica.
At the end of August, Shepard followed a team of relay swimmers who spent 24 hours in the cold waters as they made their way from a beach near Split Rock Lighthouse all the way to Canal Park in Duluth. "They were able to complete it because of the warmth of the water," says Shepard. The swimming event was an effort to raise awareness about the lake's rising temperature and will be highlighted in A Sea Change for Superior. "The origin of this project is based in the fact that Lake Superior is now one of the fastest warming large lakes in the world... what does that really mean in terms of the impact on natural systems."
After the premiere, the film will be aired on PBS North on December 4th before expanding its broadcast to state-wide stations and beyond. For more information, visit the film's website. Those interesting in attending the premiere of the film can do so free of charge, though online registration is required.
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