ELY— When it comes to messaging, timing is key— and it couldn’t have been better for the Ely Climate Group’s presentation here last Wednesday on the human health impacts of extreme heat and wildfire smoke.
Ely and surrounding communities were in the midst of an unprecedented early May heat wave combined with suffocating smoke from the Brimson Complex fires burning 50 miles to the south. Ely Climate Group president Barbara Jones noted that the event had been planned a month ago, so the immediacy of the topic to current conditions was simply coincidence. Still, it likely contributed to the solid turnout as about 40 Ely area residents turned out at the Grand Ely Lodge, with a handful more attending via Zoom.
While discussions around climate change frequently focus on the impacts to wildlife, oceans, and the polar regions, Kathleen Schuler, policy director with the group Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate, or HPHC, told those in attendance that both rising temperatures and the related increase in wildfire smoke globally have serious implications for human health.
Schuler, now retired, has a master’s in public health and spent her career working in the field with both the state of Minnesota as well as the nonprofit sector.
Schuler reiterated the data on the warming climate, noting that temperatures are not only rising but are rising faster (now about 0.5 degrees per decade) than ever before.
Dew points are also on the rise, she said, which makes it harder for our bodies to cool. “Hot and humid means more health impacts,” she said.
Those impacts include heat stress, heat stroke, and even organ failure in death, depending on the circumstances and the health status of those exposed to such conditions.
Schuler said several factors can increase an individual’s risks associated with heat, including lack of air conditioning, which is common here in the North Country, and lack of financial resources. Being bedridden, living in the topmost floor of a residence, living alone, prolonged exposure to the sun, outdoor exercise, and drinking alcohol can all increase one’s risk of serious health consequences from heat.
At the same time, Schuler notes that the frequency of major wildfires in Minnesota is on the rise, with its own set of health complications for humans. Those can range from the merely irritating, such as scratchy eyes and throats, to more serious impacts like severe asthma attacks, exacerbation of COPD, greater risk of respiratory infections, and a decrease in the number of immune cells in children.
Schuler said the fine particulates produced from the burning of forests and fossil fuels are able to enter deep into human bodies, where they impact our brains, lungs, heart, kidneys, and reproductive systems. Globally, she said such pollution leads to the premature deaths of an estimated seven million people annually, and about 2,000-4,000 people a year here in Minnesota.
While Schuler had come to provide information, Kelley Skumautz, executive director of HPHC, was there to gather input from Ely residents about the ways that rising heat and wildfire smoke were impacting their lives today. She heard plenty from those in attendance, most of whom were in their 60s or 70s.
Celia Domich noted that Ely’s population is particularly vulnerable to the health impacts of heat and smoke because of its older population and its aging housing stock, most without air conditioning.
Bill Tefft said he had always believed that air conditioning wasn’t necessary in Ely because it always cooled off at night, but acknowledged that that’s changing. “Maybe we need a new idea of home design,” he said.
Barbara Jones noted the quandary that the combination of heat and smoke can create for homeowners. “Is it better to have the window open at night (letting in smoky air) or close the window and be too hot?” she asked.
Doug Lande, who had come from Isabella, noted that he had recently hired three workers to help with fire hazard reduction around his home. “One ended up with heat stroke, one left to work on the fires, and the other decided he didn’t want to do the work anymore,” said Lande.
Frederica Musgrave said the recent conditions had limited her ability to work in her garden, an activity that normally provides her some emotional release. “I can tell the difference in my mood,” she said.
In response to one of seven key questions posed by Skumautz, several in attendance noted concerns about impacts to the area’s tourism economy. Bill Kuttler said concerns about smoke and heat could impact visitation in the Boundary Waters with spillover effects to the economy. Hudson Kingston noted that mountain bike races scheduled for Fridays in Ely could be impacted by either excess heat or smoke. Another participant noted that a bike ride scheduled by Ely Community Resource earlier in the week had been canceled due to the heat and poor air quality in Ely, which was listed as hazardous for all persons at times during the week.
Kingston wondered how many of those who work in the outdoors, such as wilderness guides, loggers, and miners, were being affected by the heat and smoke. “You can’t wear an N95 mask outdoors when it’s that hot,” he said.
The recent fire activity in the region did have an impact on the Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital, noted Jodi Martin, communications and marketing director for the hospital. While the recent smoke and heat outbreak didn’t increase the number of patients in the emergency room, Martin said the hospital did see “lots of phone calls with questions about what to do.” She said that was particularly true from residents with pre-existing breathing problems.
Skumautz said her group hopes to take the input heard from Ely to help develop support for policy changes to address the issues of climate change and protecting human health.