I’m Lana Pollack, I’m Chair of the US section of the International Joint Commission. My first memory as a child, as a very little child was being lifted out of my crib to go on a trip on the car ferry, Ludington to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. I was so impressed with the size of the boat, with the size of the lake, with my importance in being on that big boat. Years later, I’m still fascinated by the boats. The big ships that I see on the Detroit River and these long 1000 footers come through there and you know they’ve been around the world and you know that they’re carrying the economy’s cargo. It’s so exciting and it takes me back to the very first impression I have of the lakes with the ships.

I don’t think you can in Ludington Michigan or anywhere on the shores of the lakes without being in awe of those lakes. They are massive, they are huge, they are powerful, they are beautiful, they are calming, they’re frightening. It’s dynamic, they’re changing, they’re changing hour by hour and certainly year by year and decade by decade. It’s like anything you love, if you see that being damaged, if you see it being threatened, if you see it getting sick, you want to do something. Believe me, I’ve had periods where I watch these lakes become sick and fortunately I’ve had periods where I’ve watched them become well too. Ultimately I realized, it’s not ever going to be finished, it’s just commitment that we have to have and we have to do it together.