Lake Superior hits new ice cover record

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We’re all painfully aware of how brutally cold winter has been thus far. January produced average monthly temperatures five to ten degrees below normal across Minnesota; for some communities, this was one of the coldest Januarys on record in the past 35 years. It may not come as a surprise that we had the dubious honor of reaching the coldest temperature in the nation on more days than any other state – seventeen. It may also be unsurprising that the amount of ice cover on the Great Lakes is much higher than average this year, and may be on track to break the record of 94.7% in 1978. Continue Reading

Paying for copper-nickel clean up

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If a proposed mine has the potential to produce environmental impacts that will last for decades – maybe even centuries – how can we be sure taxpayers won’t get stuck footing the bill for costly treatment and cleanup? This question is at the heart of debates over PolyMet Mining Corporation’s plans to develop an open-pit copper-nickel mine and processing facility in northeast Minnesota, and will be addressed at a House environmental committee today. It will be streamed live on the House website at 12:30 pm. Continue Reading

Don’t like the weather? Wait 30 years

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Having lived and worked in Minnesota for over twenty years, this winter, now in D.C., I experienced something new: I had my first work snow day. Though I had heard rumblings of a winter storm, it didn’t occur to me that a bit of snow would shut down the city until the news told me to stay home. Continue Reading

Medical marijuana: Who decides?

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Will medical marijuana soon be legal in Minnesota? That’s the question getting more and more media attention as lawmakers gear up for the 2014 legislative session, when companion bills to legalize marijuana for medical use will be introduced in both the Minnesota House and Senate. Continue Reading

Politics of car-sharing in the Twin Cities

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This past Saturday night, I met up with my friend Jake* while he took a break from driving people around the Twin Cities for both Uber and Lyft. For those unfamiliar with these car-sharing services, both companies serve as brokers of sorts between drivers and riders, who connect via free smartphone apps. The companies get 20 percent of every fare; the drivers keep the rest. Jake says he can make up to $20 an hour, which “isn’t bad for a weekend gig.” Continue Reading

50 years of war: Poverty in Minnesota

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This month marks the 50th anniversary of the War on Poverty, which began in 1964 with President Lyndon B. Johnson’s State of the Union address. This initiative led to the creation of Medicare, Medicaid and the Food Stamp Act. Despite the importance of these programs and the issue underlying the War on Poverty, many have dismissed the initiative as a failure. To evaluate whether long term trends have been positive in Minnesota it can be helpful to compare the spatial distribution of impoverished populations in 1960 to the situation today. Continue Reading

I’m not for or against ‘Big Government’

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Midway through December, that period when every day or two we got a little snow, I noticed something important while headed to a Christmas party. As I pulled out of my driveway, the street was clear. As I drove through my neighborhood the other city streets were clear, as were the county roads heading out of town. Approaching the location of the party, I turned on to a township road for the last mile. At this point the road was snow covered, and slippery requiring all the cars to slow down to avoid an accident. Continue Reading