It’s a big week in the agriculture world. Just days before Obama signed the new Farm Bill into law, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the locations of seven regional hubs for climate change adaptation and mitigation. These hubs will attempt to address the risks that farmers increasingly face due to climate change—including fires, pests, droughts and floods—by disseminating research on ways landowners can adapt to and adjust management strategies to build resilience. Continue Reading
When my name was called by Richmond McCluer, our defense attorney, I walked up before Judge Jeffrey Thompson and told his clerk I would “affirm” rather than “swear” the oath to ” … Tell the Truth, the Whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth, so help me God.” I affirmed – but was quickly reminded that in U.S. courts, that is virtually impossible if you want to fully inform a jury about your motives and intent. Continue Reading
Julia’s guests today include Idalia Robles-De Leon, and Emilia Gonzalez Avalos. The conversation today includes the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership). [Audio below]
“This case is ONLY about trespassing. Being on private property, being asked to leave, refusing to leave. That’s what this case is about, nothing more!” The Winona Prosecutor, Michael Flaherty kept his opening argument brief and moved quickly to his first witness, Dan Nisbit, owner of CD Corporation, a “bulk commodities company” which leases land from the City of Winona, MN in order to ship silica (frac) sand on barges down the Mississippi River. His operation can handle up to 120 truckloads of frac sand a day to fill two barges. When asked if he is aware of health risks associated with silica sand, he states, “I’ve seen some pamphlets”. He told the jury his employees do not wear any special respiratory equipment while work at his Port of Winona facility. He did say the protesters offered him donuts on the day of the arrest last April 29 and that we were “polite and respectful”. “They [the protesters] shut our operation down.” Continue Reading
On Monday night, February 3, over 270 vigils were held nationwide, with people in all 50 states gathering to express their dismay with the new U.S. State Department’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) issued Friday January 31, claiming that the Keystone XL Pipeline would “not significantly worsen global warming.”In the Twin Cities, rallies were held in St. Paul and in Minneapolis, at the State Department office downtown. There, a coalition of activists from diverse groups mobilized through Credo, Climate Parents, Interfaith Power and Light, Rainforest Action Network, Oil Change International, OccupyMN, Sierra Club, MN350.Org and more gathered at 7:00 p.m. for a rally to express their continued commitment to stop TransCanada’s Keystone XL Pipeline and Enbridge’s Alberta Clipper.Tom McSteen, lead organizer of MN350.Org’s Tar Sands Campaign, opened the rally with a warm greeting to the 160 people gathered on such a cold night. Lighting candles and holding signs, participants welcomed MC Karen Monahan (Sierra Club) who facilitated an envigorating line-up of speakers. Paul Densmore (MN350) inspired listeners with news of the over 76,000 people committed to nonviolent direct action through the Credo Pledge of Resistance to Keystone XL, should President Obama actually sign the permit. Continue Reading
Thanks to MN2020 reader Kim L for a suggestion to map out the freight rail routes on which up to nine trains a day traverse Minnesota, each carrying 3 million gallons of North Dakota crude oil, nearly all of it on the way to far distant refineries. Continue Reading
A hearing on the controversial PolyMet copper-nickel mining plan proposed for northern Minnesota drew a large crowd of opponents and supporters in the Twin Cities on January 28. Attendance was estimated at about 2000. Watch the hearing below.See the project’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Continue Reading
