This land is your land?

As many (all?) of you know, there's a proposal for Minnesota's first copper-nickel mine that's the subject of a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement. One of the major arguments in favor of allowing the proposal to proceed is that it will "create" 360 well-paying jobs. That may seem like a lot. In fact, according to the Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, "Between 2000 and 2011, mining employment in Minnesota fell 25% to 4,245 jobs in 2011, according to the state's Department of Employment and Economic Development." So, the number of jobs "created" may disappear in the volatility of world demand (and prices) for the copper-nickel or other mined resources. On the other hand, here's a link to the images of copper mine pollution in the United States. Here's a different link to nickel mine pollution. Now, here's a link to pictures of Minnesota's Boundary Waters. It doesn't take much imagination to juxtapose copper-nickel mines and Boundary Waters and not like the results.

Sawtooth Mountains           © harrington

But, you say, we'll have financial assurances from the mining corporation that the long term (hundreds of years) pollution will be "cleaned up." Well, from the BBC comes this piece of information: "The average lifespan of a company listed in the S&P 500 index of leading US companies has decreased by more than 50 years in the last century, from 67 years in the 1920s to just 15 years today, according to Professor Richard Foster from Yale University." Business Week reports that commercial corporations have only been in existence for about 500 years, the same amount of time pollution from the NorthMet project may require treatment. I suspect it might be a little tricky trying to collect from a non-existant entity in 200 years or so.

I firmly believe, and have argued here before, that Minnesota, if wisely managed, can have both jobs and a beautiful, clean (if not pristine) natural environment. But, we're already failing to meet water quality standards in much of the area that could be affected by the proposed mining project. Does anyone think the proposed project will actually improve things?

northeast Minnesota            © harrington

Let's look at this from a different perspective. If Minnesota's state government were a Fortune 500 business, and were about to make a massive long-term investment in a company responsible for meeting and maintaining water quality standards on the Iron Range for the next 500 years, would you buy stock in that company? That's what you're being asked to do by the mine's proposers. Wouldn't you think there might be a less risky way to get 360 "high-paying" jobs created up on the Iron Range? How about an aircraft maintenance facility?

Winter warmth

The chair being slept in belongs to the dog's owner. The dog obviously doesn't care. You don't need to ask me how I know this. She isn't recuperating from a highly stressful week, but from a play session in the dog run when the temperatures were mild enough to make such activities fun instead of punishment. The only problem was that her toys were buried under several inches of snow and so she had to settle for running in circles as fast as she could and sometimes pretending she was a small, blond moose charging her owner.

Let sleeping dogs ?        © harrington

Today's posting on woodbird reminds me that heating via wood stoves hasn't been relegated to times past. Something else I've been reminded of again this Winter is that the smell of woodsmoke, when I'm outside in the cold, usually makes me feel warmer. I've read that aromas are one of our strongest triggers for memories. I'm not sure whether it's projection or memories or some of each. I remember driftwood fires in the front room fireplace in an old victorian house we once lived in when I was young. The smell of wood smoke, the beautiful hues from the salt in the burning wood, carpet on wooden floors and comfortable chairs to curl up in (like some dogs I know), created a feeling of security and well being that I'm still trying to recapture. I need home and hearth because I'm not as brave and creative as a chickadee that grabs sunflower seeds during a snow flurry, sleeps in a hollow without either fireplace or furnace and keeps warm through the beating of what must be one of the stoutest hearts in the animal kingdom.

chickadee feeding in a snow flurry    © harrington

Nancy McCleery shares her December Notes from a day, I suspect, much like today.

December Notes

By Nancy McCleery 

The backyard is one white sheet

Where we read in the bird tracks

The songs we hear. Delicate

Sparrow, heavier cardinal,

Filigree threads of chickadee.

And wing patterns where one flew

Low, then up and away, gone

To the woods but calling out

Clearly its bright epigrams.

More snow promised for tonight.

The postal van is stalled

In the road again, the mail

Will be late and any good news

Will reach us by hand.

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Thanks for listening. Come again when you can. Rants, raves and reflections served here daily. (Have you noticed there are fewer rants during this season of Peace on Earth?)