Tag: global warming

Show your passion with compassion

emyminzel

What will you say to your children who say, “Wait a minute, you knew this was happening and you didn’t do anything about it?” Have you thought about that? I have. You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts. According to NASA 97% of the world’s top climate scientist confirm that there is in FACT Global warming and human actions that can be changed would heal this problem.

I also believe that humans are truly good people trying to do the best they can in the time and space we are given. My Adventure Sister wrote a blog that got me thinking. She put the thought out, implying that God sends only angels into our lives… even the people who act in ways that aren’t so angelic. She asks us to accept that all people in the world have soul contracts with other souls, to act in ways that will lead us to learn, grow, and be better.

This thought hit me hard, as I am working on expressing my passion for the environment in a compassionate and loving way. Even though, somedays I feel like an angry environmentalist who thinks human species has lost their ever-loving minds. I care genuinely about being received in a kind, loving and compassionate way, so I can touch as many lives as I possible, to do my part in saving the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, in Minnesota.

Do I need to embrace that this threatening situation might possibly be happening for the greater good? Maybe the threat of losing our beloved Boundary Waters will bring the fine people of Minnesota together to form a bond of unity? Unity that will be powerful enough to stand up to the government officials and corporate interests that threaten the health of our land, and most certainly affect the tourism that supports the livelihood and lifestyle which is the soul of northern Minnesota. Just maybe this situation is an opportunity for us to do the “right thing” and stand up for ourselves and our land? I certainly see this happening all over the world and the United States, uniting against, racism, misogyny and hate.

‘Forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ Luke 23:24. Science says times up because we do know what we do, and we can change. I believe if we act soon, treat the earth with compassion Mother Earth will be benevolent and forgiving of our trespasses. If we nurture and care for the planet she returns the favor. If we treated the earth as a gift from God that it is, we would not be poisoning our soil and waterways with chemicals or pesticides. We would know we are eating the poison. We would not stand by obediently letting corporations systematically poison our water, land and air with more rights and protections, then the people who live in the community. When do we get to say enough is enough?

Politically we are seeing a free for all, public land grabbing for resources all over North America. Coastal communities fearing the consequences of drilling for oil in their beautiful and beloved homelands. Here in Minnesota, public officials are under a great deal of pressure to grant permission to a mineral mining that threatens the beloved Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

This over-seas company with headquarters in the state of Minnesota wants to mine for sulfide-ore copper at the headwaters of the National Park known as The Boundary Waters Canoe area. Environmental studies show, this type of mining means eminent pollution.

  • Researchers warn that ALL sulfide-ore copper mining produces extremely toxic sulfites that would flow directly into the headwaters of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area to contaminate the entire 1.1 million acres of pristine water and unspoiled forest.

 

  • The Boundary Waters contains twenty percent of all the fresh water in the entire National Forest System! That is a lot of pristine water we are risking for no real gain except a couple jobs.

 

  • Sulfide-ore copper mining produces giant waste piles that leach sulfuric acid, heavy metals and sulfates into the environment, proven to pollute groundwater, rivers and lakes. In the history of sulfide mining, pollution has NEVER been avoided.

 

  • The scientific environmental studies show that it is not only, IF but WHEN the mine leaches its toxic sulfites into the pristine waters of the Boundary Waters that the ecosystem will be toxic for at least 500 years… so forever.

 

It is common practice for corporations like these to pollute and loot “our land” getting away with it, with no real consequences. They, simply shrug off any responsibility of environmental cleanup by paying a fine and declaring bankruptcy. Leaving the residence of the now toxic land and tax payers to foot the bill and live with the responsibility of cleanup.

Do you remember Freedom Industries corporation in West Virginia that poisoned the drinking water for over 300,000 people and nine counties in 2014?! I do. The residence of this area still suffer four years later, without drinkable water and multiple heath complaints. All because government officials valued industry over the health of the land which they live.

If Al Roker where to inform us each morning at 7:12am that the condition of air quality has suffered in North America overnight because of environmental fracking waste, and fossil fuel drilling/refineries, chemical spills, pesticides and mining accidents. I believe  ‘we the people’ of the US would be far less willing to sacrifice their land, air, water and the health of our loved ones.

Some of the dirtiest fuels and chemicals manufactured are exempt from the outdated Clean Air and Water Act. Our current Congress works to de-regulate environmental protections and grant corporate permissions to violate and pillage, sacred native lands, federal forest, parks, reserves and waters. Areas deemed so precious that they should be in the protective hands of the government in the first place?!… this makes me scratch my head some.

The thought of losing over a million acres of pristine land and water, in an area which has changed my life for the better, makes my blood boil. I am angry, I also understand that anger will not help the situation. What will help are the actions we take to stop this from happening. Using our voices, our will to do good, uniting together to protect what we love will be the only way to make a difference.

So here I am an introverted, angry environmentalist, who just wants to cuddle my dogs, leaping fearlessly out of my comfort zone to do what I can to make a difference. I will voice my opposition loudly and proudly with protective compassion, because I believe that people are good at heart and want to do the right thing.

Let’s unite in love of this truly special place on earth, let’s vow to do anything and everything we can to Save The Boundary Waters of Minnesota. Who’s with me?

Please help me in doing so by signing this petition to Save The Boundary Waters.

https://www.savetheboundarywaters.org/tell-department-interior-and-bureau-land-management-protect-boundary-waters

 

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

https://emyminzel.com

@emyminzel

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Save the Boundary Waters Canoe Area!

emyminzel

The environment is very important to me, it is my passion. We take so much from her, doing something anything to give back and help her out she would appreciate, so will our children and grandchildren. My intention, is to spread awareness of our effects on the planet, whether they are intentional or not we CAN and must, change our direction of unsustainable consumption of its resources.

There is currently controversy surrounding the area called the Iron Range, of Minnesota it is a taconite mining community. Minnesota State officials are currently under pressure to grant a mining permit to Twin Metals Minnesota Mining to mine sulfite-ore copper at The Boundary Waters Canoe Area headwaters and pressure keeps building.

The Taconite/Iron Ore mines employ a great number of families in the area. I grew up on the Iron Range, it’s made up of good hearted regular families like yours. What I aim to do is spread education to the well-intentioned citizens of the area that the proposed Sulfite-ore copper mining is very different.

Sulfite Mining is not the same as the Iron Ore mining culture that they are used too. Sulfide-ore copper mining is much more toxic than Minnesota’s taconite mining. Sulfite-ore copper produces giant waste piles that, when exposed to air and water, leach sulfuric acid, heavy metals and sulfates. Sulfide-ore copper mines pollute groundwater, rivers and lakes. In the history of sulfide mining, pollution has never been avoided.

Hard rock mining, most of which is sulfide mining, contributes to more superfund sites than any other activity. A Superfund site is any land in the United States that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and identified by the EPA as a candidate for cleanup because it poses a risk to human health and/or the environment.*

Sulfite-Copper mining is dangerous very toxic, waste from this type of mining generates sulfuric acid historically seen to have disastrous consequences in a previous site located in Canada. This type of toxic waste cannot be cleaned up for centuries…CENTURIES! As in 500 years plus… or probably never.

I do not know of any company in the whole wide world to have that kind of money or morals to be responsible for an environmental clean-up that last for centuries. Do you? It is unheard of. That’s what bankruptcy is for… Then you know who gets to foot the bill?! That’s right… Tax payers. Slick trick right?! They get what they want and move on to the next area to ravage.

This is happening and common practice in places all over the US our environment is under attack by money hungry corporations that take no responsibility for their actions. Currently there is talk of opening Federal Land for Resource grabbing as in Fracking Yellow Stone National Park, Grand Canyon, etc.

Our “resources” like clean water and air are what keep us alive. A few years of jobs is not worth the risk of ruining the region for the next 500 years of toxic pollution; ruining the precious wilderness we all hold as a pride in the natural beauty our native home of Minnesota boasts.

There are already many people in the Ely, MN area that are protesting and voicing their avid rejection of the sulfite-ore copper mining proposal. There are also people who are in favor of it, because it will bring jobs to the area. I do understand the need for jobs, I do not understand the need to poison ourselves and the land we love for short term reward.

This ball is rolling right now my friends and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area NEEDS YOU to be its voice! The trees, pristine waters, fish and wild life in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area cannot defend or speak for themselves. We need to take responsibility for our land before someone else takes it from us. If it’s accidental or on purpose if this area is polluted and ravaged by toxic waste, we will have lost one of the last pristine wild areas left in the United States of America.

You may think I am exaggerating but I am not friends. Do your own research and discover for yourself the depth of water pollution in the US, it will frighten and astound you. We are on the verge of water wars because of our misuse of the natural resources we have been blessed with. It is not every day citizens like you and me doing this polluting and pillaging.

We must unite and say enough is enough, this is happening in all states in some area not too far from you, and it’s up to us to be paying attention. We are letting the Fox guard the Hen house, government officials are not doing their jobs, looking the other way of the citizens protesting the impending pollution.

Please help by signing this petition to stop sulfite-ore copper mining from impending devastation in Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

https://www.savetheboundarywaters.org/

Sending love and blessing to my fellow Earth Warriors,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

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(https://www.savetheboundarywaters.org/how-help/distribute-fact-sheets)

(www.bwcasulfitemining.org)

(http://www.friends-bwca.org/issues/sulfide-mining)

#batshitpassionate

emyminzel

I am an avid nature lover, I consider myself an Earth Warrior or in other words… an Environmental Activist. After finding out the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota is under looming threat of toxic sulfite-ore copper mining threatening imminent devastating pollution lasting for over 500 years, I feel deep in my soul that I NEED to do something, ANYTHING to raise awareness and call the rest of my fellow Earth Warriors in to battle against this mining proposal. The BWCA is a magical place, it deserves our protection and nurturing, we must not allow corporate interests to spoil this beautiful treasure of Minnesota.

I have always loved nature, but I never got to involved with politics. After doing my research on why and how all this pollution is happening, that is exactly how my political interests kicked. You follow the money, when it comes to large corporations polluting the planet it will surprise many people to know that it is all legal thanks to the Clean Air and Water Act which just happens to be very corporate polluter friendly.

Special interests have paid for the right to desolate, devastate and pollute, while ‘our’ politicians paid to represent us, are happy to sign those bills for a big enough check. It is regular practice of polluting Corporations to just pay the fine by the EPA instead of complying with the regulations continuing with business as usual polluting anyway.

As an environmentalist, I am horrified how we treat the Earth. How we  brazenly manipulate or destroy nature to somehow make it work “better” for us is downright ego-maniacal. We need to work with her forces; we will never better ourselves by trying to poison the earth and battle against the nature of life.

Corporations (which are “people” according to Citizens United) are irresponsibly ravaging the planet, consuming her relentlessly, buying our government, taking all they want to support our demand for a high tech, fast paced, modern, and may I add unhealthy way of life, with no regard for life or the communities they affect by doing so.

We can start to help by doing little things, voting with your dollar, composting, reducing waste, and recycling. I have heard people say, “I don’t have time for recycling!” Really?! You don’t have time to put an aluminum can in a separate garbage can? They make big garbage containers just for that now they even come to your house and take it away. We need to recycle so much more then cans.

It blows my mind how obtuse people can be about the pollution problem of the planet, yet if we all put in just a little effort it would add up. There’s garbage in the oceans, acidifying and killing the coral reefs and poisoning the fish we over consume. What are we doing about the nuclear radiation still leaking into the ocean in Fukushima, Japan? Nothing. We are doing nothing.

I have learned factory farming leaving toxic cesspools of feces leading to increasing emissions, I’ve learned Fracking for “natural gas” is clearly poisoning land and drinking water, but is conveniently exempt from the Clean Water Act or any form of prosecution?! Fracking waste has been proven to cause all kinds of health issues not to mention how to get “rid” of the waste and the gasses that come up from sites polluting the air and everyone around it. Now they are using the polluted water from fracking waste solution to water crops of the food you buy in the super market near you.

I wish being informed on the health of the earth and our environment was part of the nightly news along with the nightly weather report. We would all be astonished if it were to learn the truth of things. You would worry for your children’s future and you would be as angry about it as I am. This is where my involvement in politics kicks in, I do encourage you to get involved if these words ring true to you.

We can and will make a difference if we do it together.

Please help by signing this petition to stop sulfite-ore copper mining from impending devastation that could destroy the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

https://www.savetheboundarywaters.org/

Sending love and blessing to my fellow Earth Warriors,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister