June 2022 Newsletter
In this edition of MCEA’s Environmental Monitor:
- Events: Join us in July in Duluth and Ely!
- Article: A conversation with Elise Larson before she heads to the MN Court of Appeals
- The first session of our CLE series is in the books – watch the recording & RSVP to the next one!
- Support our work as we wrap up our 2021-2022 fiscal year
- Article: Never let a good (climate) crisis go to waste: Greenwashing in the mining industry
We hope to see you in July in Northeast Minnesota
MCEA’s Up North events are coming up fast! RSVP in advance to help us plan for the fun – we hope to see you July 19th in Ely, or for our big annual get-together in Duluth July 26th.
P.S. Our annual Metro-area event is in the works! Join MCEA for an afternoon along the Mississippi River to celebrate another big year! More details, and the opportunity to RSVP, will come soon!
Details about our Up North events
POLYMET UPDATE: MCEA'S CASES AND CAMPAIGNS TUESDAY, JULY 19TH, 12-1PM AT THE GRAND ELY LODGE, ELY MN
Join us for a presentation about MCEA’s work fighting dangerous mining proposals and climate change, in the courts and at the legislature, and the crucial role northern Minnesota plays in both. The event will include a Q&A session
ELY HAPPY HOUR & REFRESHMENTS: TUESDAY, JULY 19TH, 5-8PM AT NORTHERN GROUNDS, ELY MN
Gather and socialize with MCEA staff and supporters, and hear from CEO Kathryn Hoffman about MCEA’s critical work in the Northland. This is a great chance to connect with MCEA staff from both our St. Paul and Duluth offices, learn more about the work we do, and have some fun.
MCEA'S ANNUAL DULUTH GET-TOGETHER: TUESDAY, JULY 26TH, 5-8PM AT WILD STATE CIDER, DULUTH MN
Join us for our annual event in Duluth. This year we'll be at Wild State Cider, where supporters and MCEA staff will have a chance to connect in person and hear an update on our work from MCEA CEO, Kathryn Hoffman, and Northeastern Minnesota Director, JT Haines. This family-friendly event will include a free drink for the first 100 people who pre-register (your choice of cider or an N/A beverage), yard games, live music, and concessions by Room at the Table food truck (vegetarian and GF options available).
BONUS: We are giving away a canvas print of local artist Adam Swanson’s painting Defend at the event. The original painting is hanging in MCEA’s Duluth office!
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A conversation with Elise Larson
After serving as a powerhouse attorney on MCEA’s legal team for the past five years, Senior Staff Attorney and Water Program Director Elise Larson stepped down from the role and into a big new one: Minnesota Court of Appeals judge.
Shortly before her last day at MCEA, Larson sat down to reflect a little on her time at MCEA and share how she’s feeling about what lies ahead for her, as well as for Minnesota’s water.
After a successful launch of our Green Beagle series last year, The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy is bringing our Continuing Legal Education (CLE) series back for 2022. The free series consists of two online sessions and will culminate in an in-person half-day session in the fall. The Green Beagle is designed for lawyers, but open to anyone interested in diving deep on important environmental legal topics.
We held the first first session of our 2022 Green Beagle CLE series this past Tuesday. Did you miss it? Click here to watch a recording of Environmental Justice & Civil Rights: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
As a leading public interest environmental nonprofit in Minnesota, MCEA is on the cutting edge of environmental litigation in the state. We invite you to join our legal experts for pertinent and engaging sessions on environmental justice, mining regulation, and the Clean Water Act.
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Only days left in our fiscal year
Our fiscal year ends June 30th – if you haven’t chipped in yet, donate today! MCEA’s work is fueled by individual supporters. The body of our work (and our staff!) grows every year. In our 2021-2022 fiscal year, we’ve been able to take on more than ever.
A precarious legislative session, current and emerging legal battles, and the worsening climate crisis underscore the need for strong environmental advocacy in Minnesota. We are fortunate to live in a state with such natural beauty. That comes with a serious responsibility to protect what we cherish as a state and ensure it is accessible to all of us – now and in the future. MCEA is on the job.
MCEA envisions a thriving climate, clean water, clean air, healthy ecosystems, a sustainable economy, and improved public health for all Minnesotans. We are committed to growing our capacity and impact. Whether you can contribute $5 or $500, your donation today supports that vision.
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Never let a good (climate) crisis go to waste:
Greenwashing in the mining industry
The latest piece in MCEA’s Mining the Climate Crisis series
We’ve received a great response to our Mining the Climate Crisis series so far. We are excited to share the next installment: Never let a good (climate) crisis go to waste: Greenwashing in the mining industry.
Greenwashing is a well-documented marketing tool used by virtually all industries where there’s money to be made from eco-conscious consumers, from fossil fuels to fast fashion. The mining industry is the latest to hop on the bandwagon – turning their attention to the role metals play in our green energy future.
While demand for so-called “critical minerals” is expected to increase as we move away from fossil fuels and towards electrification, industry claims about mining’s role in the clean energy economy turn out to be profit-driven half-truths that fail to address valid objections to sulfide mining proposals in Minnesota.
It’s critical that policymakers and the public recognize misleading greenwashing tactics for what they are so we can separate fact from fiction, and spend our limited time and resources advocating for climate solutions that actually work for people and the climate.