TAKE ACTION NOW
Protect the Nation’s Most-Visited Wilderness, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota
Editor’s Note: Our hearts are rooted in Minnesota’s wilderness country, where our home office and Agroecology Center is nestled in Finland, just 15 miles from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA).This just in from Save the Boundary Waters:
Bad news: HJ 140 has passed the House of Representatives and now heads to the Senate. This resolution is Representative Pete Stauber’s attempt to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the 20-year mining ban protecting the Boundary Waters watershed from toxic copper mining. This bill sets a precedent that any past land management decision could be vulnerable to being undone.
This does not mean a mine will be built tomorrow, but it does mean we have even more work ahead. Right now, we need you to take the next step and contact your Senators!
Outdoor Alliance:
“Stop Congress from Undoing Boundary Waters Protections!
Earlier this month, Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) introduced a resolution that would use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn protections for the Boundary Waters, clearing the way for toxic copper mining in its headwaters. This approach is unprecedented and dangerous: mineral withdrawals like the Boundary Waters protections have never been treated as eligible for recission under the CRA, and if the measure passes, it will bar all future administrative protections for the area. If mining proponents succeeds here, it could set a bad precedent that puts public lands across the country at risk.
Copper mining in this watershed would put clean water, wildlife, recreation access, Tribal treaty rights, and local economies at risk. Once polluted, these waters cannot be restored.”
TAKE ACTION NOW: Tell your members of Congress to vote NO on any resolution that would overturn Boundary Waters protections!
Boundary Waters threats: Pending legislation would turn a federal “no” on mining in the Boundary Waters into a congressional “proceed”
HEALTH
My Week Avoiding Ultra-Processed Foods: ‘Why Is It This Hard?’
Emma Joyce, The Guardian:“Before I begin I know it won’t be easy. My pantry is stocked with UPFs, from allegedly healthy crackers to chocolate and biscuits. I’m not even confident I can go a day without them, let alone a working week – especially as the rest of my household won’t be joining me.
Feeling ambitious, I called Prof Mark Lawrence from Deakin University to help me understand the difference between processed food and ultra-processed food. A rough rule of thumb, he says, is to avoid products with a long list of ingredients. Steer clear of the middle supermarket aisles, and don’t buy products made with ‘chemical-sounding’ ingredients. ‘Those are a big clue that it’s ultra-processed,’ he says.
Lawrence adds: ‘This isn’t poor behavior on behalf of most people. These products are now so engineered into our food systems … It’s really difficult to avoid them.’
Before I get started, I familiarize myself with the the Nova classification system, which lists food by its level of processing. Level one includes fruit, vegetables, nuts, milk, coffee, tea, pasta and rice. Level two is ‘processed culinary ingredients’ including butter, honey and oils. There are processed foods, such as canned fish, freshly made bread and cheeses. Four is UPF territory – processed bread, ice-cream, chocolates, energy drinks, chicken nuggets, pastries and sweetened juices. So, basically everything I have in my fridge and freezer.”
Learn more
TAKE ACTION: Stop the Junk Food Lobby’s “Americans for Ingredient Transparency”