fbpx

Latest Posts

Home

Facebook

Twitter

Search
About
logo
Thinking Minnesota Archive

Education

Employee Freedom

Families

Governance

Health Care

Minnesota Economy

mobile logo
0 Comments
on July 26, 2019
Print
Sticky

Iron Range Legislators Clap Back At Anti-PolyMet Letter Written by 18 Metro-Area DLF’ers

Written by Isaac Orr
in Environment, Mining, Minnesota Economy

It didn't take long for a bipartisan group of Iron Range legislators to clap back against the letter written by 18 metro-area DFL lawmakers urging Governor Walz to cancel all permits for the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine, releasing this statement yesterday afternoon. I can't say it any better than the Iron Range lawmakers, so I'll leave it up to them to make the points. Iron Range Legislators Respond to Calls to Stop the PolyMet Permit The claims by metro legislators and anti-mining groups about PolyMet Mining are downright fabrications. It is very disappointing that people don’t know or don’t care what our...

Continue reading
0 Comments
on July 15, 2019
Print
Sticky

Capitalism is Saving the Planet Part 3: Would You Rather Mine in Venezuela? I Didn’t Think So

Written by Isaac Orr
in Environment, Minnesota Economy

We are often told that capitalism is destroying the planet, and that the only way we can repent from causing environmental degradation is to switch from a capitalist system to a socialist system. This thought process, however, could not be more wrong. While anti-mining activists say they don't want mining in Minnesota, what they are really saying, if they are not willing to forego the items made with these metals and minerals, is that they want mining, they just don't want it here. But if not here, where? I often write about the state of the cobalt industry, where 40,000 children have...

Continue reading
0 Comments
on June 06, 2019
Print
Sticky

This D-Day Anniversary, Remember the Soldiers, and Remember Minnesota’s Iron Miners

Written by Isaac Orr
in Environment, Greater Minnesota, Mining, Minnesota Economy

Today marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day, when more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline, to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. The United States could not have prevailed in World War II without the soldiers who stormed those beaches. Likewise, America could not have won the war without Minnesota's miners, who labored tirelessly to produce the iron ore that became the ships, aircraft, and rifles used achieve that feat....

Continue reading
0 Comments
on June 03, 2019
Print
Sticky

Duluth News Tribune: In Response: Judging Twin Metals Now is Premature, Purely Speculative

Written by Isaac Orr
in Environment, Mining, Minnesota Economy

Last weekend the Duluth News Tribune ran an editorial from Dean DeBeltz of Twin Metals which argued that anti-mining groups who say Twin Metals cannot operate responsibly are basing these claims on speculation and not science. He could not be more correct. Twin Metals has yet to submit a mining plan, which means anyone who opposes the mine now is not objecting to any potential technical shortcoming in the design of the project, but rather they are opposed to mining in general, and are projecting this opposition onto the Twin Metals project. Unfortunately, this is par for the course. Anti-mining groups like Friends...

Continue reading
0 Comments
on May 29, 2019
Print
Sticky

Great News! PolyMet Wins First Round of Court Challenges!

Written by Isaac Orr
in Environment, Greater Minnesota, Mining, Minnesota Economy

Minnesota is one step closer to opening its first copper-nickel mine, as the State Court of Appeals has rejected a lawsuit from anti-mining groups who had hoped to force PolyMet to conduct a new environmental review. This suit is the first of several court challenges that are making their way through the courts. The PolyMet project would bring a massive boost to the economy of Northeastern Minnesota. The company expects to create 360 direct jobs in mining and for business professionals ranging from engineers, mechanics, shovel operators, accountants, technicians and information technology specialists, and 600 more jobs will be supported by...

Continue reading
0 Comments
on May 07, 2019
Print
Sticky

Minnesota Now Fifth-Largest Mining State, It Could Have Been Number Two

Written by Isaac Orr
in Environment, Mining, Minnesota Economy

According to the United States Geological Survey, Minnesota mined $4.05 billion in non-fuel minerals in 2018, making it the fifth-largest state for mining, in terms of the value of minerals sold (excluding coal, oil, natural gas, and uranium). This is after Minnesota was in sixth place last year. Few people in the Twin Cities metro realize just how important mining is to Minnesota's economy, and to the nation's security. In 2018, mines in Minnesota and Michigan shipped 98% of the usable iron ore products in the United States with an estimated value of $4.1 billion. Minnesota has traditionally accounted for approximately...

Continue reading
0 Comments
on May 06, 2019
Print
Sticky

Refuting “Local View: Minnesota Must Aggressively Move to Less-Costly Renewables”

Written by Isaac Orr
in Climate, Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy

My piece in the Duluth News Tribune detailing how a 50 percent renewable energy mandate would harm the mining industry has generated quite the controversy, with at least three counterpoints from renewable energy special interest groups. Today, I'm refuting a member of the Citizen's Climate Lobby....

Continue reading
0 Comments
on May 05, 2019
Print
Sticky

Presidential Orders Seek to Kickstart Mining Industry Revival

Written by Isaac Orr
in Environment, Mining, Minnesota Economy

The following article as written by Duggan Flanakin at CFACT.org: History was made in March when federal officials gave the green light for construction and operation of copper mines in Arizona and Minnesota, in both cases after decades-long permitting processes that overcame huge legal challenges by environmentalists. Since 2000, the U.S. has seen only 14 major metal mines start up production – all after permitting battles that lasted a whopping 6 to 23 years (not including the pre-permitting exploration, environmental baseline studies, and feasibility studies that add another 10 to 15 years to the timeline). The Army Corps of Engineers and Forest...

Continue reading
0 Comments
on April 19, 2019
Print
Sticky

American Experiment Receives Warm Welcome at Minnesota Mining Meeting

Written by Isaac Orr
in Mining, Minnesota Economy

On Wednesday, I gave a presentation to the Society of of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) chapter for Minnesota in Duluth, and it was one of the best speaking experiences I've ever been a part of. The title of my talk was Promoting Prosperity: Building Public Support for Non-Ferrous Mining in Minnesota. I started my talk by asking, by show of hands, who was familiar with our report, Unearthing Prosperity: How Environmentally Responsible Mining Will Boost Minnesota's Economy, and nearly everyone in a room of about 200 people raised their hands. That's when I knew I was going to have fun up...

Continue reading