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 August 28, 2019
Print
Sticky

Elizabeth Warren Brings Her Campaign Against Reality to Minnesota

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

Elizabeth Warren visited Minnesota last week to hold a campaign rally in her bid  to become the Democratic Party's presidential nominee. At the rally, Warren waded into two highly controversial environmental debates in Minnesota by opposing the replacement of the Line 3 oil pipeline, and voicing her opposition to the proposed Twin Metals Minnesota mine, which would develop the massive reserves of copper, nickel, and other metals like platinum, palladium, and cobalt in northern Minnesota. Unfortunately, the policies proposed by Senator Warren represent a continuation of her campaign against reality. Line 3 Minnesotans use a lot of oil. In fact, U.S. Energy Information...

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 21, 2019
Print
Sticky

Exclusive: Tesla Expects Global Shortage of Electric Vehicle Battery Minerals – Sources

Written by Isaac Orr
in Environment, Mining, Minnesota Economy

It never ceases to amaze me how special interest groups who push for more renewable energy also oppose mining for copper, nickel, and cobalt in Minnesota. These sources of energy require enormous amounts of materials, but where will they come from if not Minnesota? Countries with few, if any, protections for the environment or miners. Some "environmental justice," eh? The following article originally appeared in Reuters:  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Tesla Inc expects global shortages of nickel, copper and other electric-vehicle battery minerals down the road due to underinvestment in the mining sector, the company’s global supply manager for battery metals told an industry conference...

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 March 24, 2019
Print
Sticky

Would You Like Some Child Labor with That Electric Car?

Written by Isaac Orr
in Uncategorized

Governor Walz has made expanding electric vehicle (EV) usage in Minnesota a high priority for his administration. In February, the Department of Transportation announced that transit officials want 20 percent of all cars, SUV's, and light-duty trucks to be electric by 2030, an increase of nearly 194,000 new electric vehicles on the road. We all know that EV's have serious shortcomings in the cold, losing up to 40 percent of their power output when it is 20 degrees above zero, but what will Walz's push for EVs do to the environment? It's a question that is worth examining, because despite the clean...

Continue reading
0 Comments
on December 31, 2018
Print
Sticky

Twin Metals Keeps On Winning, Despite Best Efforts of Urban DFL

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

Minnesota is home to the world's largest undeveloped deposits of copper, nickel, and platinum group elements, and developing these mineral resources will be a massive boost to the economy of our state. While the PolyMet mine has received the necessary permits from the state, the proposed Twin Metals mine has been the ire of urban liberals and environmentalists who do not want to see the mine developed. Fortunately, according to an article in MinnPost, the Trump administration has other ideas and has taken several concrete steps to support the project. The Obama administration blocked new mineral leases for Twin Metals in 2016,...

Continue reading
0 Comments
on May 04, 2018
Print
Sticky

Good News! Interior Department Reinstates Leases for Twin Metals Minnesota Mine Project

Written by Isaac Orr
in Environment, Mining, Minnesota Economy

The Star Tribune reports the U.S. Department of the Interior reinstated the Twin Metals Minnesota mineral leases from 2004 and its application for new leases. The measures reverse last-minute regulations imposed by the Obama administration after President Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election....

Continue reading