Having spent the past 10 years listening to the call for good jobs to support families in northern Minnesota, I’m wondering if Iron Range residents would agree to and support good, sustainable jobs such as building out a local recycling program to maximize recovery of already used copper. Yes, recycling what we already have instead of creating new, polluting copper-sulfide mines such as PolyMet or Twin Metals, which is currently banned for at least 20 years.
Europe reports a 60% recycling rate while the US rate is 33%, according to the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy. Recycling tied to wind- and solar-energy production jobs would provide a stronger, longer-lasting career track for future generations of Iron Rangers.
We can meet the demand for climate action and equity for all Minnesotans while also protecting our natural resources, specifically water and wildlife habitat. We can do it sustainably by investing in job expansion in the public transportation sector, weatherizing and electrifying homes, supporting broadband internet across the state, and, of course, getting the lead out of drinking water. Federal programs such as the Infrastructure and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act promise to bring dollars to these projects to support community health and environmental justice and to create family-supporting jobs.
As a state, we are all in this together. What do you think?
Norman Herron
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Duluth
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