On Tuesday, October 9th, as Dr. James Hansen was in town to testify in the ValveTurners court case in nearby Bagley, MN, students and community members were treated to a couple of talks, entitled “Young People's World: Making Your Future Energy, Climate, Human Health & Politics”. Both speakers, Dr. James Hansen and Tara Houska, have given TED talks on climate (Hansen) and Standing Rock (Houska). The talk was hosted by Bemidji State University’s Sustainability Office.

So, you know how the US Army Corps just approved the water crossing permits for the Dakota Access Pipeline? That was illegal. The way they do it (for this and many other pipelines) is by using this thing called "Nationwide Permit 12". They chop up a huge project into thousands of individual pieces (water crossings) and then rubber stamp each one saying its no big deal.  It's totally absurd! Today is the deadline for public comment on their proposal to renew Nationwide Permit 12. Please send them an email before midnight tonight, August 1, telling them how you feel.   Send to: [email protected] with subject:"comment on docket COE–2015– 0017".   Read more for details and a sample comment to get some ideas on what to say...

FRONT LINES UPDATE: The permits for Dakota Access were revoked in just one wildlife management area of Iowa. Here’s the truth: machines are on the ground in North Dakota. Honor the Earth team and others are heading out this weekend (June 3rd 2016) to continue assisting with the blockade and camp needs with a boat for easy access for travel back and forth to the camp area.

HONOR THE EARTH For Immediate Release

May 28, 2016 

EPA Sends Strong Message to Minnesota Regarding Sandpiper/Line 3

This past Friday, the US Environmental Protection Agency Region V sent strong recommendations to Minnesota on the scoping for the state environmental impact statement on the Sandpiper and Line Three.  The EPA called for much more stringent and exhaustive reviews that the state is anticipated to undertake. The Agency’s comments were in addition to hundreds of comments submitted by Minnesotans and Anishinaabeg regarding the process. 

Honor the Earth is introducing the Pipeline-free Breast Campaign as a part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Noting, “Fossil Fuels are bad for your boobs.   Chemicals created and used during petroleum extraction, refining, and use; benzene, toluene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and a few other bad guys are known carcinogens.”  The organization points to last year’s controversy over a corporate “ pink-washing” of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, as one reason it was important to inform the public of health risks.     “Baker Hughes, who makes drill bits for the fracking industry introduced some pink drill bits for breast cancer awareness month, and donated some $l00,000 for the second year in a row  to Susan G. Komen, the best-funded breast cancer organization in the U.S. In return, apparently Baker Hughes got  to use the specific shade of pink Susan G. Komen has trademarked.” Read more

Fossil Fuels are bad for your boobs.  That’s pretty much it. That’s why Honor the Earth is introducing the Pipeline Free Breast campaign, as a part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Federal Court hears White Earth Nation v. Kerry

This Thursday, September l0 at 9:00 am, Federal Judge Michael Davis will hear White Earth Nation v. Kerry.  Plaintiffs, including the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, Honor the Earth and the Sierra Club, charge that the US State Department secretly approved Alberta Clipper aka the “switcheroo project,” skirting the environmental review required under the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) and the National Historic Preservation Act (“NHPA”). The State Department’s action has allowed Enbridge to switch lines at the border from the Alberta Clipper Line to an expanded and improved, (but aging) Line 3. The l6 mile border segment moves oil between the Clipper line and the Line 3 segment to, ostensibly, according to plaintiffs, avoid federal law. Read more

"Right to Rice" 1835, 1855, 1867 and more Treaties is a right, trust, obligation and agreement which includes the right to hunt, fish, harvest and gather within the treaty territory not just on the reservation. 

Things are not as they should be in the North. This last week, your Department of Natural Resources decided to issue some citations to Ojibwe people for ricing on Hole in the Day Lake.  That is, after the cameras were gone. The officers went out to track down Morningstar and Harvey Goodsky citing them for harvesting wild rice off the reservation, without your permission.   Sort of like “poaching wild rice.”   You are out of line, need to do some accounting to us all. Let me do my best to explain why. 

Photo taken on August 30, 2015: #1855Treaty - Right to Rice — at Hole-in-the-Day Lake.

On Monday, August 3, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) issued two orders for Enbridge’s Sandpiper pipeline application – granting the Certificate of Need, which conveys to Enbridge the powers of eminent domain, and commencing the routing permit review process. However, there were conditions. First, the PUC order requires a thorough Comparative Environmental Analysis (CEA), which “shall also include a qualitative as well as quantitative analysis of the environmental impacts of the various route alternatives; and consider the environmental impact of the Sandpiper facility alone and the cumulative impact of both the Sandpiper facility in the Line 3 replacement project.” This is an important shift in regulatory process, as the PUC previously denied the motion by Honor the Earth to combine environmental analysis for Line 3 and Sandpiper.