The grass is (almost) greener: Minnesota News Today

As we approach the last few weeks of winter, regardless of Minnesota's meteorologically rebellious nature, let's take in the scenery and look at what's happening in our state's ecosystem.

From no-ed in to snowed in: After a considerably snowless January Minnesota will be cooling down with colder temperatures alongside increased winter precipitation this February, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. Meteorologist Paul Douglas reports that next week will see temperatures going into the teens to the 20s with at least 3 to 6 inches of snow throughout the state.

Not so mine-or concerns: President Trump issued an executive order to end restrictions on mining operations, aiming to reverse former President Joe Biden's prohibitions on new mineral leases in the Superior National Forest, according to CBS News. Mining groups assert that their operations would not harm the ecosystem while speakers from environmental groups, such as Chris Knopf, the executive director of Friends of the Boundary Waters, say it would pollute the environment, affecting the water of the area.

Day 'n' Nitrates: Environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the Pollution Control Agency and the Department of Agriculture to address concerns of nitrate pollution in southeast Minnesota, according to MPR News. The plaintiffs are calling agencies to adopt regulations they think would better protect from farm-related nitrate contamination in water resources, namely due to large concentrated animal feedlots and commercial fertilizer and manure management.

Community Question: What's your favorite study spot on campus?

"Right now... the physics tutor center in Tate Hall because I’m bad at physics and calculus." 

-Shepard Richardson, 17, PSEO student, undecided major of Minneapolis, Minnesota


Quote of the day:

"As a person who grew up in Minnesota, I know how long the months of February and March drag on as we wait for the brown grass to transition to colorful flowers and ice-free lakes."

-River Flom, graduate student in urban planning at the university of Toronto and urban studies alum from the university of Minnesota, in her opinion piece for Streets.mn about street art and its role in the scenery of Minneapolis. Flom further discusses street art in the article regarding its relation to the cultural and political landscape of cities as a whole.


I decided to write on subjects pertaining to Minnesota's nature and environment because of the population of Minnesotans, and Midwesterners in general, who value what the outdoors have to offer in the region. 

This is relevant currently with January's uncommon habits of weather this month in general.

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