​ this one is personal, so i'm actually doin the thing:

my hubby spent most of his childhood in #upperMichigan, which is the part of of the state that doesn't look like a mitten. his dad grew up there too, and his mom lived there for decades. (it's mostly descendants of finns. his dad used to do an amazing #finnish accent 🇫🇮 )

a hundred years ago, upper michigan was all mining towns. copper. pfas everywhere. hubby and both his parents were all diagnosed with various and sundry cancers at young ages, and his sister has fought endocrine disorders her whole life.

a canadian company wants to set up another copper mine about an hour from where hubby grew up. they want to ship the copper to canada, and leave the toxic waste behind in a reservoir a couple miles upstream from #lakeSuperior. the dam they're planning to build is basically made of tissue paper, and won't last more than a bad storm.

the michigan senate has blocked funding for the mine twice, but the company has until the end of this year (2025) to get approval, so they're gonna keep trying.

i think the whole thing is a terrible idea. if you also think it's a terrible idea, you can do some keyboard activism over here.

#protectThePorkies #stopCopperwood #greatLakes #pfas

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances - Wikipedia

8000 signatures and rising! Time for an update and our next COLLECTIVE ACTION!

Hello team, Congratulations on reaching this incredible milestone! We're making fast progress — but so too is Highland Copper. In their November 8th project update they show off some of their finest fall color photography. The first image shows us the streams they rerouted around the site of their future toxic waste containment facility. Another photo proudly shows us a thriving wetland they converted into what appears to be a suburban lawn; a third displays a clearcut desert, which they assure us will become a wetland sometime next year. It's absolutely atrocious that this foreign company — which already has a record of violating permits and degrading wetlands — is being entrusted not just with the health of our streams and wetlands, but with Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake on the planet. As multiple public comments reveal (see #8, 19, 52, and others) the Environmental Assessment for the project is using data which was collected over a decade ago in a period of low precipitation and drought. Because the mine will only run for 10-14 years, Highland's models anticipate only 50- and 100-year precipitation events. But since then, there have been two 500-year storm and one 1000-year storm in the Lake Superior region, and yet Highland hasn't adjusted their proposal in the slightest! In their summer stream reroutings they've combined the flows of multiple waterways together — just imagine the increased water flow during snowmelt season and the resulting erosion, and imagine too if another massive storm hits, directly next to their waste rock facility holding 50+ million tons of heavy metal-laden sludge just a stone's throw from Lake Superior... There are now over 8000 of us who have signed this petition, and yet apart from one brave radio show and a couple more appearances soon to air, the media has failed to cover our resistance. The ProtectThePorkies web team has reached out to many news outlets, but the push will be much more powerful if we have your help! That brings us to our next collective action: COLLECTIVE ACTION #3: MEDIA OUTREACH You know the drill— below is a list of e-mail addresses of local and regional newspapers to get you started. Copy and paste the full list into the CC: or BCC: field of a new e-mail, and then tell them in your own words why it is URGENT that they cover this story.  What's on the line? The largest freshwater lake in the world, the largest mixed old-growth forest in the Midwest, and a thriving outdoor recreation industry. Remind them that, in failing to cover our resistance, they are ignoring the cries of 8000+ petition signers. Be sure to link them to the website, the petition, and tell them to get in touch: [email protected] — now, here's that list: [email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@miningjournal.netmetro@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@democracynow.orgThis list is just a start. Please add any other newspaper, TV station, blog, podcast, radio show.—————————————————EXAMPLE MESSAGE:"Hello,Are you aware of a foreign company's plan to build the closest sulfide mine to Lake Superior in history? There has never been a sulfide mine which did not contaminate water— just think of the implications. The proposed Copperwood Mine would also be at the juncture of the North Country Trail — the longest of all national hiking trails — and Porcupine Mountains State Park, which contains the largest mixed old-growth forest in the Midwest and was ranked last year as "the most beautiful State Park in the country." The onslaught of air pollution, noise pollution, light pollution, water pollution, subterranean blasts and nonstop industrial traffic will profoundly effect the experience of tourists visiting this beautiful area. Regardless of how one feels about mining, most sane folk will agree that this is a horrible place for one. There is now a petition with over 8000 signatures calling for a halt to the project. Please cover this story as soon as possible — if you don't, people will begin to wonder why. The health of Lake Superior — 10% of the world's surface freshwater — is on the line. You can find more info at www.ProtectThePorkies and can reach the team at [email protected] you kindly,Chris Vaughn"—————————————————Thank you everyone for your support! It is also always worthwhile revisiting our first Collective Action. We're going up against a multi-million dollar company and a push from state and federal government to increase domestic mining. Our path to victory lies in tens of thousands of us combining our voices together until we're so loud they have no choice but to listen. Remember, we are not an organization: we are a MOVEMENT. Now get moving!    

Change.org
Copperwood Progress

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There’s nothing “green” about a serious risk of polluting the largest mass of fresh water on Earth by building a copper sulfide mine right on the shore.

Please sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/protect-the-porkies-cancel-the-copperwood-mine

and read more info https://protecttheporkies.com/

#MIStateParks #ProtectThePorkies #StopCopperwood #UpperPeninsula #Yoopers #Michigan #LakeSuperior #GreatLakes

Sign the Petition

Protect the Porkies— Cancel the Copperwood Mine next to the State Park!

Change.org

This is a lousy place for a copper sulfide mine - historically close to the largest body of fresh water in the world, & next to one of the biggest old-growth forests in the country. Please sign the petition at https://www.change.org/p/protect-the-porkies-cancel-the-copperwood-mine & read more at https://protecttheporkies.com/

#MIStateParks #ProtectThePorkies #StopCopperwood #UpperPeninsula #Yoopers #Michigan #LakeSuperior #GreatLakes

Sign the Petition

Protect the Porkies— Cancel the Copperwood Mine next to the State Park!

Change.org

Guys, this petition is going around to stop a devastating copper sulfide mine, on the pristine shores of Lake Superior, & right next door to one of last last old-growth forests in the country:

https://www.change.org/p/protect-the-porkies-cancel-the-copperwood-mine

More info: https://protecttheporkies.com

Please sign and share!!

#ProtectThePorkies #StopCopperwood #UpperPeninsula #LakeSuperior #Yoopers #GreatLakes #Climate #Michigan

Sign the Petition

Protect the Porkies— Cancel the Copperwood Mine next to the State Park!

Change.org

#LakeSuperior and the pristine wilderness in #ThePorkies are worth a lot more than whatever short-term economic gains that might be made from the proposed #CopperwoodMine project. If you agree, please sign the petition via the link in bio, or right here: https://www.change.org/p/protect-the-porkies-cancel-the-copperwood-mine

More info: https://protecttheporkies.com/

#MIStateParks #ProtectThePorkies #StopCopperwood #UpperPeninsula #Yoopers #Waterfalls #Michigan

Sign the Petition

Protect the Porkies— Cancel the Copperwood Mine next to the State Park!

Change.org

Copperwood’s ore grade is only 1.5%, meaning that nearly 99% of mined material will be heavy-metal laden waste rock stored on-site. Toxins of concern include mercury, arsenic, selenium, and lead. The dam would be tilted toward Lake Superior, which represents 10% of the world’s surface freshwater.

Petition: https://www.change.org/p/protect-the-porkies-cancel-the-copperwood-mine

#MIStateParks #ProtectThePorkies #StopCopperwood
#LakeSuperior #UpperPeninsula #Yoopers #Michigan #GreatLakes

Sign the Petition

Protect the Porkies— Cancel the Copperwood Mine next to the State Park!

Change.org

The #CopperwoodMine would be about a half mile to the left from this spot on the suspension bridge near the mouth of the Presque Isle River, & would be the closest Copper Sulfide mine to #LakeSuperior in history.

If you think that this sounds like a bad idea - please sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/protect-the-porkies-cancel-the-copperwood-mine

More info: protecttheporkies.com

#MIStateParks #ProtectThePorkies #StopCopperwood #UpperPeninsula #Yoopers #Waterfalls #Michigan

Sign the Petition

Protect the Porkies— Cancel the Copperwood Mine next to the State Park!

Change.org

One can’t help but wonder how the proposed Copperwood Mine would adversely effect #LakeoftheClouds and the pristine wilderness that surrounds it. We don’t want to find out. Please sign the petition at https://www.change.org/p/protect-the-porkies-cancel-the-copperwood-mine

#MIStateParks
#ProtectThePorkies #StopCopperwood #LakeSuperior #SulfideMining #UpperPeninsula #Michigan #GreatLakes #Water #ClimateAction #Copper

Sign the Petition

Protect the Porkies— Cancel the Copperwood Mine next to the State Park!

Change.org