Go Green

By Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss Contributing Writers Kids today may be more eco-savvy than we were at their age, but complex topics like global warming may still mystify them. Luckily there are many resources available to help parents teach their kids how to understand the issues and become better stewards for the planet. A […]

$2.37 million available for bioenergy projects next year ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is ready to fuel innovative bioenergy projects to the tune of $2.37 million in 2014. The enrollment period for the Bioenergy and Biochemical Grant program Request for Proposals is up, running and ready for applicants. Examples of […]

By LaDonna Redmond Contributing Writer It is easy to dismiss the environmental movement. It seems that so many of the messages that come from environmentalists are related to things that are defined as White or ideas that are not of any concern to African Americans. It may also seem like the environmental movement is trying […]

Green household cleaning tips that save Benjamins   By Renee Barron Contributing Writer We live in an age of chemical use that is affecting our health. Our people are contracting cancers of all kinds — asthma, and so many other illnesses — due to overuse and consumption of chemicals in our food, drinks, and personal-care […]

By LaDonna Redmond Contributing Writer Mary Alice Smalls was a member of the New Riverside Café, a workers’ cooperative in the Cedar-Riverside community in the 1970s. Known as the Haight–Ashbury of the Midwest, Cedar-Riverside was a national center for counter culture, and the New Riverside Café was known as the community’s living room where customers […]

By LaDonna Redmond Contributing Writer “There were two African American owned co-ops in the Twin Cities,” according to Gary Cunningham, former staff of the old Bryant-Central co-op. Gary’s uncle, Moe Burton, was the energy behind the co-op that formed in 1975 on the corner of 35th Street and 4th Avenue. Decades earlier, in 1946, the […]

“Will the store cause a rise in rents?” one community resident asked during the July public meeting about Seward Community Co-op’s plan to open a store across from Sabathani Community Center. At the heart of the discussion were questions about race, class and food justice.

CenterPoint Energy’s consumer advocate explains how to keep the heat on   Bev Lambkins, a 30-plus year employee of CenterPoint Energy who holds the title of Supervisor Agency Programs Consumer Advocate, has lifelong experience working closely with low-income residents, military veterans, and families in need. As fall slowly makes way for the cool of winter, […]

By Tom Landwehr Contributing Writer Hunting and fishing are such a valued part of our Minnesota heritage that they are forever preserved privileges under the state constitution alongside protections for freedom of expression and religious liberty. Our outdoor traditions are a part of our culture. Preserving that culture is critical. Hunters and anglers are the […]

By Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss Contributing Writers  Research indicates that indeed Americans girls and boys are going through puberty earlier than ever, though the reasons are unclear. Many believe our widespread exposure to synthetic chemicals is at least partly to blame, but it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why our bodies react in certain ways to […]

What effect do they have on the environment?    By Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss Contributing Writers The production of sugar has indeed taken a huge environmental toll. “Sugar has arguably had as great an impact on the environment as any other agricultural commodity,” reports the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), citing biodiversity loss as a […]

You can feel the dryness beneath your feet walking on crunchy leaves that have dropped early. Our trees are thirsty and you can help! Please water all of your yard and boulevard trees, not just newly planted ones. Following are simple ways you can give those trees what they need: 1. Turn your hose on […]

Hennepin County is the first local government in Minnesota to offer grants to businesses to improve recycling. The business sector generates more than half of the total waste in Hennepin County, and nearly two-thirds of waste created at businesses is recyclable. Helping businesses improve their recycling is an important strategy toward meeting the county’s goal […]

New energy study forces athletic department to think sustainably smart   By Charles Hallman Staff Writer A new report cites University of Minnesota Athletics “as a leader in sustainability and energy efficiency.” Collegiate Game Changes: How Campus Sport is Going Green, a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Green Sports Alliance and […]

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. set the stage for the environmental justice movement   I  was not alive August 28, 1963. The March on Washington was held 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation and eight years to the date of the lynching of Emmett Till. Being inquisitive, I look for clues in history that might […]

By Stephanie Fox Contributing Writer It began in 2010, with sweet potato pies and a new idea. The new idea was to create sustainable agriculture in the heart of the city, letting kids learn to grow vegetables and then (the new part) to show them how to sell what they grew to local businesses. Project […]

It is hard to talk about race in this country. Some days it’s hard being Black in this country. When I add the “green” to being Black, my day can get very rough. Last Saturday I had a pretty rough evening when I heard the news of Zimmerman’s acquittal. I am also “green.” I choose […]

Gone Green for Health by Renee Barron   In my last my column, we talked about the importance of getting vitamin D from the sun. This column will focus on chemical-free sunscreens and foods rich in vitamin D. Darker-skinned people need at least an hour per day in the sun, if not more, but they also […]

Volunteerism is more than just a concept at the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC). John Vig, Sr., an SMSC member, is demonstrating the importance of volunteering through a longtime friendship with SMSC Gaming Enterprise team member Wallace “Jack” Jackman. Vig and Jackman have worked together for many years on volunteer efforts to help others. Through […]

By Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss Contributing Writers  The so-called Monsanto Protection Act is actually a provision (officially known as Section 735) within a recently passed congressional spending bill, H.R. 933, which exempts biotech companies from litigation in regard to the making, selling and distribution of genetically engineered (GE) seeds and plants. President Obama signed […]