Please invest in Our Daily Planet today, by making a one time or monthly contribution.
We do not charge our readers a subscription fee for our content. We want to continue to grow our readership, particularly among millennials and public servants. Voluntary contributions from readers will help us employ interns and freelance journalists, expand our content, and reach a larger audience.
If you make a contribution of $150 or more, you will become an official “Friend of the Planet” and receive a Friend of the Planet T-shirt or water bottle.
Our Daily Planet is a daily morning email (M-F) to keep you informed of the stories shaping our environment. If these issues matter to you, we’d like to be the best ten minutes of your morning.
Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden over the weekend stated his strong opposition to two prominent mining projects –the Pebble Mine in Alaska and possible uranium mining adjacent to the Grand Canyon — with huge impacts on local economies and Native American communities nearby. On Friday, Biden issued a statement saying that “The Grand Canyon is first among the landmarks of our nation — holy to the Tribes who preserve it and call it home, and sacred to all Americans,” and that mining there would be like driving “a drill into the heart of one of Arizona’s cultural and economic cornerstones.” Then Sunday, Biden said of the Pebble Mine that “Alaskan culture, traditions, and jobs are on the line. As president, I will do what President Trump has failed to do: listen to the scientists and experts to protect Bristol Bay — and all it offers to Alaska, our country, and the world.”
Why This Matters: Biden understands the importance of both these pristine areas to ALL Americans, and especially their importance to Indigenous Americans. No short term gain from mining for finite resources is worth sacrificing the perpetual economic and environmental benefits of the Grand Canyon and Bristol Bay’s natural resources and stunning beauty.
Dangerous Uranium Mining Adjacent to the Grand Canyon
Similar to Pebble Mine, uranium mining near the Grand Canyon was foreclosed by the Obama Administration — in this case, as we explained, Obama imposed a 20-year moratorium on mining near the nation’s most famous natural monument, in order to study the ecological effects uranium mining could have on the region, as reported to azcentral.com by the Arizona Republic’s Debra Utacia Krol. Native American Tribes in the region strongly opposed uranium mining there. Navajo National President Jonathan Nez said “The Navajo people and other tribes have always considered the Grand Canyon and areas adjacent a sacred place. ” In addition, cancer rates among Navajo Tribe members are very high, with some suspecting previous open-pit mines that remain hazardous because they have not been reclaimed.
By Natasha Lasky, ODP Staff Writer The earth is collapsing under Russia’s northeastern towns as global warming melts the permafrost beneath them. Permafrost occupies 65% of Russia’s landmass, making this massive thawing particularly destructive. “There isn’t a single settlement in Russia’s Arctic where you wouldn’t find a destroyed or deformed building,” said Alexey Maslakov, […]
By Ashira Morris, ODP Staff Writer Heirs’ property is a type of land ownership whereby property is passed down without a will, and it’s one of the main reasons Black families in the US are losing their land. But the Mobile Basin Heirs’ Property Support Initiative announced yesterday could help families in Mississippi’s Mobile Bay […]
By Natasha Lasky, ODP Staff Writer The White House announced Friday that President Biden will use his executive authority to restore protections for three national monuments drastically reduced during the Trump Administration. He will reestablish and increase the boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, both of which are in Utah. The orders […]
Subscribe to the email that top lawmakers, renowned scientists, and thousands of concerned citizens turn to each morning for the latest environmental news and analysis.
Want the lastest climate news summarized for you each morning?
Our Daily Planet is your daily dose of the stories shaping our world and the ways that you can take action. From the climate crisis to the protection of biodiversity, if these issues matter to you then please subscribe & stay informed!
Your privacy is Important! We promise never to use your email address to send you spam or advertisements.