Yesterday, I did watch the “State of the Swamp”, not the “State of the Union”, and, although it was long, I’m glad I did. I found it inspiring.
Vitriol (or, technically, oil of vitriol) is sulfuric acid – H2SO4 – diluted with water. There used to be a rhyme about it – “Poor John is dead/With us he is no more/For what he thought was H₂O was H2SO4.” It can be created spontaneously when sulfides created when copper ore is blasted out of rock is oxidized by contact with oxygen in the air, and then encounters water. You would think that no one would want to establish a copper mine in proximity to a large body of water. But this is exactly what Antofagasta Mining wants to do upstream of the Boundary Waters, which are situated on the border between the US and Canada. (Canada calls their part something else, but both sides are heavily visited, and contain wildlife.) The Boundary Waters Canoe Area on our side is the most visited wilderness area in the U.S. The House has already voted to authorize this mine, and now the bill goes to the Senate. My best source for this (the most information with the least filler) is this 13-minute video. It has CC, so there is a transcript.
If this from The 19th doesn’t break your heart – assuming it isn’t already broken – well, you can fill in the “then” section yourself. No one – absolutely no one – should have to live like this.
The Brennan Center reviews the history of changes being made to the makeup and responsibilities of the Supreme Court. It’s not something that is impossible. If it has been done before, it can be done again.
