A Pipe Line Battle Brewing in Soda to Day

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In 20 14, a company named enbridge proposed updating, replacing sections of a crude oil pipe line called line three that goes through minnesota. Local tribes and environmental activists had questions about just how safe this pipe line really was. A pipe line battle brewing in soda to day, with the largest show of resistance yetia e activists tried all kinds of tactics to stop line three. They protested and petitioned and lobbied the various environmental agencies to step inig we reached out to the min Minnesota d n r and enbridge for this story. Both declined to do an interview on the record, but enbridge did send a statement disputing that the pipe line had negative en mental impacts.

The Ojibwe name for wild rice is Manoomin, which translates to “the good berry.” The scientific name is Zizania palustris. It’s the only grain indigenous to North America, and while it might be called rice, it’s actually not closely related to brown or white rice at all. It has long played an important role in Ojibwe cultures, but last year, Manoomin took on a new role: plaintiff in a court case. Last August, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources was sued by wild rice. The case of Manoomin v Minnesota Department of Natural Resources alleges that the Minnesota DNR infringed on the wild rice’s right to live and thrive. But can wild rice sue a state agency? The short answer is: yes. This is the story about what might happen if rice wins.

The Rights of Rice and Future of Nature

Support for this episode was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation. RWJF is working to build a culture of health that ensures everyone in the United States has a fair and just opportunity for health and well-being. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. If you have a hunch about how changes to the way we live, learn, work and play today are shaping our future, share it here: www.shareyourhunch.org