ProtectThePorkies is not an organization— we are a decentralized people's movement, and we won't succeed without your help.
The actions below are organized into SHORT-TERM urgent actions with a deadline, and LONG-TERM ongoing actions which are equally important now and in the future.
The $50 million handout of Michigan taxpayer revenue to Highland Copper should never have been approved. Highland Copper is an inexperienced foreign company who will extract Michigan's copper, ship it out of country, board up shop in 10.7 years, and leave a 30+ million ton pile of toxic waste behind, forever, at the juncture of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness and the North Country Trail, on topography sloping towards Lake Superior.
The grant has been approved by the Michigan Strategic Fund, but it now must pass the additional steps of being approved by both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. Please contact them TODAY and urge a rejection of this gross misuse of taxpayer dollars!
Here is a full list of all the members of both committees. Copy and paste the list into the To: field of an email, and make your voice heard!
SenSAnthony@senate.michigan.gov
SenSAnthony@senate.michigan.gov
SenSMcCann@senate.michigan.gov
SenKMcDonaldRivet@senate.michigan.gov
SenJCherry@senate.michigan.gov
SenSSantana@senate.michigan.gov
SenKHertel@senate.michigan.gov
SenDCamilleri@senate.michigan.gov
SenVKlinefelt@senate.michigan.gov
SenMMcMorrow@senate.michigan.gov
SenMCavanagh@senate.michigan.gov
SenJBumstead@senate.michigan.gov
SenTAlbert@senate.michigan.gov
SenJDamoose@senate.michigan.gov
SenMHuizenga@senate.michigan.gov
SenROutman@senate.michigan.gov
In the March 26th meeting in which the $50 million handout in taxpayer revenue was awarded to the proposed Copperwood Mine, the Michigan Strategic Fund violated the Open Meetings Act.
In conclusion: the Michigan Strategic Fund has violated the Open Meetings Act — passed to ensure transparent governance — for the sake of endorsing and enriching an inexperienced foreign extractive company, who will ship Michigan's copper out of country, board up shop in 10.7 years, and leave a 30+ million ton waste pile in their wake, right next to the North Country Trail, Porcupine Mountains State Park, and Lake Superior.
Please feel free to reach out to the Attorney General's office below. Point A is an unambiguous violation; point B is open to interpretation. This will not change the outcome of the meeting, but it is important to hold our officials accountable.
Please contact the Office of the Attorney General immediately to report this violation:
Here is a full recording of the meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QePt1b_8Haw
This petition is our most powerful symbol of collective opposition and is the cornerstone of our strategy to gain the attention of politicians and media. After you sign it, share a comment at the bottom, then spread the link to others.
Governor Whitmer says she's serious about climate change, but as we come to live on a hotter, drier planet — in which conflicts are being fought over access to water, in which many cities must ship it in from hundreds of miles away— we should be doing everything we can to protect Lake Superior, 10% of the world's surface freshwater.
Write
Governor Whitmer says she's serious about climate change, but as we come to live on a hotter, drier planet — in which conflicts are being fought over access to water, in which many cities must ship it in from hundreds of miles away— we should be doing everything we can to protect Lake Superior, 10% of the world's surface freshwater.
Write to the Governor and tell her in your own words why mines like Copperwood have NO PLACE in a "Healthy Climate" plan. Ask her to file a formal state petition for review of the project. See below for a sample message.
Phone: 517-335-7858
Mail: Governor Whitmer
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, Michigan 48909
Attorney General Dana Nessel has been a crucial player in the fight against Line 5. Given that there is no higher priority than protecting our freshwater resources (not to mention our most beloved State Park), tell her it is urgent to file a state petition for review of the Copperwood Mine. For supporting arguments, see below.
Phone: 517-335-7622
Email: miag@michigan.gov
Whether you are a Yooper or wider Michigan resident, one of the most powerful steps you can take is to contact your local legislators.
It's time to tell them that when it comes to protecting Lake Superior and Michigan's most beloved State Park, your vote's on the line.
The fate of the Copperwood Mine will be determined by how well we undermine the project's "social license to operate" and this depends on how many people even know about it.
Please reach out to your favorite radio shows, TV shows, podcasts, newspapers, blogs, etc. and tell them why it's urgent to cover this story!
Please provide media with our contact info: ProtectThePorkies@gmail.com
Highland Copper still lacks 90% of their initial capital. A large portion of the remainder they hope to acquire from industry investors. The mining industry is very concerned about social license; if they think a project is wildly unpopular, they will see it as a risky investment.
So write to Highland Copper's current investors and tell th
Highland Copper still lacks 90% of their initial capital. A large portion of the remainder they hope to acquire from industry investors. The mining industry is very concerned about social license; if they think a project is wildly unpopular, they will see it as a risky investment.
So write to Highland Copper's current investors and tell them that there is no social license for this project. Link them to our petition as proof.
"Dear _______,
The development of Copperwood Mine by an inexperienced foreign company in the heart of a thriving outdoor recreation area and in unprecedented proximity to 10% of the world’s surface freshwater is troubling, to say the least.
Open questions remain regarding the following:
The Upper Peninsula's heritage is not just mining, but access to incredible Nature Please remember that outdoor recreation contributes over $12 billion to Michigan's economy annually, whereas mining contributes a mere $1 billion. The far smaller industry should not endanger the larger by jeopardizing the access to pristine nature which is its foundation.
With so many doubts, it is in the interests of outdoor recreationists, hunters, fishers, foragers, natives and non-natives, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, and all those concerned with the well-being of water and natural life to organize against the Copperwood Mine as quickly and vigorously as possible.
In conclusion, I kindly ask that you file an official state petition for review of this awful project, so that the integrity of Michigan's finest resources will be preserved.
For more information, please see the petition opposing the mine.
Sincerely,
Your Name Here"
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Your contributions will assist greatly with promoting the petition, web domain fees, materials such signs and flyers, the production of a documentary film, and expanding the scope of our mission in the coming months.
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