The Pulse

Markella Smith door knocking in the McKinley neighborhood.

The PulseMarch 2, 2020

Upper Harbor Terminal: Can Minneapolis invest in its north side without pushing people out of their neighborhoods?

By Kenzie O'Keefe

Upper Harbor Terminal project on Minneapolis’ Mississippi riverfront tests ideas about river revitalization that does not automatically lead to gentrification.

MPR News

Researcher putting dye into the Mini-Mississippi River to study water flows round a proposed diversion.

The PulseMarch 2, 2020

A Mini-Mississippi River May Help Save Louisiana’s Vanishing Coast

By John Schwartz

Laboratory model of the lower Mississippi River tests plans for sediment diversion, Gulf Coast restoration.

The New York Times

Civil Engineering Lower Mississippi River Planning / Policy Research

The PulseMarch 2, 2020

The 2100 Project: An Atlas for the Green New Deal

By The McHarg Center

“This Atlas for a Green New Deal brings together a vast and disparate array of information in the form of maps and datascapes; tools to help us understand the spatial consequences of climate change—not so that we may be frightened by them, but so that we may be mobilized around a response to them.”

The McHarg Center

Planning / Policy Policy United States

A group of speakers sit at a long table, surrounded by attendees around round tables. Background is tall windows showing a skyline and colorful sunset.

The PulseNovember 26, 2019

What to consider when acknowledging you are on stolen Indigenous lands

By Staff

Land acknowledgement statements are increasingly common practice, but as they are developed, this article reminds us to ask “Are you doing it to make yourself feel better or to ease your guilt? Are you doing it because you agree that education is really important? Is there something that can come out of it?”

Healing Minnesota Stories

Education Indigenous Perspectives United States

A lift bridge in Duluth is shown from a low angle aerial, showing the lake in the distance and the city on the near shore.

The PulseNovember 26, 2019

Mapping the benefits of the world’s largest lakes

By Staff

Fresh water is the most important substance on Earth, but it isn’t equally distributed across the planet. How many benefits do the world’s largest lakes provide? Interdisciplinary research begins to explore this complex question.

Smart Water Magazine

Biological Sciences Geosciences International Research

Low level aerial photograph of New Orleans, showing flooded streets.

The Pulse, UncategorisedNovember 26, 2019

After the Storm: How Hurricane Katrina and the murder of Emmett Till shaped one woman’s commitment to climate justice

By Mary Heglar

With insights on race, history, climate, family and so much more, Mary Heglar connects Civil Rights traumas of the 1950s, hurricane tragedy in 2005, and climate inequity now in this thoughtful reflection.

Guernica

Engagement Environmental Justice United States

Aerial shot of Clark Fork River near Missoula in May 2011. The level of the river is very high.

The PulseAugust 8, 2019

Making Room for Floods in the Midwest

By Eileen Shader

It’s clear that a changing climate means more precipitation, in the form of big rain events, across the Midwest. If we are to avoid some of the disastrous effects from this spring, we’ll have to make “room for rivers.”

Making Room for Floods in the Midwest

Engagement Mississippi River Basin Planning / Policy

The PulseAugust 8, 2019

Vintage EPA photos reveal what US waterways looked like before pollution was regulated

By Aylin Woodward

Over 40 years after the passage of the Clean Water Act, we take for granted that rivers can be restored to a healthy functioning condition. These images taken by EPA photographers in the 1970s show how far we have come, but there’s still much to do.

Business Insider

Engagement Environmental History History United States

Seen from above, the Mississippi River carries sediment into the Gulf of Mexico. That sediment often contains pollutants from fertilizers that cause a spike in algal blooms.

The PulseJune 17, 2019

Massive 8,000-mile “dead zone” could be one of the gulf’s largest

By Sarah Gibbens

Record-breaking rainfall across the midwest has washed tons of fertilizer and sewage water along the Mississippi and into the Gulf of Mexico, contributing to a larger polluted area than ever.

National Geographic

Biological Sciences Mississippi River Basin Science

Catherine Fleming stands for a portrait at the Upper Harbor Terminal site.

The PulseMay 2, 2019

Disconnected From The River

By Iyana Esters

North Minneapolis resident Catherine Fleming explains her relation to the Mississippi River and her hopes for the Upper Harbor Terminal redevelopment project to reconnect communities of color to the river.

The Water Main

Engagement Environmental Justice Minnesota Planning / Policy

UMN Assistant Professor Bonnie Keeler poses for a photo.

The PulseMay 2, 2019

It’s Time for a More Inclusive Earth Day

By Bonnie Keeler

UMN Assistant Professor Bonnie Keeler calls for a radical Earth Day agenda centering diverse perspectives to address climate change and define desirable environmental futures.

Humphrey School News

Engagement Environmental Justice United States

A lone water drop is about to fall from a sink.

The PulseMay 2, 2019

The Connection Between Water, Justice, and Health

By Amanda Abrams

Radhika Fox, CEO of the US Water Alliance, talks about ways to build stronger communities and create sustainable, just water futures.

Shelterforce

Engagement Environmental Justice Planning / Policy Public Programs United States

News and Commentary from Around the Web, Chosen by the Editors

Filter Pulses by Category

Upper Harbor Terminal: Can Minneapolis invest in its north side without pushing people out of their neighborhoods?

A Mini-Mississippi River May Help Save Louisiana’s Vanishing Coast

The 2100 Project: An Atlas for the Green New Deal

What to consider when acknowledging you are on stolen Indigenous lands

Mapping the benefits of the world’s largest lakes

After the Storm: How Hurricane Katrina and the murder of Emmett Till shaped one woman’s commitment to climate justice

Making Room for Floods in the Midwest

Vintage EPA photos reveal what US waterways looked like before pollution was regulated

Massive 8,000-mile “dead zone” could be one of the gulf’s largest

Disconnected From The River

It’s Time for a More Inclusive Earth Day

The Connection Between Water, Justice, and Health