February, 2026 | ModeShift

Copper Riches Lead Congress to Try Shortcut for Boundary Waters Mining

by Keith SchneiderFebruary 25, 2026February 25, 20260

The U.S. Senate this week is poised to vote on a narrowly-cast resolution intended to clear a new pathway to eventually open a long-disputed copper mine close to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeast Minnesota. There’s a lot more, though, riding on the Senate vote, and not just for a region of the American north country adored for its towering pines, and deep, clear waters. If it’s approved and signed by President Trump, …

Jolted by Climate Change, Youth Perch with Strength and Vision

by Keith SchneiderFebruary 4, 2026February 4, 20260

Late last month, Jonathan Fisher, one of the good people devoted to changing the world, got in touch to pitch me on a “participatory photography” project. Fisher was born and raised in Bronx, New York, and after spending much of his life helping manage the New York City subway system, he switched tracks. In 2010 Fisher joined another retired transit colleague, George Carrano, to help start Seeing For Ourselves, a nonprofit that “equips and trains marginalized …