The student news of St. Paul Academy and Summit School

The Rubicon

The student news of St. Paul Academy and Summit School

The Rubicon

The student news of St. Paul Academy and Summit School

The Rubicon

Over a dozen homes were lost, and officials closed the wilderness. The Greenwood Fires in the Boundary Waters was a constant item of stress through the summer for many. Houses and other buildings were lost, the environment suffered, and the air quality curtailed for hundreds of miles.

[SUSTAINABILITY & ETHICS] Extreme weather intensifies, bolstering the need for environmental policy

Elizabeth Trevathan, RubicOnline September 10, 2021
The summer of 2021 serves as an example of the long-term impacts climate change has on day-to-day lives.
The system of lock and dams on the Mississippi River were mostly constructed as a part of former President Franklin Roosevelt’ New Deal program. The locks and dams, specifically lock and dam #1 pictured, was built to control flooding and facilitate transportation of goods. The structures completely changed how the Mississippi River flows. Biden’s plans will also completely change how the environment looks, but the exact results are unknown.

[SUSTAINABILTY & ETHICS] Administration sets ambitious environmental goals. Will they succeed?

Elizabeth Trevathan, Director of RubicOnline May 4, 2021
Biden/Harris made it clear from day one of their campaign that climate change would be at the top of their list for issues to change in America.
Students should find points of entry into social movements that fit with their skills and what they are able to contribute.

[STAFF EDITORIAL] Find productive ways to make social change

The Rubicon Staff April 28, 2021
There are so many ways young people can be a catalyst for positive change, regardless of which issues they feel most passionately about.
The current setup in the lunchroom contains a recycling bin, as well as one trash can, and two compost bins.

Don’t throw away appreciation for lunch staff

Tommy Verhey, RubicOnline March 9, 2021
The lunch staff has implemented new ways to compost, teach, and save the earth within the lunch room.
Safety and environmental consciousness should go hand in hand- balance is key.

Eco-awareness should coexist with health precautions

Liv Larsen, RubicOnline October 5, 2020
Efforts to maintain student and faculty health generate an excess amount of plastic waste.
Whats That Club? is a podcast exploring various student organizations.

[WHAT’S THAT CLUB?] Ep. 3: Exploring People for Environmental Protection

Catherine Hooley, Staff Writer April 17, 2020
PEP does so much more than people might think.
The Yarnery in St. Paul sells the Weather or Knot kits to create a timeline of weather events in a wearable accessory to spread awareness about environmental data protection.

What’s new in the environment? Four things you may not know are happening…

Elizabeth Trevathan, RubicOnline March 3, 2020
The local climate conversation has turned to microplastics, pollution deaths, temperature scarves, and how climate change is prioritized.
Not enough people had ran for USC the year before, so Hartfeldt decided to run this year. “I thought that I would be a good person to represent the student body because Im fairly outgoing and assertive... I like to take control and make sure everything is running smoothly” she said.

New USC representative Hartfeldt on environmentalism, sustainability, and leadership

Julia Baron, The Rubicon December 4, 2019
The mid-fall elections gave the sophomore class a new student body representative: Maura Hartfeldt.
Ms. Yost-Dubrow teaches environmental science. Aside from her teachings on crickets, Yost-Dubrow focuses on methods to combat climate change as well as historical examples of environmental disasters.

McBuggets are Yost-Dubrow’s newest diet recommendation

Martha Sanchez, RubicOnline October 30, 2019
Upper School science teacher Rachel Yost-Dubrow is a strong advocate for environmental responsibility. Perhaps her most notable idea - eating crickets. 
Recycling may be the default habit, but its time to compost instead

Recycling? Maybe. Reduce, reuse, rot instead.

Elizabeth Trevathan, Staff Writer March 22, 2019
With China's 2018 import ban in effect, reusing and composting -- not recycling -- offer the environmental solution.
A green roof option was considered as part of the Schilling construction. Sadly, “[even though] a green roof was taken into account in the design process for Schilling…it just was not financially feasible,” said Mark Dickinson, Director of Operations and Security.

However, that doesn’t mean that we cannot create some environmental benefits with a community garden or pollinator garden.

If rooftop garden isn’t feasible, other green options are

Sharee Roman, The Rubicon Staff September 28, 2018
The Schilling Center has a beautiful roof space that is currently unused. A garden on top would be an improvement.
The Twin Cities may seem underdeveloped when compared to the expansive systems of New York City and other large metropolitan areas, but at both the city and state level, the government is pushing to implement more public transportation.

Weighing the environmental costs of public transit

Jack Benson, The Rubicon Editor May 10, 2018
The Twin Cities may seem underdeveloped when compared to the expansive systems of New York City and other large metropolitan areas, but at both the city and state level, the government is pushing to implement more public transportation.
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