Round 1 (Area III, part C&D – Wetland pollution/Loss of biodiversity)

Several times over the past 20 years, the Minnesota Legislature has tried to pass bills banning the use of lead fishing tackle in the state. Lawmakers argue that tackle like lead sinkers can poison water birds if they swallow the sinkers by mistake. A new bill in the Minnesota House of Representatives is proposing to ban the sale of small lead fishing tackle after July 1, 2026.

You are Minnesota citizens deciding if you support the bill banning lead tackle. As a group, research and discuss the possible impacts of the ban, both positive and negative. Use your findings to draft a message to your state legislator on why they should or shouldn’t support the ban.

Round 2 (Area IV, part B&E – Population growth/Response of govt. to environmental issues)

The impacts of climate change can include extreme weather events like flooding, droughts, and cyclones that threaten human lives and homes, and make it difficult to raise crops and livestock. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, hazards from extreme weather events are already causing an average of more than 20 million people a year to leave their homes.

You are members of an American nonprofit group concerned with helping refugees, including climate refugees. You need to communicate to U.S. legislators how the country can best respond to the needs of climate refugees. As a group, research the topic of climate migration. Use your results to rank what you think the U.S.’s top response priorities need to be, and why.

Round 3 (Area III, part A – Agricultural impacts)

In 2015, Minnesota passed a law requiring permanent “buffer strips” of plants around bodies of water like lakes, rivers, streams and public drainage ditches. The idea behind the law was that the vegetation would help keep contaminants like fertilizer runoff from getting into the state’s water. Although today most land next to regulated waters is compliant with the buffer law, the law was unpopular with farmers, who said it cost them to take land out of production.

Could there be better alternatives to help prevent fertilizer runoff in Minnesota? As a group, research possible options, and evaluate their potential strengths and drawbacks. Based on your findings, choose your top one or two alternatives.

Final Round (Area III, part B – Water use)

Water scarcity is a growing concern in western U.S. states. Over the past 20 years, water levels have been dropping in important reservoirs in the Colorado River Basin, and currently about 60% of the American West is at some level of drought. Some western states have proposed the idea of bringing in water from elsewhere to help meet their needs. In 2021, the Arizona state legislature even urged Congress to investigate the possibility of pumping floodwaters from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River.

Is diverting water from the Mississippi or the Great Lakes to western states a project that the U.S. should pursue? As a group, research and examine how the proposal could potentially affect people, agriculture and the environment. Use examples from your research to summarize why we should or shouldn’t pursue the project.