UMD Students Hold ‘Duluth Power Dialogue’ Discussing Environmental Justice

DULUTH, Minn.- Young environmentalists over at UMD kept the conversation around climate change fresh today with the help of a unique friend.

This larger-than-life owl puppet made by the Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe helped attract people to the Duluth Power Dialogue in the Kirby Student Center.

“We wanted to find a way to bring art and performance into the environmental conversation,” Junior Alexandra Stellrecht said. “It’s really hard to just tell people statistics and facts and have them take it to heart so by doing something that was a little out of the box or unexpected

The owl is supposed to represent the accountability humans face when future generations look back on us and the effects of climate change and non-renewable energy sources.

“Engage students into some local utilities, we’re trying to get them involved and understand what actually goes into that and how can we fix it,” said Junior Collin Bryhn. “Cause there are some big areas in the grid that we really could fix.”

Organizers say it made a few on their way to and from finals stop and listen, the first step in engaging in a dialogue they say is long overdue.

The Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe creates the smelt puppets that are used in Duluth’s “Magic Smelt Run Parade”, and that event is returning to Canal Park this Sunday.