Skip to Main Content
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

WHERE SHOULD OUR MONEY GO? Geoengineering solutions like carbon capture are costly. In 2021, it cost $47.10 per metric ton of CO2 removed through carbon capture systems, according to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Stop climate change at the source, reject costly geoengineering solutions

McKinley Garner, The Rubicon February 26, 2024
Decrease environmentally harmful investments rather than putting money towards a band-aid solution.
FROSTY FALLOUT. With the first winter season snows, icy sidewalks are imminent. However, their typical remedy creates a challenge between safety and our environment.

Melting away: the ecological downfalls of road deicing

Aldegundo Brenneman, Staff Writer December 20, 2023
If using salt on the sidewalk is necessary, consider distributing it sparingly and collecting and reusing the salt left behind when the snow clears.
HARD AT WORK. Juniors Rohan Kharbanda and Humza Jameel work together to build a concrete mixer during an Advanced Science Research class. (Submitted Photo: Rohan Kharbanda)

Kharbanda puts the planet first in ASR

Amanda Hsu, The Rubicon November 10, 2023
Kharbanda plans to solve two environmental issues by adding plastic to concrete.
CLIMATE EMERGENCIES. As the years go by, the Earth is affected by climate change, and the natural disasters that have been rising in recent years is proof. From daily weather to extreme climate phenomena, the people inhabiting this planet have had considerable impact on Earth. (Illustration by Annika Kim, Infographic by Johanna Pierach, Orion Kim)

It’s all about the ENVIRONMENT: Natural disaster on the rise

McKinley Garner and Sonia Kharbanda October 15, 2023
Looking closely, natural disasters have been on the rise in recent years, and it can be highly attributed to climate change.
NOTHING NEW. Springtime floods aren’t new. The Twin Cities have learned to manage when the Mississippi spills over.

Mississippi rises, leaving parts of the Twin Cities submerged

Siri Pattison, RubicOnline April 27, 2023
Recent flooding in Minnesota continues to impact the community.
FIGHT BACK: Minnesotans gather in 2021 to protest the construction of Enbridge’s Line 3.

Looking at Line 5’s long, environmental battle with the upper Midwest

Siri Pattison, RubicOnline March 8, 2023
While many are familiar with Enbridge's Line 3, Line 5, which was built in 1953, poses similar environmental threats.
IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE: It's no secret our planet is in a climate emergency.  Making small, easy changes to your daily routine can bring us one step closer to finally ending this crisis.

Seven easy ways to help protect the environment

Eliana Mann, Rubiconline May 19, 2022
Any number of small, personal actions can make a positive impact on the environment and are often easy to do.
DRESSED TO THE NINES. Juniors and seniors wear their most elegant gowns and suits for prom in the spring, like the seniors pictured here from 2021. There are many other great ways to find these dazzling outfits besides purchasing, such as thrifting or renting from organizations like Pass Down the Gown.

Save the Earth and the bank with alternative prom attire options

Siri Pattison, RubicOnline April 19, 2022
Finding an outfit for prom often means an expensive purchase and a one-time wear. How can this practice be made more sustainable?
SPACED OUT. Astronaut Mark Vande Hei peers at the Earth below from inside the seven-windowed cupola, the International Space Station's window to the world. What might space tourism at the ISS look like?

Spring break in space? It depends.

Alison Mitchell, Staff Writer March 17, 2022
The rise of space tourism raises significant moral and environmental concerns.
FUNKY MONKEY. Bored ape #8585 sold for $2.7 million or 696.969 ETH. The popularity of Yacht Club's apes has only grown since the release of the first one in April 2021, with an average sale price of $300,000.

Fans go ape for non-fungible tokens

Clara Garner, The Rubicon February 19, 2022
Money maker? Planet breaker?
SMASH. That’s the word written on the sign for the Southeast Steam Plant in Minneapolis, a power plant owned by the University of Minnesota. Across the country, students have fought for greener colleges, and the U of M took a long-awaited step in September by announcing its divestment from fossil fuels. Senior Sarina Charpentier said “It’s nice to know that a highly reputable college in my community is doing that.”

Potential college students value environmental action, universities respond

Johanna Pierach, Staff Writer October 29, 2021
Following the results of a recent survey by The Princeton Review, colleges and universities across the country are springing into environmental action.
Enbridge holds wastewater in a makeshift pool which allows the contaminated water to run off into the local prairie and woods, while they pump it to another location.

[SUSTAINABILITY & ETHICS] Line 3 in use, destruction arises

Elizabeth Trevathan, RubicOnline October 11, 2021
Two rare wetland areas have been destroyed by an accidental aquifer puncture.
Load More Stories