September is here, providing Minnesotans perhaps the best opportunity of the year to support good stewardship of the land. This is the time of the growing season when local farms producing fruits and vegetables are peaking with delicious results. Fall is when many farms that produce pork, beef and chickens using sustainable methods are doing their final slaughtering of the year. This is also the time when grass-based dairy producers are stockpiling forage so they can keep consumers supplied with dairy products during the frozen months.

If you are someone who cares about clean air and water, as well as wildlife habitat, what goes on in farm country all year ’round should be of critical interest to you. Wildlife refuges, forest preserves and wilderness areas provide a lot of ecological benefits, but they can’t do it alone. Farmers and ranchers own and manage 50 percent of the land in the U.S. In Minnesota, farmland makes up more than half of our landscape. As the book The Farm as Natural Habitat points out, in many areas what happens on working farmland has profound impacts on the quality of the environment. In effect, stewardship of 50 percent of our nation’s land is in the hands of less than 2 percent of our citizens. But through our food purchasing decisions, the other 98 percent of us can have a significant say in how that land is taken care of. (more…)

Today’s topics: Energy, Off-Highway Vehicles, State Fair, Transportation, Water, and Wildlife.
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Today was the formative meeting of the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).  This group is the current compromise rising out of the last legislative session charged with spending money from the Environmental Trust Fund (which I believe currently only receives money from lottery sales).  Some folks think only citizens should by the ones allocating this money; legislators, who have final say over the spending, have never been to keen to that idea though.  So now we have the LCCMR consisting of seven citizens, five State Representatives, and five State Senators.   There is approximately $22 million to be spent in the next 8 months. 
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Today’s topics: Agriculture, Energy, Forests, Funding, Health, Off-Highway Vehicles, Open Space, Sustainability, Transportation, and Water.
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Remember that heat wave in early August? It didn’t stop our dedicated volunteers from encouraging Minnesotans to “Vote Yes!” on the transportation amendment appearing on the November 7th ballot.

The Transportation Amendment creates Minnesota’s first dedicated funding for public transit. It won’t solve all of our state’s transit problems, but it is a step in the right direction.

Dave, Patience, and our wonderful volunteers have been speaking with Minnesotans at Twins games, Vikings games, the State Fair, and many other places. If you’d like to volunteer at the State Fair or with the “Vote Yes” visibility campaign, contact Patience at 651-767-0298 or  patiencec@tlcminnesota.org.

We also have a lot of great “Vote Yes” swag–lawn signs, buttons, bumper stickers, tattoos (washable, of course)–and would love to get them into the hands of people who care about transit. Our office is right above Mississippi Market at the corners of Selby and Dale Avenues in Saint Paul. Stop by during office hours, we always enjoy seeing people.

If you’d like to learn more about the transportation amendment, check out our website. And check out this photo of Patience and Dave talking about the amendment at Twins game. It’s the second one down on the webpage.

Today’s topics: Development, Energy, Funding, Genetically Modified Organisms, Global Warming, Off-Highway Vehicles, Open Space, Trails, and Water.
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Today, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Alan Richardson, president and CEO of the American Public Power Association, recently told Minnesotan electric utility operators that federal regulation of global warming pollution is on its way. Further, he stated that there’s “an emerging public consensus and a building political directive that inaction is not a viable strategy.” Read the story.

The American Public Power Association is a service organization for the more than 2,000 community-owned electric utilities. Its members supply 15 percent of the nation’s power.

That’s a lot of watts. And a lot of global warming pollution. And a lot of utility execs getting a strong, smart message from someone they’re paying to look out for their best interests.

If you’ve spent any time watching WCCO-TV in recent months, you’ve probably seen the series of ads sponsored by the Minnesota Farm and Food Coalition. These ads, which feature colorful rural photos and music that pulls at the heartstrings, make the argument that the state’s economy will collapse unless we allow significant expansion of large-scale livestock operations—otherwise known as factory farms or CAFOs. The ads then go on to blame “anti-livestock activist groups” for the livestock industry’s financial troubles.

Well, serious questions about the accuracy, legality and even ethical basis of these ads have been raised in recent weeks. (more…)

If you are going to the State Fair this year, be sure to check out a new feature this year known as the Eco Experience.  In their words:

The Eco Experience is an indoor green space with lush rain gardens, an eco home, a live stage, and cutting-edge displays on renewable energy, new fuels and vehicles, and organic farming. Perfect for do-it-yourselfers, techies, gardeners and nature-lovers, the space features a children’s area with fun for kids of all ages.

A number of MEP member groups will be participating in one form or another in this building.  Fresh Energy and Windustry will be present the whole time and the Neighborhood Energy Connection has their plug-in hybrid car on display.  In addition, groups such as the Minnesota Project, Center for Energy and Environment, and the Minnesota Food Association (and surely other member groups) are helping on individual days or in supporting roles. 

And if you are at the Fair on Tuesday, the 29th, please come say hello to the MEP staff who will tabling in the local food section of the Eco Experience.

The Eco Experience is in the Progress Center building at the corner of Cosgrove and Randall.  Look for the giant wind turbine blade standing up outside.

Today’s topics: Development, Energy, Forests, Funding, Lake Superior, Mississippi River, Susperfund Site?, Transportation, and Water.  
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