Minnesota Environmental Action Network - Action Alerts Make your opinions known to decision-makers on issues of importance to you and Minnesota Environmental Action Network. http://mnaction.org/alertlist.asp Sat, 4 Feb 2012 08:05:02 GMT Sat, 4 Feb 2012 08:05:02 GMT en-us action alerts thedatabank, inc. Technology for Change. http://www.thedatabank.com/ Exemptions for corporate special interests continue!
Here we go again. In a disturbing continuation of last year’s trend, the Legislature seems to be bowing to corporate special interests by granting them special exemptions from laws that protect our water, air and health. Instead of focusing on jobs (by promoting good clean energy jobs, for example) the legislature is preoccupied with partisan politics, like the firing of Public Utilities Commisioner Ellen Anderson and introducing the bills we saw this week. Give Last Year’s Changes a Chance to Work Let’s give last year’s policy changes and the Governor’s Executive Order time to work before we attempt to streamline the recently adopted environmental review “streamlining” (H.F. 1 and Executive Order 11-04). State agencies have been responsive to concerns and the Governor has taken steps internally to make effective changes. It doesn’t make sense to rush more policy changes before the recent changes have time to take effect. Make More Investments to Protect Our Health General fund cuts have decreased the number of State agency staff available to review permits and environmental studies for industries and companies that pollute. This brings to light our overarching concern about pollution regulations – a lack of investment even though Minnesotans like you and I want even stronger laws and stronger enforcement to protect our health and our Great Outdoors. You Want Stronger Laws and Enforcement Two thirds of Minnesotans want stronger enforcement and stronger laws. And 79% of Minnesotans believe we can have jobs and a clean environment. JANUARY 2012 PUBLIC OPINION POLL Why? Remember what we are talking about here. These are not simply construction permits, these are permits to increase the pollution we are putting in our air, the particulate matter that contributes to asthma, mercury that contaminates our fish, and chemicals that are being dumped into our rivers. Last year, we allowed the fox to guard the hen house by allowing corporate special interests to write their own environmental studies. We don’t want to now ask the fox to be in charge of our chicken coop’s security system.
From a statewide telephone poll of 500 registered Minnesota voters, conducted Jan. 9-11, 2012, for the Minnesota Environmental Partnership by the bipartisan research team of Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates and Public Opinion Strategies. The margin of sampling error for the full statewide samples is 4.4 percentage points, plus or minus; margins of error for subgroups within the sample will be larger.
PRECINCT CAUCUS RESOLUTIONS: Going to your precinct caucus next Tuesday, Feb. 7th? Support clean water and clean energy by introducing these resolutions. -Click Here for Sulfide Mining Resolution #1 -Click Here for Sulfide Mining Resolution #2 -Click Here for Sulfide Mining Factsheet -Click Here for Clean Energy Resolution -Click Here for Health, Environment and Chemicals Resolution

Deadline for action: 2/10/2012.]]> http://mnaction.org/takeaction.asp?aaid=1130 http://mnaction.org/takeaction.asp?aaid=1130 Wed, 1 Feb 2012 20:17:59 GMT Clean Water, Clean Energy and Good Jobs
UPDATE, Jan. 26: The bill to weaken local control, House File 389, is stalled in the Local Government Operations and Elections Committee for now. An outpouring of phone calls and e-mails to members of the committee, along with strong testimony opposing the bill, led to it being tabled. Read more below and take action to keep this positive momentum going. Clean Energy & Good Jobs: Solar Works for Minnesota Minnesotans want to make smart choices for Minnesota’s clean energy future. Minnesota has largely untapped resources of wind and solar and ranks in the top 10 for solar energy generation potential. The time has come to utilize our potential and create local jobs by using Minnesota manufactured, installed, and generated energy! Minnesota currently spends more than $20 billion a year purchasing and importing energy from other states and nations. By sending our money outside our borders, Minnesota’s economy is hindered by our dependence on imported dirty fossil fuels. To keep moving forward for safe, clean energy we want to make it easier to install solar panels on schools, town halls, fire and police stations. Minnesota’s K-12 public schools alone have the space to generate hundreds of megawatts of energy – that’s millions of dollars every year according to analysis done by the Solar Works for Minnesota coalition. Solar installations can be put up in a matter of months, immediately stimulating the manufacturing and construction industries that have been hardest hit by the recession. What’s more, investment in solar energy creates 14 jobs per $1 million invested; far outpacing jobs created by the development of old energy sources like dirty fossil fuels. Another way to increase our Minnesota investments in clean energy is by adopting a Solar Energy Standard that will require Minnesota to produce at least 10 percent of our electricity needs from solar power by the year 2030. By investing in solar in Minnesota, we can position the state to be a national leader in the creation of manufacturing, installation and research jobs in our state! We will reap the benefits of cleaner, less-expensive electricity, and local jobs for years to come! To find out more about how Solar Works for Minnesota click on “more”. Safeguard Investments for Minnesota’s Future Minnesotans value our lakes, rivers, streams and our Great Outdoors. But threats loom large in Minnesota waters. Aquatic Invasive Species like zebra mussels and silver Asian carp have devastating consequences on Minnesota’s waters. We support increasing boat license fees, which would provide funding to help stop the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species in Minnesota waters. The Game and Fish fund no longer covers expenditures and is expected to decline because costs have increased in the last 10 years while the basic prices of fishing and hunting licenses have not. We support an increase in hunting and angling fees to ensure adequate funding for our fisheries and wildlife programs. We support making long-term Capital Bonding investments to protect and enhance Minnesota’s Great Outdoors and create jobs. The Minnesota Environmental Partnership supports a package of long-term bonding projects that invest in clean water, protected lands, healthy communities, and a 21st Century transportation system. In 2008, Minnesota voters approved the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment which dedicated additional funds to protect our land and water. We continue working with elected officials to protect these dedicated funds so they are not raided to solve short-term budget problems or used for purposes not specified in the Minnesota Constitution. And finally, we support preserving the ability of a simple majority of lawmakers to determine the overall size of the state budget and to manage available resources. Therefore, we oppose any amendments to Minnesota’s Constitution that would require a supermajority vote to raise revenue or use reserve funds, or would restrict lawmakers from using available resources. Amendments such as these would damage Minnesota’s economic future by sharply limiting Minnesota’s flexibility to respond to changing demographics and emerging needs. Just today, we found out that a bill to weaken township and community rights in Minnesota will be heard on Thursday, Jan. 26. At the very first meeting of the House Government Operations and Elections Committee, lawmakers will take up House File 389 (Beard, Quam, Nelson, Sanders) which weakens township, county and city local control. Visit the Land Stewardship Project website to take action: http://bit.ly/w5eCu8 Who is the Minnesota Environmental Partnership? Minnesota Environmental Partnership is a statewide coalition of around 80 conservation and environmental nonprofit organizations. Formed in 1998, the members of Minnesota Environmental Partnership work together to protect and restore Minnesota’s lakes, rivers, streams, forests, wildlife habitat and natural areas. For more information please visit http://www.protect.mn/

Deadline for action: 2/7/2012.]]> http://mnaction.org/takeaction.asp?aaid=1128 http://mnaction.org/takeaction.asp?aaid=1128 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:48:08 GMT Attend a meeting with Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen!
Date: Friday, February 3rd Time: 1:00pm-2:30pm (Pre-meeting discussion begins at 12:00 p.m. before Sen. Ingebrigtsen arrives.) Location: Alexandria Please RSVP for meeting location Enjoying Minnesota’s Great Outdoors is part of our way of life. Your state leaders have an opportunity to protect those resources today and for generations to come. Join the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, a coalition of environmental nonprofits, for a meeting with Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen to discuss his work at the Capitol for Minnesota’s environment. Topics include: • Solar Works for Minnesota: Invest in clean energy to help our local economy and create jobs. Click on more for more info • Safeguarding investments: Make sure funding for our environment is secure, and that money from the voter-approved Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment is used properly. • Defending Minnesota’s Environmental Policy Foundation: Prevent rollbacks of our existing laws that protect our water and clean energy future. Join us at 12:00 p.m., before your Senator arrives, to learn more about the priorities selected by the 79 members of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, discuss other issues of concern, and learn more about your legislator and fellow constituents. This is an excellent opportunity to discuss these important issues with your Legislator. To learn more, visit www.Protect.MN. RSVP to Eric Bergstrom with the Minnesota Environmental Partnership at 651-290-0154 or EricBergstrom@MEPartnership.org

Deadline for action: 2/4/2012.]]> http://mnaction.org/takeaction.asp?aaid=1129 http://mnaction.org/takeaction.asp?aaid=1129 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:44:36 GMT