Fossil fuel divestment
Let’s take a minute to talk about investments. Those of us who are fortunate enough to have any would probably prefer to think about anything else. We want to invest, earn some money, and not have to think about it all that much letting time work its magic. Unfortunately, time is no longer on our… Read more »
Climate change for breakfast, Part 2
NOTE: This is the second part of a three-part blog on the industrial farming of animals and its implications for the impact of eating meat on the environment. Part 1 provides history and background, Part 2 explores the ethical problem that eating meat poses today, and Part 3 offers solutions. The fate of industrially farmed… Read more »
Building green
Melanie Danke talked with Melissa Rappaport Schifman, founder of Green Intention LLC and the Editor-in-Chief/Sustainability Thought Leader for BuildWithRise.com. Rappaport Schifman’s book, “Building a Sustainable Home: Practical Green Design Choices for Your Health, Wealth and Soul,” details the experience of building her family’s LEED-certified home. Loaded with information on green building options, this practical guide… Read more »
What is the cost of inaction?
This article originally appeared on Central Minnesota Political. Do you want to estimate the cost of Hurricane Dorian? There’s no way to measure the short- or long-term pain, suffering, and deep emotional trauma of the people of the Bahamas. It will resonate in their lives and their children’s lives in incalculable ways for as long… Read more »
Climate change for breakfast
NOTE: This is the first part of a three-part blog on the industrial farming of animals and its implications for the impact of eating meat on the environment. Part 1 provides history and background, Part 2 explores the ethical problem that eating meat poses today, and Part 3 offers solutions. “Vegetarians are the enemy of… Read more »
The history and future of Line 3 resistance
It’s been a big year for the Pipeline Resistance Team. We’ve worked through lawsuits, marches, meetings, and actions to keep Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline out of Minnesota. Similar to the Keystone XL pipeline, the proposed Line 3 would take hundreds of thousands of gallons of tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada, and transport it through… Read more »
How do we convince climate change deniers?
“How do you convince people that climate change is real?” is a question I’m invariably asked after I give a talk on climate change and health. Even as wildfires incinerate communities in California; hurricanes decimate islands, taking thousands of lives; and Qatar starts to air condition its outdoors from scorching heat, some continue to “not believe”… Read more »
Big Oil vs. EVs
We may have just seen the first skirmish in a war between Big Oil and clean energy in Minnesota. And clean energy won. In 2018, Minneapolis-based electricity and natural gas utility Xcel Energy announced a $25 million pilot program for electric vehicles, or EVs. As part of the plan, Xcel would support 350 new public… Read more »
Move faster, Xcel
Xcel Energy needs our help. The Minnesota utility has developed its next 15-year plan, and I’ve got to say, it’s pretty timid. So, Xcel needs its customers to come forward and tell the company, “Buck up. Show some courage. Be a leader.” To be sure, after getting a swift kick from the Minnesota Legislature in… Read more »
Easy actions for the climate
To ensure that the climate crisis is a top priority for our elected officials, it’s crucial that they regularly hear from constituents from across Minnesota. One way MN350 makes that happen is through the Climate Majority Project (CMP), a collection of more than 1,000 climate activists throughout our state who have committed to taking biweekly… Read more »
