Environmental groups celebrate Biden victory
Biden administration could impact Line 3, clean cars initiative while changing conversation
Minnesota groups highlight financial and environmental risks of natural gas
With a billion-dollar gas-fired power plant proposal on the horizon, a new campaign in Minnesota is attempting to shift public opinion on the fuel by highlighting its ties to fracking and potential financial risks.
Statewide View: Kelley called Enbridge’s bluff on Line 3 — and got fired for it
With the ousting of Minnesota Commerce Commissioner Steve Kelley on Sept. 11, the state’s Republican-controlled Senate has now fired two members of Gov. Tim Walz’s cabinet in less than a month. Outgoing Department of Labor and Industry Commissioner Nancy Leppink failed confirmation in August. Both public servants lost their positions by a narrow, two-vote margin.
Minnesota files climate change lawsuit against oil companies including Koch Industries, ExxonMobil
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Wednesday sued ExxonMobil Corp., Koch Industries and the American Petroleum Institute, saying they have long deceived consumers over the effects of climate change.
How a climate plan in Minneapolis fostered racial divisions
MINNEAPOLIS — Seven years ago, this city leapt to the front of the urban climate movement when it adopted an action plan for global warming. Hailed by environmentalists, the plan — one of the first passed by a major U.S. city — included reforms on issues ranging from energy efficiency to waste management. But activists say the effort launched without a critical component: the input of Minneapolis’ minority and low-income communities.
Black environmentalists on climate and anti-racism
This week, with the country convulsed by protests over the killing of a black man named George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, we decided we’d talk to leading black climate activists about the connections between racism and climate change.
Southwest Minneapolis environmental activists press on
Since 2015, East Harriet resident Emily Moore has urged state leaders to divest fossil fuel-related holdings from public employee retirement funds. Recently, that’s meant working to get unions and the State Board of Investment, which manages the funds, to coalesce around the idea.
Statewide View Column: ‘Clean cars’ would benefit Minnesota’s environment, economy
Increasing the fuel efficiency of our vehicles and reducing overall transportation emissions would provide many environmental, societal, and financial benefits. That’s why Gov. Tim Walz’s proposed clean-cars standards make so much sense for Minnesota (“Minnesota to follow California auto standards,” Sept. 26).
Divesting from fossil fuels will save pensioners — and everyone else
When 1,000 students lay on the floor of the Capitol rotunda on Sept. 20 in St. Paul, staging a “die-in” as part of a global strike against government inaction on climate change, the gesture expressed something more than alarm. Making room for each other and using friends or parents as pillows, the activists said that you can face anything if you’re not alone.
