Blog Posts from Prior to 2021 | DFL Environmental Caucus

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These blog posts are from our blog last year on another platform. Links may not work, formatting is bumpy (time travel is like that) but if you need something from a non working link, contact Kristin@dflenvironment.org and she will try to find the link/data for you.

Older Blog Posts with Data Stripped

Veda Kanitz

Mar 22, 2020
3 min

In this together

I hope this message finds you all safe, and healthy! So much has happened over the last few weeks. We’ve had to reprioritize our lives, m…

In this together

I hope this message finds you all safe, and healthy!

So much has happened over the last few weeks. We’ve had to reprioritize our lives, make changes to keep our loved ones safe, and adjust to working from home, or not working at all. Our hearts and thanks go out to those on the front lines of this pandemic; to the health care workers, the scientists, and others providing essential services. Please join me in expressing your gratitude to the Governor and his team for their thoughtful, data-driven leadership. We also must that thank our Minnesota legislators who took bipartisan action to secure $200 million in funding for health care providers in their fight against COVID-19, and to members of the US Congress for passing COVID-19 related bills.

The political landscape, along with everything else, has changed dramatically.

States are postponing primaries. The DFL has moved to online balloting instead of conventions for all that are scheduled before the state convention. (Read and become familiar with the new rules and procedures posted here. ) We are grateful to Ken Martin and the DFL staff, as well as the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, and State Executive Committee for their fast work on this. One change you may not be aware of is that delegates AND alternates will all be counted in the online balloting. This new rule does not apply to the state convention which as of today, is still taking place in Rochester on May 30-31.

The work of the DFL Environmental Caucus has also been impacted.

Our lobby day, that was planned for Earth Day, April 22, has been cancelled along with all other in person activities at the Capitol. Our endorsement subcommittees have completed much of their work but still have a few races to consider. Our campaign committee will need to rethink how we support our endorsed candidates since all in person DFL events have been cancelled up to the state convention. Our Executive Committee will continue to meet monthly via Zoom.us Our next scheduled full caucus meeting is set for the morning of May 30, at the DFL State Convention in Rochester but will be postponed if the convention is cancelled or postponed.

Benefits we have seen from the all of the shut downs caused by COVID-19 include reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and improvements in air and water quality.

Yet we know the benefits will not last once restrictions are lifted unless we restructure our transportation and industrial sectors, and embrace carbon-free energy sources. Will this pandemic be the life-changing event that causes the world to finally respect the advice of health experts, and climate scientists? We are staying home to protect ourselves but also for the collective good of society. Neighbors are reaching out to neighbors to make sure they have what they need. School districts are delivering meals and providing daycare to families, while planning and training educators (myself included) to deliver instruction to their students in fundamentally new ways. The only thing constant lately is that life is changing daily. The point being that we can and must adapt to our changing climate AND this pandemic. Having good leadership and planning based on the best available data are critical to preventing chaos and loss of life.

We are all in this together.

You may have a very full plate and not have any more energy or time to give to the caucus right now. That is totally understandable, but if you are finding yourself with spare time on your hands, and wanting something to do, please email us and let us know.

Our Communications Committee could use your help, getting our message out through our website, social media, and prepared literature.
Our Campaign Committee is working on messaging and support for our endorsed candidates.
Our Outreach Committee will need volunteers to table at events once our social distancing restrictions are lifted.
Our Legislative Committee will be contacting legislators through email and social media and could use your help.

Finally I leave you with a bit of history, for Women’s History Month.

Here are some of the pioneering women in the environmental movement as written by board member Steve Johnson, linked here. Stay well and keep in touch. We are stronger together!

“When you realize the value of all life, you dwell less on what is past and concentrate more on the preservation of the future.”

– Dian Fossey, murdered Dec. 1985, Rwanda

In solidarity,

Veda Kanitz, Chair

DFL Environmental Caucus

Veda Kanitz

Jan 21, 2020
10 min

2020 Resolutions

On February 25th, 2020, DFLers will gather around the state, and one of the things they will do is decide what issues are most important …

Veda Kanitz

Jan 21, 2020
10 min

2020 Resolutions

Updated: Jan 22, 2020

On February 25th, 2020, DFLers will gather around the state, and one of the things they will do is decide what issues are most important for our elected leaders to work on.

Every two Years the DFL modifies its platform and action agenda, starting by gathering resolutions from people who attend their precinct caucus. Organizations and individuals often share resolutions with like minded fellow citizens around the state before caucuses are held. The DFL Environmental Caucus in the hopes that members, and others, will bring some of them to their precinct caucus, has generated a list of resolutions that meet our environmentally-oriented goals. This process involved input from our members, and a lot of fine tuning and policy research by the Platform, Communications, and Education committees, and the Board of Directors.

We ask that you consider taking some or all of these resolutions to your precinct caucuses on February 25th. Normally, you would read the resolution and submit a form with the resolution on it. The precinct caucus participants will then vote on the resolution, and if it is approved, it may end up as part of the state platform or action agenda.

For a resolution to advance to the State for consideration, it must be passed in five or more organizing units (such as Senate Districts) in two or more different Congressional districts.

We have provided mostly filled out forms in PDF format for each resolution, which you may download, print, then compete, to bring to your caucus. If you think the wording on a resolution should change, or if you have an idea for an entirely different resolution, then feel free to do so. This is your party!

(Download a PDF file of the DFL Environmental Caucus Resolutions – 2020 here) (Download a PDF file of the official DFL resolution form partly filled out for your convenience!)

The following resolutions are listed by category. Each resolution begins with a title, then the resolution itself. Following this are several bullet points supporting the resolution, and in some cases, links to further information.

Energy

Climate Emergency: Declare a climate emergency. Mandate 100% carbon free electricity throughout Minnesota by 2030. Decarbonize, reduce waste, and increase energy efficiency across all sectors, promote a racially and economically just transition to clean energy, and promote practices that sequester carbon in the soil.

[download resolution]

Actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have not matched the critical nature of the problem.
Urgent action is needed if we are to hold the warming to 1.5 degrees C. Each year we delay, our future becomes less certain.
The cost to mitigate and adapt to rising seas, poor air quality, ecosystem collapse, extreme weather, floods, droughts, extreme heat and humidity, loss of biodiversity, forest fires, spread of infectious diseases, and invasive species dwarfs the cost of changing course and will increase dramatically.
Climate change disproportionately impacts communities of color, indigenous communities, and low-income communities that are often living close to environmental hazards and have the fewest resources to mitigate those impacts.
Example from California of a climate emergency bill.
Scientists declare a climate emergency

Tax and Budget Policy

Carbon Dividend Act: Support federal legislation such as the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act that puts a steadily rising fee on carbon dioxide and returns the revenue generated to households through monthly dividends to offset the increased cost of energy while dramatically reducing emissions, and preserving a livable climate.

[download resolution]

Putting a price on carbon will make the polluters pay and drive the economy to cleaner, renewable sources. Economists agree this is the most effective way to dramatically reduce emissions while protecting low and middle income families.
The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act or similar legislation will reduce emissions 90% below 2016 levels by 2050, create good paying jobs, cleaner air, and stimulate the economy.
To protect U.S. manufacturers and jobs, imported goods will be assessed a border carbon adjustment, and goods exported from the United States will receive a refund.
A recent study by Columbia University Economists found that the EICDA will reduce emissions 36-38% by 2030, improve air quality, and be good for working families as average low and middle income families will receive a larger dividend than they pay in increased energy-related fees.
Energy Innovation Act.
Columbia University policy statement.
Citizens Climate Lobby on carbon pricing.

Divestment: Support divestment from fossil fuels funds by the Minnesota State Board of Investment.

[download resolution]

Besides the obvious moral argument for divestment, the financial risk of continued investment in fossil fuel funds makes this a poor investment. These assets will become stranded assets and of little value as we move away from fossil fuels to a clean energy economy.
Litigation risks increase as the cost of climate related disasters soar. Local governments are holding energy companies responsible for infrastructure and property damage.
Governments are also using cap and trade or carbon taxes to reduce greenhouse gas emission. This makes high carbon energy sources more expensive and less profitable, and sends a clear market signal to switch to renewable energy sources. Solar and wind are often less expensive than any other energy option.
As the divestment movement grows, companies like Peabody Coal have seen their stock value plummet and have filed for bankruptcy.
Climate change will soon reshape markets.
More on divestment

Transportation

Public Transit: Provide accessible, affordable public transit, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure across the state to improve air quality, spread economic opportunity, improve health, and reduce vehicle miles traveled and their associated carbon emissions.

[download resolution]

The transportation sector has taken over as the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
Expanding transportation options leads to greater equity for all Minnesotans.
The United States generally, and Minnesota, are decades behind other developed nations in transportation infrastructure.
Expanding Minnesota’s transportation infrastructure will create jobs.
Improved and expanded transportation options will reduce the cost of living for many individuals.

Electric Fleets and Charging: Encourage renewable electrification of fleets and development of bi-directional charging infrastructure.

[download resolution]

If electric vehicles (EVs) have bi-directional charging capabilities, then Evs would provide significant storage capacity for utilities to better manage electric loads, making wind-turbines/solar more viable, and would significantly reduce citizen energy costs.
Electrifying our transportation is the fastest way to significantly reduce our carbon footprint and would do it two significant ways; removing gasoline from the transportation sector, and significantly incentivizing utilities to adopt wind-turbines and solar.
EV energy costs are 1-2 cents per mile, and maintenance costs are almost zero. Lower income people would most benefit from being able to adopt this technology
EVs would reduce demand for gas, and thus gas car owners would benefit from the rapid adoption of Evs.
Minnesotan citizens would spend about $1-2 Billion per year for electricity instead of $9 Billion per year for gasoline. This would be an outstanding benefit to the economy of Minnesota, especially lower income people.
One of the greatest outcomes would be clean water and clean air.

Agriculture and Food

Forever Green: Provide long-term funding to the University of Minnesota to expand the Forever Green research initiative, embrace regenerative agriculture policies, support farmers building soil, protect clean water, and sequester carbon.

[download resolution]

Minnesota farmers are great, natural conservationists. The latest science and technology offers them new and better ways to control soil erosion and capture or hold carbon in the ground. One way farmers can make a big difference is by growing crops for a greater part of the year, taking advantage of the time that water and sunlight are available in the fields.
Forever green agriculture uses newly developed, non GMO, cover crops to hold soil, trap carbon, maintain or increase soil nitrogen, and produce edible or otherwise usable products.
This important agricultural technology was developed at the UMN Forever Green project, unique in the nation.
Forever Green Program, University of Minnestoa

Sustainable Farming: Eliminate corporate farm subsidies and support sustainable farming by promoting local sourcing of food, funding education, and providing added incentives for pesticide-free and GMO-free crops.

[download resolution]

With the fifth-largest agricultural economy in the nation, Minnesota is ideally positioned to lead the nation in agricultural policies that benefit local communities and the natural systems that keep Minnesotans safe and healthy.
Corporate domination of agriculture – enabled by government subsidies – has led to the collapse of family farms, the degradation of vital soil and water resources, and the hollowing out of rural communities.
Supporting family farms and forward-thinking farming practices can reverse this decline and keep Minnesota farms thriving in spite of long-term threats of trade shocks and climate change.
Farmers are caught between monopolized sellers and buyers. They must pay ever higher prices to the giants who dominate the market for the supplies they need, like seed and fertilizer. Corn and soybean seed prices are about 3.5 times more than they were 20 years ago. All together, the average farmer spends three times more on inputs per acre today than in the 1990s.
At the same time, they must accept ever lower prices from the giant agribusinesses that buy the stuff they sell, like crops and livestock. Corporate concentration affects the prices farmers pay. In 1994, the top four seed companies controlled only 21 percent of the global seed market. By 2013, just the top three controlled 55 percent, with Monsanto alone controlling more than a quarter.
In the 1980s, when American consumers spent a dollar on food, 37 cents went back to the farmer. Today, it’s less than 15 cents. The difference is increasingly flowing to concentrated agribusinesses, middlemen, and retailers.
Supporting sustainable farming includes big policy levers such as busting up ag monopolies and reforming giant food co-ops.
How farm subsidies affect you.

Pesticides: Adopt policies to reduce or eliminate the use of unsafe pesticides (such as glyphosate, neonicotinoids and chlorpyrifos).

[download resolution]

Pesticide use has caused widespread environmental damage and increased health risks.
Pesticides such as neonicotinoids should be banned in order to preserve and protect pollinator and other insect populations.
All pesticides that are used should be used in the safest way possible.

Natural Resources & the Environment

Copper-sulfide mining: Support a ‘Prove it First’ moratorium on all copper-sulfide mining projects until unbiased scientific review proves that this type of mining can be done safely in a water-rich environment like Northeastern Minnesota.

[download resolution]

The laws of the land established to protect the Superior National Forest, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the Lake Superior watershed and the entire State of Minnesota, are being weakened by legislation, ignored by governmental agencies, and bypassed through land exchanges.
The history of sulfide mining is one of toxic environmental degradation with no evidence that mining for copper, nickel, and other non-ferrous metals in the water-rich environment of northeast Minnesota can be done without harming our water resources, our health, and the ecology of our land.
Exploration and mining, and the separation of land and mineral rights, decreases property values and can result in condemnation or seizure through eminent domain, while mining displaces existing economic development and diminishes the use of the land for other purposes.

Eminent Domain: Amend MN laws to remove the power of eminent domain for crude oil pipelines.

[download resolution]

Eminent domain laws were established to protect the rights of property owners, by limiting the taking of private property for public use, benefiting the general public and not enriching private parties.
Crude oil refiners like the Koch brothers use their profits to distort our democracy and obstruct progress addressing global warming.
Petroleum oil contributes to global warming.
Pipelines spilled three times as much crude oil as trains between 2004 and 2012, with larger spills, some into rivers that are harder to clean up and unreported underground leaks that cause permanent aquifer contamination.
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has rate control only over public services that provide electricity, natural gas, and telephone to ensure fair, reasonable rates.
The refined products produced from crude oil is not necessarily destined for consumers within Minnesota.

Clean Water: Protect Minnesota aquifers and fresh water sources from pollution, commercialization, and export; upgrade our drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.

[download resolution]

Clean water defines who we are as Minnesotans. Yet, too often, we accept water pollution as just another cost of doing business. Over 5,000 water bodies, up 1,000 from last year, have been labeled “impaired” under the Clean Water Act, mostly due to polluted runoff. Forty percent of the waters we test each year fail the quality test. This and outdated infrastructure put our drinking water at risk. We simply must improve on technologies designed a hundred years ago, which cannot keep up with the myriad of new chemicals we use and lose to our precious water resources.
The American Society of Civil Engineers rated our water and wastewater systems with a score of D and D+.
The importance of clean water.

Get the Lead Out: Ban the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle containing lead or other toxic materials.

[download resolution]

Federal law bans lead in waterfowl shot and in hunting generally on federal land. Voluntary compliance has been tried in Minnesota but according to the DNR it has failed.
There is strong evidence that loons and other waterfowl are threatened by lead tackle in Minnesota lakes. Eagles are particularly threatened because, like Condors in California (where lead is largely banned in order to protect Condors), they are often scavengers, and consume lead-shot containing deer entrails left by hunters (there is no evidence that Minnesota hunters avoid leaving lead behind).
Many states have chosen to ban the use of lead, all or in part, in fishing and/or hunting, based on studies showing the damage lead does to wildlife. The DNR rejects a wholesale ban on lead because many other states only ban some use of lead, and because about half of the hunters in the state prefer to keep using lead. It is not clear that the DNR has taken environmental impacts seriously in their consideration of this matter.

Civil, Constitutional, and Human Rights

Strong Environmental Laws: Oppose any effort to circumvent or weaken state or federal environmental laws, administrative procedures, and permitting.

[download resolution]

An example of this weakening is MN HF 1170 which attempted to take Clean Water Act permitting away from the Army Corps of Engineers and give it to State regulators, whose regulations may not be as stringent as federal regulations.

Rights of Nature: Enact a state “Rights of Nature” constitutional amendment that gives citizens the right to sue on behalf of ecosystems thereby protecting their right to exist and thrive.

[download resolution]

Environmental laws do not fully protect the communities and their environments in balance with business, especially big money. To set ecosystems on equal footing with corporations we may be better able to stave off the assault on our clean water, air and planet. After all corporations are now people establishing precedence., why not give mitigating power to that which sustains us all? There are some South American countries that have done this already .Ecosystems should have standing to sue and protect their right to exist and thrive.

Nature’s Benefits: Calculate the value of nature’s benefits in the issuance of any permits.

[download resolution]

Maintaining healthy ecosystems preserves the benefits we receive from them.
Healthy ecosystems provide clean air and water, healthy soil to grow our food, protection against floods and wind damage, climate control, medicines, food, and a place to renew and refresh our spirit.
A conservative estimate of the St. Louis River watershed is that it provides an estimated $5 billion to $14 billion in ecosystem service benefits per year.
Value of the St. Louis River.
Accounting for Nature’s Benefits: The Dollar Value of Ecosystem Services.
The Value of Nature’s Benefits in the St. Louis River Watershed.
vmkanitz

o Jan 3, 2020

o 3 min read

Change the World

Updated: Jan 5, 2020

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world – Margaret Mead*

Change the world. That’s a tall order but it is what we must do. Our lifeboat is leaking and we are sinking fast. How fast we plug the holes will determine the cost and the fate of our children, grandchildren, and future generations.

“Australia has just had another “hottest year” on record beating the last by quite a way. The average mean annual temperature was a huge 1.52 C above the 1961-1990 mean. The average maximum was a whopping 2.09 C above and the average minimum (not a record) was 0.95 C above the 1961-1990 mean.”

The naysayers cry foul. They blame others for the leaks, and claim plugging one hole won’t make a difference. We know better. We know that each of us has a critical role to play and that our actions will inspire others to follow. There is no them, only us. No planet B.

I am, of course, referring to our climate crisis. To the 142 million tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases we pour into the atmosphere every single day, largely from burning fossil fuels, but also from deforestation, feedlots, cement production, and other sources. There is reason for hope. It is a crisis we can solve but it will take every one of us, raising our voice, plugging the holes, speaking truth to power.

What will your part be in this revolution? What personal actions will you take in your own home, your community? How will you move local, state and national governments to act on climate with the urgency required?

The Environmental Caucus received its charter from the DFL in 2015. We have grown to nearly 1000 members from across the state, have a 21-member board, and have become a strong voice for the environment. Most environmental organizations need to stay nonpartisan to keep their nonprofit status. We do not. We are a political action committee committed to electing democratic environmental champions to office!

Here some of the many ways you can help us be an instrument for change:

If you are not already a member, please join the caucus! We are stronger together. We meet quarterly and host forums to help educate our members. Our next meeting is January 11 and will focus on Climate Health Impacts. (Information on meetings is here.)
Attend your precinct caucus on Feb. 25. Bring resolutions to educate caucus goers and build support within the party. (Watch for a list of suggested priority resolutions to be shared with you very soon.) Become a precinct officer and a delegate to your convention. Serve on a committee that organizes the convention (rules, constitution, platform).
Attend your organizing unit’s convention and then your congressional district, and state convention if you can. Become a director or party officer. (An “organizing unit” is usually a state Senate District or County.)
Help get out the vote in your neighborhood and in underrepresented communities.
Volunteer for a campaign. Help elect environmental champions to office!
Join one or more of our active committees by clicking on the link HERE.

The committees include:

Arrangements – to help us organize our meetings and the events in which we participate
Campaign – to help endorsed candidates get the volunteers and resources they need
Communications – to help us connect with members and the public through a wide range of media
Education – to gather scientific data and present it in a way that helps the caucus understand the issues and develop science-based positions
Endorsements – to recommend endorsements to the board, evaluate our current process and help the board improve its procedures for future endorsements
Legislative – to help keep members up to date on legislation as it evolves and keep legislators informed.
Membership – to track and build our membership
Outreach – to reach out to underrepresented communities, staff booths at events and help candidates

Finally, DONATE to support our work. The DFLEC, an entirely volunteer based organization, does not collect dues from members, but donations are greatly appreciated to help us grow and elect environmental champions to office.

Climate change is not the only issue we work on. There are many decisions being made that will impact the ability of Minnesotans to live, work, and enjoy the natural world for decades to come. Sulfide mining threatens our Northern MN ecosystems. Toxins in the air, soil, and water poison the biosphere. We love our lakes, streams and wild places. We have a lot of work to do, and we need your help.

__________________

*This quote is trademarked by the Institute for Intercultural Studies, established in 1944 by Margaret Mead. Recently, on-line commentators have noted that there is no in-print provenance for this quote, but within the field of Anthropology this, and other pithy quotes, are understood to have been uttered by Dr. Mead, at some point in her many public speaking engagements, or to the press.

Nuclear power alone won’t save us

Nuclear energy may well be part of our future, and research should continue. But the implication that nuclear has a chance of saving us from

Greg Laden

o Jul 31, 2019

o 1 min read

Nuclear power alone won’t save us

I wrote the following letter to the editor, for the Star Tribune, to clarify points being made in the discussion of an article on the future of nuclear power in Minnesota’s future.

To the Editor,

I’m responding to a pretty well-done Associated Press piece on Minnesota’s future energy sources, which discussed nuclear energy (“What’s Minnesota’s future of carbon-free, nuclear power?” July 27, StarTribune.com).

Nuclear power may well be in our future, but current technologies are insufficient and need to be replaced with more advanced technology. That advanced technology is indubitably untested, and while promising, it is simply impossible to deploy a large number of next-generation reactors in a short amount of time. Also, many of the promises made by nuclear advocates cannot actually be met by these advanced technologies; those promises are based on misconceptions or bad information, and sometimes wishful thinking.

Imagine we started with a large financial commitment of several tens of billions of dollars and ran two alternate scenarios. In one, we would build nuclear plants with that money, and in the other, a mix of wind turbines, solar thermal (which provides electricity at night), and other solar. Within 10 or 20 years that deployment of non-nuclear sources would be producing electricity and already paying for itself. At that point in the nuclear scenario, engineers would still be working on the technology, and perhaps two or three concept-testing, less-than-utility-scale plants might, or might not, be built.

Nuclear energy may well be part of our future, and research should continue. But the implication that nuclear has a chance of saving us from ourselves by quickly substituting for fossil fuels is wishful thinking.

GREGORY LADEN, Plymouth

vmkanitz

Jun 15, 2019
3 min

With Every Breath

With every breathe you take, realize that 9 out of 10 global citizens breathe polluted air.

vmkanitz

o Jun 15, 2019

o 3 min read

With Every Breath

#GrassrootsClimate

#PriceOnPollution

#EnvironmentalJustice

#SchoolsStrike4Climate

#ClimateJustice

“Breathe in, breathe out” Mustafa Santiago Ali told the room of 1500+ Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) International Conference attendees. “With every breath you take, know that 9 out of 10 global citizens breathe polluted air. ” Ali is a nationally recognized leader on both environmental justice and climate policy.

Mustafa reminded us that everyone has the right to clean air, clean water, and healthy food while showing slides that depicted the great inequities of our society. Far too many cannot safely breathe the air or drink the water that comes from their faucets.

credit to: https://www.womenshealth.northwestern.edu/category/tags/asthma-and-air-quality

Changing from toxic, air polluting fossil fuels, to clean, renewable energy sources will save lives.

According to the World Health Organization, “ambient air pollution alone caused some 4.2 million deaths in 2016. ” (WHO) The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency reports that 2000-4000 deaths in 2013 in Minnesota can be attributed at least in part to fine particulates or ground-level ozone. Furthermore the MPCA reports that the groups most impacted include those living in poverty, those without health insurance, the elderly, and those with asthma or other heart/lung diseases. (MPCA) The forest fires in Canada and the Western U.S are also contributing to poor air quality days in Minnesota.

The heat trapping gases released when we burn fossil fuels have increased both the frequency and duration of heat killing weather.

Parts of India are currently being abandoned due to excessive 120+ degree Fahrenheit heat and drought that has already claimed at least 36 lives. Here in Minnesota, without major reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 the IPCC predicts a 4-5 degree Fahrenheit increase in average temperatures, and 5 to 15 more excessive heat days each summer.

Credit to NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/13/world/asia/india-heat-wave-deaths.html

These and other impacts such as floods, extreme storms, rising seas, and ocean acidification have created a planetary emergency that must be addressed with meaningful action now! The Pope recently declared a global climate emergency and warned that that a failure to act urgently to reduce greenhouse gases would be “a brutal act of injustice toward the poor and future generations.” (Guardian)

What gives me hope?

Youth like Greta Thunberg of Sweden give me hope! Greta started a global movement of school strikes on Fridays for climate. Greta has had audiences with the Pope and the UK Parliament. She is calling for adults to join her in a global strike for climate on Sept. 20th.

Youth like Piper Christian of Utah give me hope. Piper worked with CCL and others from her high school with unrelenting persistence until the conservative Utah legislature passed a resolution calling for action on climate change.

Working on solutions also gives me hope. The DFL Environmental Caucus supports Carbon Fee and Dividend. We now have such a bill before Congress, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, or HR763. This bill gives me hope because it is effective, good for people, good for the economy, bipartisan, and revenue neutral. It puts a steadily rising fee on carbon at the point of entry into the economy and returns the revenue generated to households.

Every household gets the same dividend regardless of income.
Around ⅔ of households come out even or better in terms of income.
Those in the lowest impact bracket fare the best
It is NOT a regressive tax.
It does not grow government
It allows the free market to pick the winners and losers
It goes further towards helping us meet our emission reduction goals than any other plan out there with a 90% reduction by 2050.
This is why I endorse this plan and why my Republican CCL friends also endorse this plan.

The bill currently has 47 cosponsors including Representative Angie Craig of CD2 and Representative Dean Phillips of CD3. 19 of the cosponsors have also signed on to the Green New Deal. Read more at https://energyinnovationact.org/

Breathe in and breathe out

Be thankful for our beautiful planet with all its wonders and mysteries. Envision a world where every citizen has clean air, clean water and healthy food. Now stand up, make your voice heard, and work for a just future for all.

After 10 years with EICDA

vmkanitz

May 19, 2019
2 min

Youth Lead the Way, We Must Follow

16 year old Greta Thunberg is on the cover of Time magazine. She is speaking up for our planet and calling out leaders to take action tha…

vmkanitz

o May 19, 2019

o 2 min read

Youth Lead the Way, We Must Follow

“I believe that once we start behaving as if we were in an existential crisis, then we can avoid a climate and ecological breakdown…but the opportunity to do so will not last for long. We have to start today.” – Greta Thunberg, age 16

16 year old Greta Thunberg is on the cover of Time magazine. She is speaking up for our planet and calling out leaders to take action that is equal to the threat created by our climate crisis. Greta speaks of “massive intergenerational injustice” and encourages students to strike to make their voices heard. And students have responded with 1.6 million walking out of class in 133 countries on March 15.

After learning about the climate crisis in school at age 11, Greta went into a deep depression but was able to mobilize her grief into bold, transformative action. Greta has addressed the UN Climate Change Conference, the World Economic Forum, the UK Houses of Parliament, and the Pope. Not bad for a 16 year old! Watch her speech to the UK Parliament linked here

Minnesota youth are also speaking up and demanding bold action. Student leaders such as Shaza Hussein, a senior at Rosemount High who wrote, “I am concerned about climate change because It directly impacts the most vulnerable communities around the world, including back home in Sudan. See more here. The youth have a petition you can sign which asks Governor Tim Walz to take immediate action to limit the damage from climate change.

Youth are demanding action and the DFL Environmental Caucus is responding. Join us and help move Minnesota to 100% clean energy by 2050. Join us and help block Line 3 from crossing our state, carrying dirty tar sands oil, with the carbon footprint equal to 50 coal fired power plants. Join us and advocate for carbon pricing. Make the polluters pay and return the revenue generated to households to help offset the cost. Join us and stop PolyMet and Twin Metals from polluting our Northern watersheds for generations to come with energy intensive industries that will pillage our state and then leave us with a toxic mess. Join us and help direct our State Board of Investment to Divest of Fossil fuels. The time to act is now!

Join us today!

vmkanitz

Mar 26, 2019
2 min

First Lobby Day a Success!

Yesterday was a very good day for the caucus. We held our first lobby day where we heard from several prominent DFL legislators from the …

vmkanitz

o Mar 26, 2019

o 2 min read

First Lobby Day a Success!

Yesterday was a very good day for the caucus. We held our first lobby day where we heard from several prominent DFL legislators from the House and the Senate and then held meetings with about 20 representatives. The message from House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, Representative Rick Hansen, and others included the importance of contacting your representatives about the bills you support. They need the positive feedback as they have plenty of paid lobbyists telling them why oppose their bills. For the same reason, you should also call and email chief authors and committee chairs hearing bills even if they are not your representatives. Our environmental champions are working on bills to protect our drinking water, act on climate, stop line 3, protect our deer population from chronic wasting disease, protect our pollinators, and much more. They need our support to move these bills forward! Letters to the editor are also a great tool to educate and call attention to our issues. I’ve attached links to the bills we advocated for or opposed yesterday below. You can follow these and other bills by signing up for “My Bills” at https://www.leg.state.mn.us/mybills/ To find out who represents you and get contact information for them, enter your address at https://www.gis.leg.mn/iMaps/districts/

Caucus members who attended would like this to be an annual event. Please join our legislative committee If you are interested in helping us follow bills, or organize future events. To join a committee, click on the link HERE. Many thanks to those who helped organize and conduct yesterday’s event, especially John Wells, Kristin Larsen, Greg Laden, Barb Courneya, Sue and Scott Mentor, and Lorraine Rovig. Special thanks to our legislators who spoke including: House Majority Leader Rep. Ryan Winkler Rep. Rick Hansen Rep. Shelly Christensen Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn Rep. Robert Bierman Rep. Jamie Long Rep. Patty Acomb Senator Sandy Pappas Senator Scott Dibble Senator John Marty There are three upcoming events I want to call to your attention: April 10th is Water Action Day at the Capitol. Please sign up here for this event if you are free. April 14th will be our next board and full caucus meeting at the U of MN Cloquet Forestry Center, Stine Conference Room, 175 University Road, Cloquet, MN 55720. Please save the date and watch for more details soon! Remote participation via Zoom.us will be available. This is our last full caucus meeting before our June 22nd Annual Membership Meeting where we will elect a Chair, Vice Chair and 8 Executive Committee members. You must have attended at least one meeting or official caucus event in the last year to have voting rights at the meeting (per our constitution). Electronic participation counts! We are all volunteers, working to help preserve our beautiful state and planet. If you wish to contribute to the caucus to help us continue our work, please click here. Any amount is helpful and very much appreciated! You can also help by inviting a friend to join the caucus. Have them – Sign up here. Link to the the bill summary list here

Links to talking points on bills: Clean Energy Bills Divestment Bills Water Protection Bills Pollinator Bills Environmental Policy Bill Yours in solidarity, Veda Kanitz DFLEC Chair

vmkanitz

Mar 12, 2019
1 min

March 25, Protect What You Love

Join the DFL Environmental Caucus as we take to the capitol to lobby for the environment! You will hear from key legislators from both th…

March 25, Protect What You Love

Join the DFL Environmental Caucus as we take to the capitol to lobby for the environment!

You will hear from key legislators from both the Minnesota House and Senate, learn background on bills we support and oppose, and then meet with your State Representatives or other members of the House and Senate.

We will start our day at the Veterans Service Building with updates from the following legislators:

Representatives Ryan Winkler, House Majority Leader Rick Hansen, Chair, Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division Jean Wagenius, Chair, Energy and Climate Finance and Policy Division Jamie Long, Vice Chair, Energy and Climate Policy and Finance Jamie Becker-Finn, Vice Chair, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Shelly Christensen, Energy and Climate Finance Division Robert Bierman, Energy and Climate Finance Division Senators Erik Simonson, Ranking Minority Member, Energy and Utilities Finance and Policy Committee John Marty, Member, Energy and Utilities Finance and Policy Committee (at 10am, plus an office appointment at 1pm) Scott Dibble, Ranking Minority Member, Transportation Finance and Policy (for a 9am visit) Jim Carlson, Ranking Minority Member, State Government Finance and Policy and Elections

John Persell, Chair, Environment and Natural Resources Policy, can’t make a Monday morning meeting, but we have an office appointment in Rm 437, SOB at 12 noon.

For more information write to dflenvironmentalcaucus@gmail.com

Please register here so we know you are coming.

Also, see our Facebook Event with information about where to park and how to get there.

vmkanitz

Mar 4, 2019
2 min

Time to Reconsider Risky Sulfide Mining

Protect what you love! With the threat of copper-nickel sulfide mining looming ever closer, the Minnesota DFL Party stands strongly oppos…

Time to Reconsider Risky Sulfide Mining

Chair Kanitz speaking for the petition resolution at the SCC meeting.

Protect what you love!

With the threat of copper-nickel sulfide mining looming ever closer, the Minnesota DFL Party stands strongly opposed to copper-nickel sulfide mining. We see copper-nickel sulfide mining as a serious threat to our water, to the whole environment of our region, and believe the risks associated with copper-nickel sulfide mining are too great for us to support.

The DFL Environmental Caucus supported this petition resolution at the DFL State Central Committee meeting on March 2. The resolution was brought forward by Rich Updegrove of SD7.

It failed to meet the 60% threshold needed to be adopted but did receive support from 50% of the delegates. This is much better than previous resolutions on this issue have done at past SCC meetings. Here is a recap of the some of the many reasons shared that explain why we oppose the proposed PolyMet mine.

We believe the risks associated with copper-nickel sulfide mining are far too great for us to support it. At the end of the day, all Minnesotans want the same thing. A safe place to live, work, and raise our families.

Copper-nickel sulfide mining is not safe.

Over 169 people died in the tailings basin collapse that recently occurred in Brazil. This mine dam had the SAME design, by the SAME engineer, with the SAME method of calculating the risk of failure as the one the DNR approved for PolyMet. Brazil now bans this design and has ordered all existing tailings basins upstream dams decommissioned by 2021 (MCEA Action Alert, March 1, 2019)

The financial burden to Minnesota taxpayers in too large.

The financial assurance PolyMet has agreed to does not begin to cover the known expenses the company will require to mitigate environmental damage. By year 11 of the project the MN DNR estimates $1.038 billion will be required and PolyMet will have less than $30 million in a trust fund to cover the expenses.

Also, these numbers do NOT account for the possibility of a tailings dam failure like the one that occurred in Brazil or the 2014 Mt. Polley disaster in Canada. Who will end up paying to try to clean up the heavy metals and other toxins that will poison our soil, water, and fish? We will. The taxpayers of Minnesota. (Gappa, Sternal, Thomez, Understanding the Financial Risks to Minnesota Taxpayers from the Proposed PolyMet Mine, Feb. 19, 2019)

We value healthy natural systems and Tribal Treaty rights

We value the health of natural systems so that we all can enjoy clean water, and a safe place to raise families, work, hunt, fish, and recreate. High sulfate levels created from the mines can destroy wild rice beds and cause the accumulation of mercury in fish and wildlife. We defend Tribal Treaty rights to depend on the land, water and natural resources for their subsistence, as well as for cultural and religious needs. (National Congress of American Indians Resolution #MKE-17-007)

(Photo credit to Chuck Dewey-Smith)

Greg Laden

Mar 4, 2019
1 min

You’ve Been Framed!

The DFL Environmental Caucus recently hosted a forum on messaging, called “You’ve Been Framed. Learn Stop, Drop and Roll.” The three hour…

You’ve Been Framed!

The DFL Environmental Caucus recently hosted a forum on messaging, called “You’ve Been Framed. Learn Stop, Drop and Roll.”

The three hour presentation, with interactive workshops and some great storytelling, was held at the Roseville Public Library, on November 17, 2018. The event was run by George F. Green of

Connections Lab, and Hobard Hobie Stocking of Sky Water Earth. We thank the DFL Central Committee for supporting this effort.

Veda Kanitz

Feb 13, 2019
3 min

Divest To Invest in Minnesota

Divest Now! Tell the Minnesota State Board of Investment and your State elected officials: Now is the time to divest from fossil fuels an…

Divest To Invest in Minnesota

Divest Now!

Tell the Minnesota State Board of Investment and your State elected officials:

Now is the time to divest from fossil fuels and invest

in clean energy for our children’s future

Why? Because climate change impacts everything.

Historically the Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI) has invested in fossil fuel companies that are damaging our climate.

We need to persuade SBI officials to divest from these companies that are damaging our climate.

What can you do?

The SBI has a fiduciary duty to those who have entrusted them to guard their pensions. Minnesota public pension holders and taxpayers have a stake in stable, fiscally sound investment policies that respond to accelerating climate instability which will increasingly affect investment decision-making across the globe.

Contact your elected officials at the city, county and state levels and your political party leaders to say you want Minnesota’s public pensions divested from fossil fuels.

Contact your union leaders and retirement system managers if you are a public pension holder and ask them to support divestment.

How are investments made now?

In the past SBI investors have relied on the industry-wide Prudent Person Standard to defend continued investment in fossil fuel companies. Our strategy hinges on the recognition that in fact, correctly interpreted, the Prudent Person Standard compels pension fund fiduciaries to begin to divest from fossil fuels. [1]

How does the Prudent Person Standard relate to our climate crisis?

For decades, fiduciaries have routinely considered investment in fossil fuel companies to be a prudent financial risk. In the second decade of the 21st century, this can no longer be said to be true.

The climate crisis clearly affects a whole range of circumstances prevailing in our environment NOW. We need to reduce fossil fuel extraction and transport drastically in a critically shortened time frame. Our task is to convince the SBI and Minnesota decision-makers that current circumstances require them to evaluate risks to SBI’s fossil fuel company holdings. Climate change has cascading effects in the market, as returns from transport, processing, and sales of fossil fuels continue to decline, and funds from those industries can be freed up for investment in clean energy alternatives.

Studies show that investments in companies that are engaged in extracting and transporting carbon-intensive products cause harm to ecological systems and increase risks to the stability of the world economy. Those companies are adding to the threat of potential collapse of ecological systems and catastrophic damage to the world economy, including:

severe risk to insurance company assets and liability as a result of costly claims related to the ever-increasing incidence and intensity of rain, hail and snow storms, hurricanes, drought, fire, and flooding — all caused by increased concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere resulting from burning fossil fuels;

devaluation of real estate value in vulnerable locations such as flooding in river front and coastal areas or those areas impacted by fire, wind, and drought;

rising healthcare costs due to deteriorating air quality, extreme heat, and storm-related injuries and illnesses; and

This means that pension funds are at greater risk in an increasingly unstable investment climate across several different economic sectors: infrastructure, insurance, real estate, health care, agriculture, etc., in addition to continued market declines in the value of fossil fuel assets.

destabilization of government institutions worldwide due to unparalleled migration of climate refugees.

What other risks does climate change pose for investments?

We see that responding to climate change charge prudent investors look at their responsibility in critical evolving ways. It should prompt them to turn away from investing in a company IF:

Assets owned by the company are at risk of becoming stranded due to steady or precipitous reduction in value of the company’s assets when investors worldwide decide to participate in reducing atmospheric carbon by moving their investments away from fossil fuels;

A company has fraudulently overvalued its assets by willfully withholding information about harms their products cause to the economy and environment. Those overvalued assets are also at risk.

We are all in this crisis together, and a judicious exit requires responsible actions from all of us, including our fiduciary representatives, to maintain healthy and safe communities in the face of increasing climate instability.

Home

[1] The Prudent Person Standard is described in Minnesota Statute 356A.04 as:

Prudent person standard. A fiduciary identified in section 356A.02 shall act in good faith and shall exercise that degree of judgment and care, under the circumstances then prevailing, that persons of prudence, discretion, and intelligence would exercise in the management of their own affairs, not for speculation, considering the probable safety of the plan capital as well as the probable investment return to be derived from the assets.

Feb 13, 2019
1 min

Line 3 Update!

Thank you to everyone who contacted the Governor and Lt. Governor regarding Line 3. Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan have decide…

Veda Kanitz

o Feb 13, 2019

o 1 min read

Line 3 Update!

Thank you to everyone who contacted the Governor and Lt. Governor regarding Line 3.

Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan have decided to continue the state’s legal challenge against the Line 3 tar sands pipeline, which would cross northern Minnesota.

This legal appeal was started by Gov. Dayton’s Department of Commerce, based on the premise that the Public Utilities Commission approved the pipeline illegally.

The Walz administration filed for the appeal. Organizing works!

#StopLine3

Resources to learn more : https://www.stopline3.org/resources/

Feb 8, 2019
3 min

URGENT LINE 3

Veda Kanitz

o Feb 8, 2019

o 3 min read

URGENT LINE 3

Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are deciding THIS WEEKEND whether to continue the state’s legal challenge against the Line 3 tar sands pipeline, which would cross northern Minnesota.

Please call the governor’s office TODAY: 651-201-3400.

Tell them your name and city (you might be talking to an answering machine), and leave a message like this: “Hi, I’m calling about the Line 3 pipelinebecause I am very concerned about climate change and protecting indigenous rights. Please continue the Department of Commerce appeal. Please STOP Line 3.” (Add any other concerns / etc that you like.)

This legal appeal was started by Gov. Dayton’s Department of Commerce, based on the premise that the Public Utilities Commission approved the pipeline illegally. It should be an easy call for Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan to continue the appeal and let the court process play out, but quite frankly, it looks like they need encouragement to do the right thing. There is a legal filing which the Walz administration should make by 4:30pm on Tuesday to continue their appeal, and we have been told that they have not yet decided whether they are going to file it or drop the appeal altogether. They need to hear from you.

#StopLine3

This letter was sent today:

February 8, 2019

Office of Governor Tim Walz 130 State Capitol 75 Rev Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Blvd St. Paul, MN 5515

Dear Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan:

On behalf of the DFL American Indian Outreach Group and the DFL Environmental Caucus, we write to ask that you stand up for tribal rights, environmental rights and due process by refiling the Department of Commerce appeal of the flawed PUC decision on the proposed Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline.

This is an issue of upmost importance to the environment and an issue of social justice that concerns all Minnesotans.

The pipeline will run through Anishinaabe tribal treaty lands and a cherished tribal river, as well as our sacred wild rice beds. Our concern is that the pipeline will, like all pipelines ultimately do, spill and contaminate our waters. This makes Line 3 an immediate environmental threat to Minnesotans, as well as a cultural threat to the Anishinaabe people.

Once our wild rice beds have been contaminated, the rice will become inedible if it doesn’t stop growing altogether. Wild rice is a staple food for Anishinaabe, as well as a cultural anchor for many of our tribes. Protected by treaties, we must do our part to honor our commitment to these waters.

Scientists tell us we have just 12 years to cut our greenhouse gas emissions in half. Yet Line 3 would carry the dirtiest form of tar sands oil and would release as much CO2 as 50 coal-fired power plants. This would be a huge step backward for Minnesotans and the nation in meeting our climate goals. We and the world simply cannot afford to make this callous, radical choice.

If we ignore the science and continue investing in carbon intensive energy, we doom our children to a climate never before experienced by humankind, with deadly heat waves, floods, fire, famine and drought commonplace. We wouldn’t recognize this post-climate life, even here in mid-continent Minnesota.

But we can avoid this unhappy future if we reset our spending priorities to develop infrastructure based on clean, renewable, Minnesota-based sources of energy. Enbridge Line 3 cannot be part of this mix, if we care about the future.

Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan, we ask you to stand up and join this fight to honor long-standing treaty rights that give our American Indian citizens the right to hunt, fish and gather. And please join this fight to honor the environment that makes us all Minnesotans.

We ask you to refile the petition by Tuesday to have the Department of Commerce appeal heard.

Our future and our children’s future is on the line.

Chi- Miigwech and with sincere gratitude for your willingness to serve,

Joseph Vital, Chair DFL American Indian Outreach Group

Veda Kanitz, Chair DFL Environmental Caucus