minnesota

The House has blocked diverting any new water from the Great Lakes and forces bordering states to adhere to new conservation standards. In a 390-25 vote, the House approved a measure on Tuesday that will increase protection of the Great Lakes region.

More than 300,000 Minnesotans – and millions across the United States – are poised to take advantage of new job opportunities in the growing "green" economy, according to a new report released by a group of labor and environmental organizations.

“Two administrative law judges recommended today that power lines should not be built across west-central Minnesota from the proposed coal-fired plant on the South Dakota side of Big Stone Lake. The decision is a major victory in the fight to combat climate change.”

Minnesota beat out 16 other states to land the International Renewable Energy Technology Institute (IRETI). IRETI will be a collaboration bewteen Minnesota, New York, Georgia and Sweden to exchange renewable energy technology.

This is exciting stuff: Xcel Energy is going to test 80-ton batteries the size of two semi-trailers to capture the power generated from its wind turbines.

Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota (R) and Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico (D) have joined forces to promote a “Governors Windpower Coalition” to increase the use of wind energy across the United States.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota describe the school's efforts to develop alternative fuels based on biomass.

Barb Kaas heard a commotion in the woods and sensed her Siberian husky, Sage, was in trouble. She was horseback riding Sunday on a trail near her home in Fredenberg Township north of Fish Lake.

Kaas feared the husky may have encountered a wolf, so she rode home to get her husband before investigating. By the time they returned, Sage was dead, caught in a trapper’s size 220 Conibear trap.

Sustainability begins at home, where our environmental footprint is heavy. More than 30% of our carbon emissions are produced by our shelters. Live Green, Live Smart™ was founded to help ordinary people find ways to make practical changes in their daily behavior and in their shelters to preserve, protect, and restore the earth’s environmental integrity.

The National Governors Association commits to promoting clean energy policies across the country as NGA Chair Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius officially launch their "Securing a Clean Energy Future" initiative. Energy Secretary Bodman lends the support of the federal government to the effort.

Comedian, satirist, and former talk show host Al Franken is running for U.S. Senate in Minnesota. Maria Energia asks him about renewable energy and Minnesota’s role in the clean tech revolution.

The I35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis has people all over the country talking about bridges, roadways, infrastructure needs, and political culprits on all sides of the legislative aisle. The Green Grandma complains that we should ALSO be talking about the things bridges go over and the things they carry: the Mississippi River is at hazard during any rebuilding of the interstate bridges crossing it, the posterity of America needs consideration in our on-going investments.

http://livegreenlivesmart.org/blogs/green_grandma/archive/2007/08/21/a-hundred-year-bridge.aspx

The environmental impact of industrial and residential development became a hot topic after hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the Louisiana coast in 2005, and many called for green rebuilding in the wake of these disasters. On Sunday, the editorial page of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune presented similar thoughts on transportation development in Minnesota in the wake of the August 1 bridge collapse.