In his acceptance last night, President Obama clearly stated: "We want our children to live in an America…that isn’t threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet.” With those words and another election behind us, we have the opportunity to not just message the reality and urgency of climate change, but to move forward with a clean energy and clean air agenda that protects health; creates jobs; secures our energy future through clean energy investments; and addresses climate change.

To truly secure our energy future and protect our health from dangerous air pollution we need to develop cleaner, safer technologies that harness American ingenuity to deliver affordable energy solutions and protect consumers from price shocks. President Obama and his administration have built a strong foundation for this by nearly doubling fuel efficiency standards for cars, the second biggest source of carbon pollution, and starting to set limits on carbon pollution from power plants, the biggest source.  Now we need to move quickly to complete the process by setting standards for ALL power plants. We can address climate change by developing a clean energy policy that provides clean, safe, abundant energy while reducing carbon pollution that triggers climate change.

A Clean Energy Agenda Is Good For America’s Health And Economy

In 2012 Americans experienced violent and intense weather events that were fueled by climate change.  Addressing carbon pollution and climate change should be front and center in any energy policy moving forward.

• Clean air and clean energy policies protect public health and create real, long term jobs here at home.
• EPA’s clean air standards improve public health: fewer heart attacks and asthma attacks; cleaner, healthier air; and fewer premature deaths associated with poor air quality.
• Clean air and energy policies cut emissions of the carbon pollution that is fueling climate change, which is linked to extreme weather, poorer air quality and rising sea levels.
• Cleaning up air pollution and investing in clean energy will save lives and spur economic growth through innovation and development of cleaner technologies to modernize power plants and produce cleaner, safer energy.
• Americans, by a large margin, support clean, safe, renewable energy and know clean energy will spur innovation and create countless green energy jobs.
• The clean energy agenda should include extending incentives for wind power development and support for innovations that develop other cleaner, safer forms of energy.

With the start of 2012, I thought it would be useful to highlight the positive actions taking place right now to transition Minnesota towards clean energy.

Minnesotans spend at least $20 billion a year for energy. Most of that money goes to other states that are rich in fossil fuels and leaves Minnesota with polluted air and water. With the right policies, Minnesota’s transition to clean energy can bring those dollars home to communities throughout our state in the coming decades.

At a forum last September, speakers explained how distributed wind and solar energy differs from centralized or base energy and how the coming energy revolution can democratize the electricity system. John Farrell, Director of the Energy Self Reliant States and Communities Program at the Institute of Local Self Reliance, helped in planning and arranging the forum sponsored by Think Again Minnesota. We encourage you to watch the video!

Speakers included:

• Lynn Hinkle, Policy Development Director Minnesota Solar Industries Association
  • The Green-Blue Alliance: Solar Energy and Labor Issues in Relation to Clean Energy Development
• John Farrell, Director, Energy Self Reliant States and Communities Program Institute for Local Self Reliance
  • How Distributed Wind Development Can Grow Jobs and Contribute to Economic Development in Minnesota
• George Crocker, Executive Director, North American Water Office
  • The Importance of Community Organizing for Developing Distributed Renewable Energy

Co-sponsored by:

• Bloomington Progressive Issues Forum
• Institute for Local Self Reliance
• Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light
• Minnesota Renewable Energy Society
• MN350.org
• North American Water Association
• Oxfam America
• Small Business Minnesota
• Pew Environment Group
• Think Again MN
• Will Steger Foundation

• "The long place where we ran out of chocolate" Peninsula
• The Expedition Diet = 5,000 - 7,000 calories per day
• Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate

John Stetson's dispatch today is in the form of a video taken by Abby Fenton from the trail.

• Camped at Summit Lake
• In the Pangnirtung Pass
• Dispatch recap
• Wind sounds like "Niagra Falls"
• Dangerous conditions made safe through teamwork

Learn more:

Click here to read about Pangnirtung Pass, also called Akshayuk Pass.