John Farrell Discusses Clean, Local Energy Options for Minneapolis (Podcast)

We launched our 2013 Stone Arch discussion with John Farrell.  He’s a Senior Researcher at the local Institute for Local Self-Reliance and organizer for the Minneapolis Energy Options campaign try to let the people of Minneapolis take charge of their energy future.  The grassroots campaign is challenging the energy monopoly of Xcel and Centerpoint Energy and hopes to give the city’s homes and businesses a clean, local alternative to dirty, imported energy.

Listen to the podcast from iDream.tv.

The linked podcast is a segment from the Stone Arch Discussion Group, a project of the DFL Education Foundation. It was recorded on January 12, 2013, at Gardens of Salonica in NE Minneapolis. Production services provided by Minneapolis-based multimedia company iDream.tv.

Nov. 1: Think Again MN presents Minnesota’s Energy Future, part II

Second in a series from Minnesota's Energy Future State and National Public Policy For Increasing Renewable Energy Ellen Anderson Chair, MN Public Utilities Commission The History of Minnesota's Clean Energy Laws: How the Public Utilities Commission Can Lead the Way to a Clean Energy Future One of the first to envision a Minnesota powered by clean energy, Commissioner Anderson was the leader in establishing the 25% Renewables by 2025 standard for Minnesota in the 2007 Energy Bill. Save the evening to hear about the Public Utilities Commission's plans under her leadership. Professor Emeritus, Energy and Environment Policy University of Minnesota Energy Options in a Greenhouse World Professor Abrahamson holds degrees in physics and mathematics, as well as a doctorate in medicine. He has worked as a reactor physicist with the Babcock and Wilcox Co. and as senior research scientist with Honeywell, Inc. Known as highly knowledgeable and passionate, he is regarded as their best professor by many of his graduate students.   Barbara Freese Author, Coal: a Human History; Climate and Energy Policy Analyst and Environmental Attorney Making Room for Clean Energy in a Shifting Political Landscape: The Opportunities and Challenges for Replacing Environmentally Destructive Coal Plants with Clean Energy   John Doll Former State Senator and Vice Chair of the Senate Energy Committee Event Moderator     Tuesday, November 1 6:30 p.m. Social Hour and Order Food 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Program Bloomington City Council Chambers 1800 W. Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington (35W to 98th Street. Go west 1/2 mile. Parking is off 98th and off Logan Avenue)   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. Our speakers will explain 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 forums.    View our Last Forum Bill Sorem, video reporter at the UpTake, recorded our September 27th forum on "Keeping Energy Dollars in Minnesota." Don't miss this highly informative forum that tells you about MN's abundant wind and solar resources, how these variable resources work to provide reliable electricity, and the big benefits Minnesotans can obtain through local ownership of wind turbines and solar panels. You can see it at: http://www.theuptake.org/2011/09/27/keeping-energy-dollars-in-minnesota/ Download Flyer and Poster Please download a two sided half page flyer for the September 27th and November 1st forums to pass out to friends and neighbors or at church, meetings, or work: http://myaurora.org/aurorawiki/tiki-download_file.php?fileId=765  Download a one page poster for bulletin boards: http://myaurora.org/aurorawiki/tiki-download_file.php?fileId=766  Co-sponsors Thank you to our cosponsors:  the Bloomington Progressive Issues Forum, the  Institute for local Self Reliance, Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light, the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society, MN350,org, Oxfam America, the Pew Environment Group, Small Business Minnesota, and the Will Steger Foundation. Think Again MN organizes forums that engage citizens in exploring public policies, new and old, from the United States and internationally, that create opportunities and prosperity for all. If your organization would like to establish a monthly issue forum, please contact Jeremy Wieland,  jeremywieland@comcast.net or Carol Woehrer, carolwoehrer@usfamily.net.  Find out more on our website:  ThinkAgainMN.org

Minnesota’s Energy Future Pt. II and October News from DFLEF

UPCOMING EVENTS (click for details)

NOV 1: [Think Again MN]: State and National Public Policy for Increasing Renewable Energy    NOV 12: [Stone Arch] Building the Progressive Base with Tom Vellenga DEC 10: [Stone Arch] Rep. Paul Thissen See Event Calendar for details

EVENT RECAPS

Think Again MN: Ways Minnesotans Can Benefit from Our State's Abundant Energy Resources: video and recap  Rep. Phyllis Kahn and Sen. Larry Pogemiller: audio and recap  Steve Fletcher from MN Organizing for Change: audio and recap  Liz Wielinski and Mary Delaittre discuss the Upper Mississippi River development plan: audio and recap  Matt Kane on Smart Transportation Investments: audio and recap  What Recent Events Mean for the Labor Movement: watch online!

ARTICLES ON DFLEF.org

A Review of Friedman's This Used to Be Us  Summary of Keeping Energy Dollars in Minnesota  Video: Keeping Energy Dollars in Minnesota  Think Again MN Launched to Expand Discussion of Public Issues from Fresh Perspectives Mean v. Median Income Growth

OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST

Featured Article: Video: Keeping Energy Dollars in Minnesota  Politics Scott Brown had better watch out for Eliz. Warren: read article A Look at PolitiFact Grades of Candidates: read article Obama plays the George Washington card: read article Gov. Carlson: The 2012 Election Question may well be ….do you want to be represented by Michele Bachmann? – Part One: read article From a state that works to shutdown: What changed in Minnesota politics? read article Education 'The achievement gap is an equity gap'  read article What are successful 'outlier' schools doing to close achievement gap?  read article ‘American Teacher’ Argues for Increasing Salaries: read article Events from the Public Issues Calendar  Thu Oct 13   3:00pm – 5:00pm What climate models tell us and how to communicate it – 335 Borlaug Hall University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus   3:00pm – 5:00pm What climate models tell us and how to communicate it – 335 Borlaug Hall University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus, St. Paul, MN   7:00pm – 9:00pm Eden Prairie School Board Candidate Forum – Eden Prairie City Hall, 8080 Mitchell Road, Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55344   7:00pm – 9:00pm Achievement Gap – What is the best way to close it? – Wilder Foundation 451 Lexington Parkway North, Saint Paul, MN Fri Oct 14   12:00pm – 1:30pm Achievement Gap – What is the best way to close it? – University Hope Lutheran Church, 13th Avenue and 6th Street SE, Minneapolis, MN Mon Oct 17   7:00pm – 9:00pm Life is Worth More Than Gold: Gold Mining in El Salvador – Waite House Neighborhood Center, 2529 13th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55404 Tue Oct 18   7:00pm – 9:00pm Minnetonka School Board Candidate Forum – Minnetonka City Hall, 14600 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka, MN Wed Oct 19   7:30pm – 8:30pm The Next Frontier: Grass to Gas? – White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church, 328 Maple Street, Mahtomedi, MN Mon Oct 24   5:30pm – 7:30pm Twin Cities 2041: What Lies Ahead? – Hell's Kitchen, 80 South 9th St., Minneapolis, MN Thu Oct 27   8:00am – 9:00am Smart Investments in Transportation for Minnesota – Growth & Justice 2324 University Ave. W. Suite 120, Saint Paul, MN   1:00pm – 6:00pm The Changing Arctic: International Cooperation and Development – University of Minnesota, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Cowles Auditorium 301 — 19th Ave South, Minneapolis, MN 55454 Tue Nov 1   6:30pm – 9:00pm Renewable Energy Policy – Bloomington City Council Chambers 1800 Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington, MN Mon Nov 7   8:00am – 5:00pm E3 2011 Renewable Energy Innovation – McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414 Sat Nov 12   9:00am – 9:00pm Northland Bioneers Conference – Macalester College Campus Center, 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN   See the Public Issues Calendar for event details and more events

Summary of Keeping Energy Dollars in Minnesota

Our spin-off group organizing public forums – Think Again MN – had its inaugural event Tuesday night and they had great presentations from three energy experts on keeping energy dollars in Minnesota.  Brian Hanninen provided this excellent summary of the event.  You can also view the video here.

Minnesota’s Energy Future

Ways Minnesotans Can Benefit from Our States Abundant Energy Resources

Summary of September 27, 2011 Panel Discussion

Former State Senator John Doll moderated the engaging panel discussion on Tuesday evening.  The presentations and discussion focused on how the clean energy economy will promote economic development across Minnesota.

Lynn Hinkle, Policy Development Director for the Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association, began the evening with a presentation of how clean energy and, in particular, solar energy could create jobs that can support families.  Hinkle spoke of how the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs, with the emphasis on retrofitting of homes, are able to create jobs and reduce energy consumption.   PACE in combination with energy efficiency retrofitting of public buildings and the growth of solar generation systems, can create well-paying jobs within Minnesota across all skill levels and education levels. 

Keeping Energy Dollars in Minnesota

Our spin-off group organizing public forums – Think Again MN – had its inaugural event Tuesday night and they had great presentations from three energy experts on keeping energy dollars in Minnesota.  The Uptake provided the video recording.  

Click below to see forum moderator (former state senator) John Doll present the three speakers:

• Lynn Hinkle from the Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association
• John Farrell from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance 
• George Crocker from the North American Water Office

 

You can also view a text summary of the event here.

MN Neighborhoods Organizing for Change

 MN Neighborhoods Organizing for Change brings grassroots organizing to issues like great public schools and supporting low-income families damaged by the mortgage crisis.  Steve Fletcher, the executive director, shares the mission and work of this new organization.

Listen to the podcast from iDream.tv.

The linked podcast is a segment from the Stone Arch Discussion Group, a project of the DFL Education Foundation. It was recorded on August 13, 2011, at Gardens of Salonica in NE Minneapolis. Production services provided by Minneapolis-based multimedia company iDream.tv.

 

August Stone Arch Preview: Steve Fletcher from MN Organizing for Change

Saturday, August 13 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM Gardens of Salonica 19 5th St NE, Minneapolis (map) MN Neighborhoods Organizing for Change brings grassroots organizing to issues like great public schools and supporting low-income families damaged by the mortgage crisis.  Steve Fletcher, the executive director, will share about the mission and work of this new organization.  As usual, invite anyone interested–free and open to the public. Come, buy your coffee (the law is you can't bring food or drinks into a restaurant), learn a lot and have your questions ready.