PAST
MEi Events
Economic Prosperity and a Clean Environment:
How do we achieve both?
Making the Case for Energy
Efficient Management
2008 Legislative Preview Policy Forum
Environmental Contaminants:
Assessing the Risk and Shaping Public Health Policy
Water Sustainability: Managing Competing Needs
for a Limited Resource
Carbon Sequestration:
Looking to the Land for Climate Change Solutions
Farming Our Fuel: Growing a Sustainable
Ethanol Industry
In the past, growing the economy
and protecting the environment often have been regarded as separate
or even conflicting goals. However, ensuring success for future
generations of Minnesotans means that we must promote economic
growth while also protecting critical natural resources. This
forum on June 13, 2008, featured leaders from diverse perspectives
including state and local government, the environmental and
business communities, discussing how Minnesota might maintain
a vital economy and protect clean water, air, and open spaces.
Michael Grochala,
City of Lino Lakes
Tom Luce, Ameregis and
UMN Institute on Race and Poverty
Tom Stinson, Minnesota
State Economist and UMN Dept. of Applied Economics
Deb Swackhamer,
UMN Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Interim Director
Institute on the Environment
John Wells, Minnesota
Dept. of Administration, Environmental Quality Board
This session, held in May 2008,
focused on energy efficiency strategies for mid to large-sized
businesses and the benefits businesses can realize by improving
energy efficiency. Speakers reviewed current legislative requirements
and potential regulatory changes, provided an energy service
company’s perspective on reducing energy consumption,
and gave first-hand accounts of rising to the challenge and
reaping the rewards of designing efficient energy management
systems.
Gary Connett,
Great River Energy
Steve Flagg,
Quality Bicycle Products
Doug
Fullen and John Rohlf, Medtronic
Steve
Schultz, 3M
Ted Stearns,
Thrivent Financial
David
Thornton, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
The Legislative Preview Policy
Forum provides a valuable first look at the top environmental
priorities for the upcoming legislative session, and gives audience
members the opportunity to raise concerns or pose questions
to legislative decision-makers. The
2008 Legislative Preview Forum featured three panels of bipartisan
legislators: legislative leadership, transportation and transit,
and energy and climate change. Key committee members spoke about
anticipated action on issues and major environmental issues
under consideration in these areas.
Minnesota
recently passed new legislation to address environmental contamination
by arsenic, mercury, and perfluorochemicals and the potential
for risks to human health. Many of us are unsure what this legislation
will mean to Minnesotans and how it will affect our businesses,
our policies, and our health. The forum focused on gaining a
deeper understanding of Minnesota’s new biomonitoring
and tracking legislation and the risk assessment of environmental
contaminants. The forum also explored the complexities of risk-based
decision-making and the impact this has on public health policy.
John Adgate, Ph. D., University of Minnesota School of Public
Health
Richard
Becker, Ph.D., American Chemistry Council
Tannie
Eshenaur, M.P.H., Minnesota Department of Health
Jean
Johnson, Ph.D., Minnesota Department of Health
John
Linc Stine, Minnesota Department of Health
Michael Sandusky,
M.S., Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
David Wallinga,
M.D., Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
On June 20, 2007, this policy forum investigated
the growing tension between the increasing demand for water
and the constraints of limited ground and surface water resources.
The forum focused on current knowledge about Minnesota’s
ground and surface water resources and identified areas where
information is lacking. Factors such as population growth, agriculture,
and large manufacturing, were explored as well as how those
factors create a collision course between multiple needs for
water and an increasingly limited supply of Minnesota’s
trademark natural resource.
Jim Anderson, University of Minnesota
Chris Elvrum, Metropolitan
Council
Mark
Mason, Natural Resources Group
Laurel Reeves, Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources
Dale Setterholm,
Minnesota Geological Survey
On April 20, 2007 the Minnesota Environmental
Initiative convened a policy forum exploring the emerging focus
on carbon sequestration and climate change. This groundbreaking
forum featured experts and practitioners in agriculture, forestry,
conservation and environmental policy discussing the latest
developments in carbon sequestration, including the benefits,
opportunities, risks and trade-offs, and the outlook for sequestration
credits in carbon markets. Click below to view two of the presentations
given by forum panelists.
November
15, 2006, MEI brought together a diverse group of regional leaders
from the ethanol industry, government, environmental organizations,
agricultural groups, and academia to explore key questions and
issues about the ethanol industry in Minnesota. Click below
to view presentations given by forum panelists.
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