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PAST MEi Events

Providing a Path to Energy Efficiency
2009 Legislative Preview Policy Forum
The Future of Biofuels in Minnesota
Carbon Management: A Competitive Advantage for Your Business
Introduction to Carbon Cap-and-Trade: What Could it Mean for Minnesota?
Economic Prosperity and a Clean Environment: How do we achieve both?
Making the Case for Efficient Energy 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


Providing a Path to Energy Efficiency
The current economic recession and the large proportion of resources that businesses typically spend on energy make energy efficiency an important cost saving strategy for all businesses to pursue. While many businesses may be reluctant to spend significant resources on energy efficiency retrofits today, most businesses are planning to become more energy efficient when the economy rebounds and every business could benefit from no cost/low cost steps they can take to save money and energy now. This event focused on describing pathways and identifying resources any business or organization can use to achieve energy efficiency.

Mark Friske, Director, Environmental Health and Safety, Aveda
Doug Fullen, Director of Corporate Environmental Affairs, Medtronic
Bill Glahn, Deputy Commissioner and Director, Office of Energy Security, Minnesota Department of Commerce
Jeff Haase, Demand Efficiency Supervisor, Minnesota Department of Commerce
JoAnna Hicks, Director of Development, Ryan Companies US
Chuck LeRoux, Director, Safety, Security and Environmental Management, Andersen Corporation
Tom McDougall, President, The Weidt Group
Bob Riesselman, President of Midwest Region, Sebesta Blomberg (powerpoint)
Bob Riesselman, President of Midwest Region, Sebesta Blomberg (movie)
Steve Zeller, Director, Global Real Estate, Construction & Asset Management, Donaldson Company


2009 Legislative Preview Policy forum
A bipartisan selection of legislators, including a panel of the Legislature's leaders such as the Speaker of the House, provided a valuable first look at 2009’s top environmental issues and the economic landscape for the upcoming session. A panel of finance committee leaders and policy stakeholders discussed the challenge of implementing the newly passed Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.


The future of biofuels in minnesota
Leading experts discussed the expanding biofuel industry and how it will affect Minnesota.

Christina Connelly, MN Department of Agriculture (part 1)
Christina Connelly, MN Department of Agriculture (part 2)
Mike Reese, West Central Research and Outreach Center
Mark Lindquist, MN Department of Natural Resources
Jess Richards, MN Pollution Control Agency
Rita Hardy, Flint Hills Resources
David Thornton, MN Pollution Control Agency

Bill Grant, Izzak Walton League of America
Bill Lee, Chippewa Valley Ethanol
Lowell Rasmussen, University of Minnesota Morris


carbon management: a competitive advantage for your business
This program provided insight into the realm of carbon management for Minnesota's business community, and demonstrated how business leaders can utilize a greenhouse gas inventory to get out ahead of the game and reap fiscal and environmental benefits.

A team of local consultants representing Delta Consultants, Wenck Associates, and CP Holdings, LLC defined what carbon management means and assessed the advantages and various applications for existing protocols for managing carbon emissions. This experienced group of consultants also discussed some of the challenges and opportunities presented by tackling the task of carbon footprinting for your business. Additionally, the program featured case studies from a diverse group of local organizations who have achieved success through developing and implementing carbon management strategies.


What Is Carbon Management? Bill Brown, Wenck Associates, Tod Christenson, Delta Consultants, Eric Jackson, CP Holdings
Carl Michaud, Hennepin County
Heather Tansey, 3M
Jim Turnure, Xcel Energy
Todd Wilkening, Ridgeview Medical Center


introduction to carbon cap-and-trade: what could it mean for minnesota?
This forum provided an introduction and overview of a carbon cap-and-trade system and the impacts it could have in Minnesota. Tom Vilsack, the former governor of Iowa and a national leader on renewable energy and initiatives addressing climate change, gave the keynote address. Other presenters included John Larsen from the World Resources Institute, and members of the Minnesota Representatives to the Midwestern Governors Association Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord Advisory Group.

John Larsen, World Resources Institute, Part 1
John Larsen, World Resources Institute, Part 2
Interview with Governor Tom Vilsack on Minnesota Public Radio



economic prosperity and a clean environment: how do we achieve both?
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



Business and environment series –
making the case for efficient energy management
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


2008 Legislative Preview Policy forum
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.


ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS: ASSESSING THE RISK AND SHAPING PUBLIC POLICY

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



WATER SUSTAINABILITY: MANAGING COMPETING NEEDS FOR A LIMITED RESOURCE
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



Carbon Sequestration: Looking to the Land for climate Change Solutions
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.



farming our fuel: growing a sustainable ethanol industry
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.