ST. PAUL, Minn. – Several Minnesotans are among 25,000 delegates from all over the world seeking global solutions to climate change. The 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties, or COP 23, is meeting this week and next in Bonn, Germany, to compare progress on reducing carbon emissions.

President Donald Trump announced in June that the United States would opt out of the 2015 Paris accord, which set goals to reduce the rate of global warming.

Minnesota is one of 14 states to say they will meet those goals on their own, and delegates such as the University of Minnesota's executive director of the Energy Transition Lab, Ellen Anderson, say there is a reason for hope.

"We are looking to meet the goals of the Clean Power Plan in the United States," she says. "There will be more of a patchwork. But the fact is that overall the United States is moving forward on reducing carbon emissions."

Anderson calls progress a patchwork because some states, such as Minnesota, will do more than others.

Anderson told the conference in a presentation that climate leadership in the United States will now come from states and cities. She says it's been helpful to compare notes with policymakers from other states and countries, and inspiring to learn what some of them are working on.

"Tomorrow I'm going to an all-day session that involves people from literally countries all over the world that are trying to figure out pathways to 100 percent renewable energy," she explains.

To date, 195 nations have signed the United Nations Convention on Climate Change and 169 have become party to it.

Most of the Minnesotans at the conference belong to a group called Climate Generation, which was started by polar explorer Will Steger.

Climate Generation's executive director, Nicole Rom, says delegates are blogging daily, as though they're on an expedition. Followers include teachers and students who want to learn more and do something about climate change.

"Now we recognize that we're all eyewitnesses," notes. "We all have a story to tell when it comes to how we're experiencing climate change and engaging in solutions."

Besides Climate Generation, Macalester College, The High School of Environmental Studies, the Humphrey School at the University of Minnesota, Fresh Energy and the Science Museum have also sent delegates to Bonn. The conference wraps up November 17.


get more stories like this via email

A new report highlighted the growth of Pennsylvania's methane mitigation industry, showing positive effects on the economy, job market and environment.

Pennsylvania ranks among the top five states for methane mitigation activities, accounting for 8.5% of the total employee locations in the sector nationwide.

Marcy Lowe, CEO of Datu Research, said Pennsylvania's state-level methane rules have led to a 22.2% increase in methane mitigation companies over the past three years and 65% over the past decade.

"These, by the way, are firms that are both manufacturing firms and service firms that help oil and gas operators reduce the amount of methane that escapes from their operations," Lowe pointed out. "Methane, of course, is a very potent greenhouse gas, far more potent than even CO2."

Lowe emphasized the need to prevent system leaks and alter operations to avoid venting and flaring, which release significant amounts of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

Lowe stressed reducing methane emissions significantly improves air quality and public health, which is especially important in communities with historically poor air quality. She also noted the reduction has boosted employment opportunities in Pennsylvania, providing valuable and good-quality jobs in the methane mitigation sector.

"All the way up to computer and informational scientists that make $145,000 annual salary, to sort of the middle range," Lowe outlined. "You might have mechanical engineers making $99,000 all the way down to assemblers and fabricators making about $40,000 per year."

Lowe said they used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to understand the pay for the jobs, focusing on the median annual salary across the United States. Lowe added the number of employee locations in Pennsylvania's methane mitigation industry has grown to 50 this year, a more than 38% increase since 2021.


get more stories like this via email

The mayor of Dearborn has adopted a "health-in-all-policies" approach, a pledge to prioritize health, environmental justice and climate action in city decisions.

Abdullah Hammoud, mayor of Dearborn, announced the initiative with other city officials at an event hosted by the group Elected Officials to Protect America. With funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Dearborn is updating ordinances, zoning and permits to make the "greenest" choices easier for all.

Hammoud noted severe weather left nearly two-thirds of Dearborn homes underwater just a few years ago.

"Over the last 10 years, the City of Dearborn has had several flooding events; three," Hammoud pointed out. "We are taking all the proactive steps that we must to help prevent flooding from happening in the future."

Hammoud earned national recognition with a Mayors Climate Protection Award at the U.S. Conference of Mayors, making Dearborn one of six large cities honored.

Ashley Flintoff, executive director of the nonprofit Friends of the Rouge, a group working to clean up the Rouge River, said choices made about chemical use, stormwater runoff and natural habitat loss mainly affect communities of color.

"Causing flooding and sewage backups in residential basements," Flintoff observed. "This creates direct mental and physical health consequences for residents, particularly those in the hardest-hit neighborhoods, like the South End."

David Mustonen, communications director for Dearborn Public Schools, said after concerns about kids' exposure to diesel fumes at bus stops, the school district is replacing diesel buses, using more than $7 million in federal funding.

"With the purchase of 18 electric school buses, we look forward for these buses arriving and being delivered to the district soon, so that we can put them into service and remove 18 diesel buses," Mustonen explained.

The Inflation Reduction Act offers communities incentives and grants to cover upfront costs for other "green" projects, including solar power.


get more stories like this via email

The Biden Administration is investing $50 million from the Inflation Reduction Act in Colorado to produce more batteries to power electric vehicles.

Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office, said the state is bullish on EVs, in part because gas-powered vehicle tailpipes are a major contributor to harmful ground-level ozone and climate pollution.

"When you look at both our climate goals and just the pollution problems that we have in Denver and the Front Range, switching to electric vehicles just has huge benefits for our air quality and for our climate," Toor asserted.

The new funding will allow Thornton-based manufacturer Solid Power to add at least 40 new jobs, paying production operators, chemists and engineers nearly $78,000 a year on average. Solid Power is also partnering with area high schools and community colleges for job training programs.

After he purchased his own EV, Toor noted he started tracking his electric bills and found significant fuel-cost savings compared with gas-powered vehicles.

"It's the equivalent of me paying about 90 cents per gallon for gasoline," Toor explained. "They are incredibly convenient, I basically don't have to go to the gas station, I just plug in the vehicle when I get home and let it charge overnight."

Colorado supported Solid Power's early growth with an Advanced Industries Accelerator grant in 2014, which supports the development of early-stage technologies. Their new sulfide-based batteries are expected to provide more power and range for drivers and are safer and less costly than conventional lithium-ion technology. Toor emphasized battery-powered vehicles can also help lower electric bills for everyone.

"People primarily charge their electric vehicles overnight, when there is a lot of excess capacity on the grid," Toor pointed out. "It helps to keep everybody's electric rates affordable over time as we get more and more EVs on the grid."


get more stories like this via email