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Town hall forum addresses 'green economy'

A town hall forum at Minnesota State Mankato Feb. 20 addressed opportunities in the green economy.

2009-02-25
From an Environment Minnesota news release [2/20/2009]

A town hall forum at Minnesota State Mankato Feb. 20 addressed opportunities in the green economy.

The event featured a talk by U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, and included a panel discussion with Gerry Parzino of the United Steelworkers and the Blue Green Alliance, Dan Juhl of Juhl Wind, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation CEO Tim Penny, Fresh Energy Science Policy Director J. Drake Hamilton, and Minnesota State Mankato engineering faculty member Vincent Winstead. Samantha Chadwick of Environment Minnesota moderated.

Walz' talk and the panel discussion were heard by more than 165 clean energy business owners, union leaders, scientists, environmental group representatives and students, faculty and staff members.

The forum focused on benefits southern Minnesota may expect to see from the new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, intended to provide new jobs for Americans who weatherize homes and federal buildings, install renewable energy projects, and expand public transit capacity. The act provides $32.8 billion for clean energy, $26.86 billion for energy efficiency, and $18.95 billion for green transportation.

“Discussions like the one held today are happening across the country,” Walz said. “Research of renewable energy and the development of green jobs is vitally important to getting our economy back on track, and I’m proud that southern Minnesota is leading the way.”

“Clean energy will reduce global warming pollution and rev our economic engine to generate a bright future for Minnesota,” Chadwick added. “We applaud Rep. Walz, the rest of Congress and the President for approving significant funding for clean energy that will ensure this future is just around the corner, rather than years away.”

“Efforts made to move our nation towards energy independence will create more economic opportunity and jobs for our state," Penny added. "We are working with various partners to position our region to capitalize on these opportunities. Energy alternatives are one of the key sectors of future economic growth in our region.”

“Minnesota will be a leader in creating a new green economy," Parzino said: "An economy that leads to economic recovery, that simultaneously creates thousands of new, green, family-supporting jobs, provides pathways out of poverty, creates new opportunities for entrepreneurial activities in the green economy, and which will result in significantly reduced negative environmental impacts, particularly in the area of carbon emissions which cause global warming.”

“The country needs to take actions that will encourage sustained private investment in clean, efficient energy ,” Hamilton added, “to re-power our economy and responsibly reduce global warming pollution.”

"Community based energy development can bring unprecedented economic development and jobs to the rural communities who so desperately need them," Juhl said. "It also allows the retention of energy dollars which has a substantial long term economic gain and will be a source of long-term, low cost energy for Minnesota consumers.”

Winstead discussed existing and emerging technology. “Government plays an important role in using policy to encourage adoption of beneficial technologies," he said. "The federal government's efforts should reflect the will of the nation and act to foster, through policy and funding efforts, innovation in the institutions which have the potential to yield technologies and advancements leading to an energy self-sustaining future.”

The event was hosted by  Environment Minnesota, Audubon Minnesota, Fresh Energy, the Minnesota Conservation Federation, National Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club, and Minnesota State Mankato’s Office of Strategic Business, Education & Regional Partnerships. 

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