The following article summarizes the original event which is listed below the summary.
March speaker cites good news on clean energy front
J. Drake Hamilton, science policy director of the Twin Cities-based nonprofit Fresh Energy, urged UMRA’s March luncheon audience to look beyond the discouraging news from the federal level about climate change. A far larger portion of the fight against climate change, she suggested, takes place at the local and state levels. And there the news is better—especially in Minnesota, which has become a national and world leader in the transition to clean energy. “Smart states can make a difference, and Minnesota is leading the way,” Hamilton said.
Minnesota’s bipartisan Next Generation Energy Act of 2006, which set what were then considered aggressive standards for carbon reduction, helped fuel our state’s surge to the forefront. Subsequent progress has exceeded even the targets set then and, in the process, has produced more than 50,000 well-paying clean energy jobs.
Private sector leadership has been pivotal. Corporations such as Target and General Mills are striving to conserve energy in their own operations and shift toward renewable sources. They are also pressuring suppliers to reduce carbon.
Perhaps most crucially, Xcel Energy—Minnesota’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter—is moving rapidly toward total abandonment of fossil fuels. It expects to surpass its own 2030 goal of 60 percent CO2 reduction so early that it has raised that goal to 85 percent.
At the same time, renewable energy costs are dropping rapidly—by 30 percent last year alone in the case of solar. But even if coal and natural gas for the generation of electricity may be on the way out, Hamilton said, other sectors including transportation, heating, and cooling also produce vast quantities of greenhouse gases. So the next major step in the quest for climate solutions will be to electrify these other sectors.
Hamilton welcomes referrals for other (free) speaking engagements at civic or faith organizations. She can be reached at [email protected] and 651-366-7557.
— Chip Peterson, UMRA president
March Luncheon At a Glance
Tue, March 27 2018, 11:30am
Conference Room ABC, Campus Club, Fourth Floor, Coffman Memorial Union
MARCH
LUNCHEON MEETING
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.`
Featured Speaker
'J' Hamilton, science policy director
Fresh Energy
Location
Conference Room ABC
Campus Club, Fourth Floor
Coffman Memorial Union
Menu
Porketta pork loin, mashed potatoes with caramelized onion pan sauce; coffee and tea.
For special dietary needs, please request when making your reservations.
Reservations ARE required.
Deadline: Thursday, March 22, 2018
Prepayment of $16 per person.
Annual prepayers, please make reservations.
To reserve your place(s) and parking,
send your check payable to UMRA to:
UMRA Reservations
c/o Judy Leahy Grimes
1937 Palace Ave., St. Paul MN
55105-1728
Or, contact her before the deadline
at 651-698-4387; e-mail: [email protected].
Please honor the reservation deadline date;
to cancel, please call by Thursday, March 22
Parking
University ramps and reserved space in East River Road Ramp
with UMRA's discount coupon―$6 for the day.
Upcoming Events
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm
After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.