Finding a Green Way to Govern

The University of Minnesota has applied for an air emissions permit from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) in order to construct a new “Combined Heat and Power Plant” using the building adjacent to the Education Sciences Building and the Dinkytown Greenway Bridge on the East Bank. In order to do so they have completed an Environmental Assessment Worksheet . The MPCA took public comment on the Environmental Assessment Worksheet through November 26; and will be taking comment on the air emissions permit through December 1, 2014. According to the University the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plant will provide the Minneapolis campus with power and steam, and reduce overall utility costs by up to $2 million per year and will reduce the University's net carbon footprint by an estimated 65,000 metric tons of CO2 by efficiently using "waste" heat from generating electricity.  The steam will be used to heat campus buildings and for sterilizing equipment in the labs...

In light of the recent article in the Star Tribune , which makes it sound like the Council opposes many of the most important things in the mayor’s budget, I want to lay out the parts of the budget I support, and those I’m open to changing. I strongly support the new positions to focus on equity.   I strongly support spending capital dollars on protected bikeways.   I strongly support creating a citywide curbside organic composting program.   I think the people of Minneapolis and the majority of my colleagues on the Council support these initiatives as well.   Here’s a little run down, one by one. On equity: Minneapolis has among the largest gaps between whites and people of color among all large cities in the US, in many different measures of success: income, wealth, employment, education, health and more.   This is not only unjust, but this fundamental problem drives many of the other challenges the City is forced to address, including crime.   W...