Thirty years working on energy policy and I had never thought much about fluid hydraulics. But today I had lunch with Professor Kim Stelson,  Director of the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power, and his colleague Michael Gust, Industrial Liaison Director. It turns out that the Center has been headquartered at the University of Minnesota for the past four years, and it may be the University's best kept secret.

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Over the last two decades, Minnesota has experienced a dramatic change in our energy use and energy policies. We are closer than ever to achieving a new energy economy using homegrown resources that create jobs, protect our air and water, and strengthen our state's economy and communities. However, there is still much that needs to be accomplished to reach our state, regional, and national clean energy and global warming pollution reduction goals. Looking back, what are some of the biggest energy changes and successes for Minnesota over the past 25 years, and more importantly, what steps need to be taken to continue to improve the way we use energy and our energy policies?

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President Obama and the U.S. Senate have failed. They promised legislation to transform our energy system, create jobs and reduce pollution and today Senate Majority Leader Reid gave up.

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America, and in particular Minnesota, is far behind the rest of the world in enacting legislative initiatives to promote electric vehicles.

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Last winter, Erick began a nine-month environmental justice fellowship exchange sponsored by the Vermont Law School, China Environment Forum (Woodrow Wilson Center), and Sun Yat Sen University.  Along with the development of a personal project throughout the nine months, he will also be spending three weeks on the East Coast and three weeks in China with the 17 other fellows from the U.S. and China. Read on for the for the second of his entries.

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently in the midst of reevaluating its air quality standards for six major air pollutants that have direct impacts of human and environmental health. For most of the pollutants, this means that the EPA is tightening the standards in response to improved information about the health impacts of different types of pollution. The new standards - which started coming out in fall 2008 and will all be out by 2012 - could impact whether parts of Minnesota continue  to meet (attain) the standards or fail and move into "nonattainment" status for one or more pollutants.

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The gubernatorial race in Minnesota is about to begin, and it's important that the next governor supports efforts that will make Minnesota a leader in the clean energy economy. This Sunday at 1:00PM is your chance to see where the candidates stand on comprehensive climate legislation. The Living Green Expo will feature a Gubernatorial Candidate Forum on Clean Energy, Clean Water and Minnesota's Future. Candidates confirming their attendance are Democrats Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Mark Dayton and Matt Entenza and the Independence Party's Rob Hahn and Tom Horner. Republicans Tom Emmer and Marty Seifert have been invited. Learn more about the Living Green Expo, and make sure you visit Fresh Energy's booth!

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Wondering how decision makers are doing on creating rules for a low carbon economy? In 2007, the Minnesota legislature passed the Next Generation Energy Act, including setting science-based goals for global warming pollution reductions in Minnesota. We need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the economy by at least 30 percent by 2025, and 80 percent by 2050. The state's Climate Change Advisory Group recommended actions needed to meet those reduction targets; in November, citizens will elect a new legislature and governor that will be responsible for enacting - or not enacting - the policy actions needed to unleash Minnesota's clean energy jobs potential. At the federal level, in 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an economy-wide limit on carbon pollution. Now in spring 2010, the U.S. Senate may be ready to act on a comprehensive energy and climate bill to address this urgent economic and environmental issue.

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The Geological Society of America this week updated the organization's position statement on climate change. The GSA is a scientific society, founded in 1888 and with over 22,000 members. It was founded to promote the geosciences in the service of humankind.

From the April 2010 Geological Society of America climate change position statement:

"Recent scientific investigations have strengthened the case for policy action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to unavoidable climate change. To strengthen the consensus for action, this statement from the Geological Society of America is intended to inform policymakers about improved knowledge of Earth's climate system based on advanced in climate science..."

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Because the built environment accounts for 40 percent of global carbon emissions, green building is an important part of the global warming solution. On Thursday, our very own Minnesota chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) held its first Day at the Capitol.

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