Dan Thiede live-blogs this session at the Minnesota Green Communities third annual statewide GREEN BY DESIGN Conference. View all conference presentations here.
Presenters: Russ Adams, Alliance for Metropolitan Stability | John Bailey, Greater Minnesota Housing Fund | Michael Haynes, Green Broker & Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota | Lynn Hinkle, Retired UAW leader, Ford Plant Green Redevelopment | Karen Monahan, Sierra Club & EJAM
How can Minnesota Communities continue to grow and develop while maintaining a low carbon footprint?
Russ believes that in the years to come, cities will have requirements in their comprehensive plans to work toward sustainability, and that other sectors of the economy will follow.
Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change
John Bailey
View John’s presentation (starts half-way through the document)
Transportation Sector: CO2 is produced through (1) Vehicles (efficiency), (2) Fuels (biofuels), (3) VMT (amount of travel – land use – 85% of the trips we take are the shortest, not our daily commute)
Growing Cooler (study): To get to 7-10% Reduction in total CO2 emissions in 2050: (1) 20-40% VMT reduction for each increment of compact development; (2) Shifting 60% of new growth to compact patterns would save 85 million metric tons of CO2 emissions; (3) Fuel cost savings in 2030 would be $24 billion, cumulative $250 billion. The study does not include green pricing, more travel options, or emissions benefits of natural areas.
Minnesota is a leader in this area, and we are eagerly anticipating the MCCAG report that will likely be out in September.
Affordable Ways to Go Green at Home
Michael Haynes
Michael got into building science as an eco broker after seeing the impacts of building materials on youth and colleagues. Many people have been exposed to toxins over the years they have lived, and have accumulated them. There are products you can use to build and redevelop your homes to limit the emission of volatile organic compounds. Efficiency is of utmost importance, too. One of the most affordable investments is a programmable thermostat, which ususally pays itself back in 0.6 years. Energy Efficiency mortgages are now available from many sources.
Green Manufacturing at the Highland Park Ford Site
Lynn Hinkle
Lynn worked at the Ford Site in Highland Park St. Paul for a long time, and it will be closing its doors in 2009. It is 140 acres and powered by Lock and Dam 1 on the Mississippi. There are many plans for redeveloping the site, but not all of them are very “green.” Lynn and others proposed converting the site to a facility that would create flex fuel vehicles. That was not accepted, but plans are still moving forward for Green Manufacturing.
Macalester Student suggested calling the organization working on these goals ARISE:
Alliance to Reindustrialize for Sustainable Economies.
The Ford Site would be a model for others in the state and across the country for redeveloping brownfield sites for green manufacturing and other sustainable developments.
Sustainable Development at the Ford Site:
- Include family-sustaining manufacturing jobs
- Use on-site hydropower to supply all energy needs to the entire site
- Industry, housing, and retail in a full range of affordability
- Public green space bounded by Mississippi River National Parks Corridor
Green Economics and Green Jobs
Karen Monahan
View EJAM’s 10 Principles for Just Climate Change Policies in Minnesota
Guided by their Climate Justice Principles, EJAM is working on energy retrofits and green jobs in North Minneapolis. Energy retrofits for homes in the community would create jobs and reduce energy costs for residents, and creating green jobs that those in North Minneapolis would have access to would provide many entry level positions with the opportunity for advancement.
