|
In this issue
http://www.pca.state.mn.us/ktqh28
The following is adapted from the webpage above.
Applications are now being accepted for the Minnesota
Pollution Control Agency’s Environmental Assistance (EA) Grant Program.
Approximately $1 million is available for 2014 EA
grant awards. Financial assistance is targeted towards nine (9) focus areas
addressing pollution prevention, solid waste management, climate change
adaptation, and resource conservation, among others. Eligible applicants, grant
award amounts and minimum matching fund requirements will vary by Focus Areas
and Preferred Proposals.
The deadlines for submitting grant proposals is July
16, 2014, for Focus Areas B-I and August 13, 2014, for Focus Area A (Volatile
Organic Chemicals, or VOCs). All proposals are due by 2 p.m. on those dates.
The EA Grant Program RFP and application materials,
as well as further information on the EA Grant Program, are available to
download at the website above.
Back to top
The following is adapted from the May 15th
Healthy Minnesota Partnership e-news update from the Minnesota
Department of Health and from the website http://www.health.state.mn.us/healthymnpartnership/publications.html.
Healthy Minnesota 2020 is a framework for creating and improving health throughout the state of
Minnesota, based on the statewide health assessment, The Health of Minnesota, and adopted by the Healthy Minnesota Partnership on July 30, 2012.
The framework features three themes that reflect
the importance of social and economic determinants for health:
-
Capitalize on the opportunity
to influence health in early childhood
-
Assure that the opportunity for
health is available everywhere and for everyone
-
Strengthen communities to
create their own healthy futures.
The framework also identifies nine core
indicators to monitor and provides examples of a range of strategies that
relate to each of the three themes.
Each year the Healthy Minnesota Partnership compiles
an annual report reflecting the progress made on the Healthy Minnesota 2020
Framework.
The 2013 Annual Report can be found online: http://www.health.state.mn.us/healthymnpartnership/publications.html.
It includes an update on the progress towards
changing the conversation about health, new narrative frames developed by the
Partnership’s Narrative Strategy Team, updated Healthy Minnesota Indicators,
and 2013-14 plans for the Partnership.
For more information on the Healthy Minnesota
Partnership, please visit: http://www.health.state.mn.us/healthymnpartnership/.
Back to top
The following is adapted from a MN Department of Employment and Economic Development email.
The state of Minnesota is engaged in an effort to align economic
development with the clean energy industry. The lack of Minnesota-specific
information on the jobs, wages and investments in the clean energy industry
severely limits the ability to demonstrate its significance to the state
economy.
To remedy this lack of quality information, the state is asking clean
energy businesses to participate in a survey. The state will use the
results to complete an in-depth industry analysis and help frame future policy
discussions. The participation of clean energy businesses will assure the evaluation
accurately captures the true scope of the industry and its effects on the
overall state economy.
Clean energy businesses can access the survey here: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1664172/CleanEnergyGovD.
In addition to assuring the use of high quality data, participants
can:
-
Receive
results of this analysis (August 2014).
-
Promote
their businesses though an online clean energy business directory
sponsored by the state.
-
Receive
updates and provide additional input into clean energy-related state
policy and programs.
-
Take
part in a "Clean Energy and Economic Development Summit" and
report-out to industry and the Governor on July 17, 2014.
Back to top
The following is adapted from the May 9th, 2014
edition of EPA Climate Change and Water
News, a bi-weekly e-newsletter from the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Water. For more information or to subscribe, see http://water.epa.gov/scitech/climatechange/.
On
May 6th, the U.S. Global Change Research Program released the Third National Climate Assessment. The
report summarizes the impacts of climate change on the United States, now and
in the future. A team of more than 300 experts guided by a 60-member
Federal Advisory Committee produced the report, which was extensively reviewed
by the public and experts, including federal agencies and a panel of the
National Academy of Sciences.
The
Third National Climate Assessment describes the impacts of climate change
across ten geographic regions of the United States, and in economic sectors
such as agriculture, energy, and health. The descriptions translate
scientific insights into practical information that can help decision-makers
and citizens anticipate and prepare for climate-change impacts.
The report is available for download and can be explored in an interactive
format through the new U.S. Global Climate Change Research Program website - http://globalchange.gov. An important feature of this
interactivity is the traceability of the data and other information in the
report, giving users the means to refer back to this data for analysis and decision
support.
To view the National Climate Assessment as a full report, highlights, or an
overview, visit: http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/.
For links to key resources such as the adaptation chapter of the report and
federal adaptation resources, visit: http://globalchange.gov/explore/adaptation.
For a calendar of events surrounding the National Climate Assessment, visit the
NCAnet Partners Calendar: http://ncanet.usgcrp.gov/partners/calendar.
Back to top
The following is adapted
from an American Recreation Coalition news release and the June 1 SEEK Bulletin.
June 2014, as proclaimed by
the President and each *Governor, is Great Outdoors Month (GOM) – a bipartisan
celebration of American’s abundant and diverse outdoor recreation resources. Events across the country celebrate the event
and help Americans respond to calls by the President and the Governors to hike,
bike, fish, camp, boat, and otherwise enjoy the outdoors.
The event is particularly designed
to engage Americans in fun outdoor recreational activities who might otherwhttp://www.americasstateparks.org/ise
not participate. Social media and websites like www.recreation.gov and http://www.americasstateparks.org/ are being used to reach younger and urban Americans who may have trouble identifying
fun outdoors things to do and where to go.
Current or upcoming events
that coincide with GOM include National Fishing and Boating Week, June 1-8;
National Get Outdoors Day and National Marina Day, June 14; and the National
Wildlife Federation’s Great American Backyard Camp-Out, June 28. In Minnesota, all state parks will offer free
admission on June 14 (National Get Outdoors Day) along with a variety of
events. See http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/getoutdoorsday.html
for more information.
GOM partners include
American’s State Parks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service,
USDA Forest Service, American Recreation Coalition, American Hiking Society,
the National Wildlife Federation, and many others.
For more ideas on how to
celebrate Great Outdoors Month, visit http://blog.nwf.org/2014/05/easy-ways-to-celebrate-june-as-great-outdoors-month/.
*See Minnesota’s
proclamation at http://www.funoutdoors.com/files/Minnesota%20GOM%20Proclamation%202014.pdf
Back to top
http://www.sfa-mn.org/festival-of-farms/
The following is adapted
from the website above.
Festival of Farms™ on July
12th, 2014 is an opportunity to learn about sustainable agriculture,
network within the community, and have fun at various farms across the state.
The Festival is a project of the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota (SFA);
individual SFA chapters are arranging activities unique to their regions, including farm tours.
For detailed information on Festival
of Farms tours and other events scheduled around Minnesota, visit the website above.
Back to top
http://recycleminnesota.org/resources-6/borrow-a-bin
The following is adapted from the website above.
Do you need recycling bins for your next event
like a graduation party, sports event or community festival?
Through its
members across the state, the Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM) now
offers easy-to-transport, durable bins to the public for event recycling. Bins
can be checked out for FREE from RAM or its members in St. Cloud, Owatonna, Chaska,
Rochester, Virginia, and St. Paul.
For more information, see http://recycleminnesota.org/resources-6/borrow-a-bin.
Back to top
http://centerforgreenschools.org/greenguide.aspx
The following is adapted from the website above.
The Princeton Review
and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) have teamed up to release the fifth
annual edition of the unique, free guidebook that recognizes the nation's most
environmentally responsible green colleges.
The
Princeton Review's Guide to 332 Green Colleges: 2014 Edition profiles 332
institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada that
demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings,
campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. This book is the only
free, comprehensive, annually updated guide to green colleges.
The Guide provides college applicants with:
- School
profiles with application, admission, financial aid and student enrollment
information
- "Green
Highlights" - write-ups detailing each school's most impressive
environmental and sustainability initiatives
- "Green
Facts" sidebars reporting statistics and facts on everything from the
school's use of renewable energy sources, recycling and conservation
programs to the availability of environmental studies programs, and green
jobs career guidance
- A
glossary of 40+ green terms and acronyms from AASHE to "zero
waste"
- Lists
identifying schools in the book with various green distinctions – among
them: those with LEED-certified buildings and those that are signatories
of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment
To download the free Guide, see the website above.
Back to top
http://blog.lib.umn.edu/ione/eyeonearth/2014/04/50-ways-to-leave-your-food.html
The following is adapted from the webpage above.
Did you know that nearly half the American food supply gets
neglected or outright rejected?
Love Letter to Food,
the latest video from MinuteEarth, laments the myriad abuses suffered by food
because the convenience of wasting it outweighs the cost.
The video is based on a new issue brief by Alex Reich, a
graduate research assistant at Institute on the Environment and one of the
creators of MinuteEarth, and IonE director Jonathan Foley. Among other things,
the brief, Food Loss and Waste in the U.S.: The Science Behind the Supply
Chain, reports that roughly 40 percent of the U.S. food supply is never eaten,
with much of the waste occurring when edible food is discarded at home or in
restaurants and cafeterias.
MinuteEarth offers mini science lessons via YouTube to
engage the general public in science and environmental issues.
Back to top
http://www.mngreenroofs.org/2014/05/2014-mgrc-bike-tour/
The following is adapted
from the website above.
The Minnesota *Green
Roofs Council (MGRC) is holding its first-ever bike tour of green roofs on Sunday,
June 22, noon - 5 p.m. in Minneapolis. The tour includes a guided bike ride through
the city and visits to five of the green roofs that protect water quality in
the city’s lakes and the Mississippi River. The following locations are included on the
tour:
-
Garden
Mausoleum and Reception Center, Lakewood Cemetery
-
American
Swedish Institute
-
Minneapolis
College of Arts and Design (MCAD) Rooftop Bog
-
Minneapolis
City Hall
-
Minneapolis
Central Library
Donors of $15
or more will receive an event t-shirt. To register for the tour or for more
information, see the website above.
*As defined by the US EPA, a
green roof, or rooftop garden, is a vegetative layer grown on a rooftop. Green
roofs provide shade and remove heat from the air through evapotranspiration,
reducing temperatures of the roof surface and the surrounding air. On hot
summer days, the surface temperature of a green roof can be cooler than the air
temperature, whereas the surface of a conventional rooftop can be up to 90°F
(50°C) warmer (http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/mitigation/greenroofs.htm).
Back to top
For more details as well as other positions, see: http://www.nextstep.state.mn.us/jobs.cfm
Do it Green! Minnesota: Green Business Directory Manager (deadline June 9)
Gardening Matters: Executive Director (deadline June 9)
Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy: Energy Analyst (deadline June 10)
City of Minneapolis: Student Internship Minneapolis Sustainability (deadline June 13)
Minnesota Brownfields:
Program Coordinator (open until filled)
Friends of the Mississippi River: Outreach Assistant & Registrar (open until filled)
Back to top
For more details as well as other events, see http://www.nextstep.state.mn.us/calendar.cfm
Landscape Revival: Native Plant Expo and Market, Saturday, June 7, 2014, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Community Pavilion at the Roseville Rainbow Food, Roseville, MN
Habitat Site Restoration and Mitigation - Planning and Implementation (online training), Part 1 - June 10,11, & 12; Part 2 - June 17, 18 and 19; 12:00 p.m CDT
Elemental--The Film, Jun 11, 2014, 7 p.m., The Parkway Theater, Minneapolis, MN
Diversifying the Orchard for Resilience & Water Quality, Thursday, June 26, 2014, 2:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Hunt Utilities Group campus, Pine River, MN
Organic Farm School, Mondays, Jun 16-Aug 11, 2014, East Phillips Park Cultural and Community Center, Minneapolis, MN
Policy Forum Series: PIVOTING from waste to resources - capturing more value from our discarded materials, Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m,
Hamline University, St. Paul, MN
Back to top
This email
newsletter is sent today to 3,653 sustainability professionals and others
interested in building sustainable communities, most of whom live in Minnesota.
It was prepared by staff in the Sustainable Development Unit of the Resource
Management and Assistance Division at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
(MPCA).
We hope that
you find this information useful; please send us an e-mail at nextstep@state.mn.us if you need help
using the resources presented here. (We will not receive replies sent to this
e-mail message.) You are encouraged to enter events and jobs directly onto the
NextStep web site at http://www.nextstep.state.mn.us.
Receiving
this message forwarded from someone else? To directly receive the NextStep
e-newsletter, sign up at http://www.nextstep.state.mn.us/join.cfm.
Contact the
NextStep Newsletter editor, Erin Barnes-Driscoll, at nextstep@state.mn.us.
To
unsubscribe, to set subscriber preferences, or to subscribe to other MPCA
e-newsletters, see the links below.
| 
