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The Hennepin County Climate and Resiliency Department recently welcomed four new team members who will focus on various aspects of implementing the Climate Action Plan strategies.
 From left to right: Jasmira Colon, Diana Chaman-Salas, David Schuett, Didier Bolanos Gonzalez, Eric Holthaus
Eric Holthaus is the new Administrative Manager who will help implement and monitor critical activities related to the Climate Action Plan. Eric has over 10 years of experience planning, coordinating, and reporting on sustainability efforts in large public institutions, including leading the design and implementation of the climate action plan for the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Eric has a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.
Didier Bolanos Gonzalez and Jasmira Colon are the new community engagement liaisons who will focus on establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with key stakeholders.
Didier has focused his career on community development, natural resources, and climate change and brings a wealth of experience in engaging with multicultural communities, managing projects with community-based agencies, and collecting and analyzing data. Didier grew up in the rural Andean mountains of southern Colombia, completed his undergrad studies in Costa Rica, and came to Minnesota to pursue a Master’s Degree in Development Practice.
Jasmira is a licensed social worker and recent graduate from Monmouth University with a Master's Degree in Social Work specializing in global and community practice. Jasmira has experience working with diverse communities, enhancing program quality, writing grants, and supporting vulnerable clients. Jasmira is passionate about advancing social and environmental justice, promoting human rights, and implementing systemic change for marginalized communities.
David Schuett is the new Principal Office Specialist and assistant to the director and handles clerical and behind-the-scenes work. David joined Hennepin County in 2018 and has served in various roles. He has a Bachelor’s Degree focused on environmental and biomedical ethics from Bemidji State University, a professional certificate in facilities management from the University of Minnesota, and is a licensed accessibility specialist with the State of Minnesota.
The 2018 federal Farm Bill established the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production to focus on the needs of urban farmers. in September, Diana Chaman Salas, Hennepin County Climate and Resiliency Director, and John Evans, Hennepin County Environmental Protection Division Manager, joined Senator Tina Smith and community partners for a tour of the Urban Roots farm in St. Paul and discussion on federal support for urban farming programs.
As the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry begins debate on the next Farm Bill, Senator Smith was seeking to learn how implementation of USDA urban farming programs are working for Minnesota.
Hennepin County’s Climate Action Plan includes strategies to create and preserve affordable agricultural space for every scale of local food production, work with partners to encourage the development of farm-totable efforts, especially focusing on increasing access to these programs in low-income communities.
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Federal infrastructure grant will help improve safety and transit along Lake Street
Hennepin County was recently awarded a $12 million grant through the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program to make safety and transit improvements along Lake Street. This is part of the county's ongoing efforts to improve and rethink how Lake Street is used by all who bike, roll, drive, and use transit.
The grant will help the county prepare Lake Street for a new bus rapid transit route called the Metro Transit B Line, which will provide faster and more reliable transit between the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis and Union Depot in downtown St. Paul. Grants funds will be used for converting a travel lane to a transit lane, striping dedicated left-turn lanes, providing accessibility upgrades, making traffic signal upgrades and revisions, and resurfacing the pavement.
Reducing vehicle miles traveled by improving transit and creating Complete Streets that are designed, built, and maintained to be safe and convenient for people of all ages and abilities are important strategies in the Climate Action Plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing disparities.
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U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visited Lake Street with Hennepin County Commissioners Angela Conley and Marion Greene in August to celebrate the grant and recognize the important role that transit plays in transportation options and contributing to economic development. Read more in the Star Tribune.
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Hennepin County’s response to climate change is important. The county leads in many areas that offer the most effective ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions, such as investing in transit, conserving energy use in our buildings, protecting natural resources, and preventing waste. The county must also work toward eliminating disparities in our response to climate change and prioritize protecting the health of residents amid increasing threats.
The following are some of the climate solutions the county is currently pursuing.
Increasing access to environmental careers for diverse job seekers with green jobs pathways
The county is trying new ways to recruit, train, and retain Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) in green jobs industries. This summer, Hennepin County piloted a green jobs pathways internship for young adults, started an apprenticeship program at the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center, and was a partner in an environmental justice internship program.
Careers in the climate and environmental fields are growing, but opportunities to experience the benefits of this growth has not been equitable. BIPOC populations are underrepresented in the environmental and climate workforce.
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Finding joy in repairing broken stuff at Fix-It Clinics
Learning how to repair items is an effective way to produce less waste and conserve the resources that go into manufacturing, packaging, transporting and disposing of goods. But repairing something can feel like a daunting task. That’s where Fix-It Clinics come in!
Residents at the free clinics get paired up with knowledgeable volunteers who help them disassemble, troubleshoot, and repair their broken household items. For a decade, the clinics have successfully prevented waste and developed repair skills in a collaborative, empowering, and joyful setting.
“It is the volunteers who make this clinic what it is. People come with their broken stuff, some of it cherished family heirlooms, and they are delighted when they find out their stuff can be fixed. They also learn how to fix their stuff, which is both fun and empowering.” - Fix-It Clinic Coordinator Nancy Lo
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By the numbers
Fix-It Clinics have achieved impressive results over the past 10 years, including:
- More than 6,000 attendees
- More than 6,600 items repaired
- More than 44,000 pounds of waste diverted
- 79% of items fixed
- More than 10,400 hours volunteered
Developing a master plan to decarbonize the Hennepin County Energy Center
Hennepin County is hiring a contractor to develop a master plan for decarbonizing the Hennepin County Energy Center.
The Hennepin County Energy Center provides steam and chilled water to county buildings and a few private customers in downtown Minneapolis. Currently, water is heated and cooled using a mix of natural gas and electricity.
The decarbonization master plan for the Hennepin County Energy Center will include two overlapping deliverables:
- A long-term plan to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
- Short-term strategies to implement before 2030 to increase energy efficiency and create a foundation for transformative long-term investments
Increasing energy efficiency and developing new ways to harness and store energy for this system will be the core elements of the master plan. Decarbonizing energy facilities is an emerging field, so developing this master plan will continue to position Hennepin County as a leader in climate action.
For more information, contact Dave McNary at david.mcnary@hennepin.us.
Mesonet stations installed in areas of high climate vulnerability
To improve data collection related to climate and weather and to be better prepared for extreme weather, Hennepin County Emergency Management recently installed two mesonet stations in Minneapolis.
A mesonet is a system of automated weather monitoring stations used to measure local weather conditions. This data improves weather forecasting, helps in making informed decisions about the weather conditions, and increases our understanding of Hennepin County’s climate.
The Minneapolis station is at the Metro Transit Maintenance Facility and the Minneapolis-Camden station is at Henry High School. The two sites fill data gaps in eastern Hennepin County and the urban core. They provide valuable data to monitor severe weather, extreme heat, extreme rainfall, and more.
Several schools across Hennepin County are using the stations to show students the importance of weather monitoring. Next year, Hennepin County Emergency Management will work with St. Cloud State University to develop curriculum for using mesonet data in classrooms.
Learn how the mesonet station network helps monitor and prepare for extreme weather in a changing climate.
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Zero Waste Plan update: Work groups recommend actions to accelerate the county’s path to zero waste
Hennepin County is developing a Zero Waste Plan that will advance greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies outlined in the Climate Action Plan.
Zero Waste Plan work groups comprised of community members and industry stakeholders recently wrapped up their work of refining and recommending actions for inclusion in the Zero Waste Plan. This concludes phase two of the plan development process. The work groups elevated more than 60 actions for inclusion in the plan.
The work groups formed around seven themes: equity and access, policy, neighborhood solutions, advancing circularity, systems and infrastructure, green streams, and blue streams.
More than 160 people registered to join a work group. Each work group had at least 20 members that included a balance of community members, staff from businesses, nonprofit organizations, and local government, and waste experts.
Learn more about the work group process and results.
Next steps
The solid waste consultant is now analyzing the elevated actions to determine their technical and economic feasibility and environmental and social benefits. Part of this analysis will include recommending additional actions if needed to address any remaining gaps to ensure a comprehensive Zero Waste Plan.
The Zero Waste Plan development process and proposed actions will be presented to the county board in November. Broad public engagement to gather feedback on the recommended actions will occur in January and February 2023.
Information about ways to give feedback will be shared on beheardhennepin.org and through Zero Waste Plan email updates.
We all have a shared responsibility to do more to combat climate change, protect our local environment, and make our communities healthier. We recently added the following articles to help you take action at home and in your community.
Join a community science project to investigate climate change impacts in your area
Volunteering your time to a community science project leads to better environmental data and improved understanding of environmental issues and climate change impacts.
Some community science projects focus on tracking changes in habitat, wildlife, and phenology - or seasonal changes - to improve our collective understanding of climate impacts. Others involve taking action to address local concerns about water pollution, habitat preservation, and climate change.
There are opportunities to get involved either online or in-person in any season, and many of these programs are accessible to all ages.
Find a community science project that is right for you and your family and get involved in giving back to your community.
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Explaining the science of climate change
When talking to others about climate change, you may wonder if it’s necessary to have a common, baseline understanding of how climate change works?
Grounding climate education, communication, and conversations in some basic climate science can help put people in a productive place to think about climate solutions. Metaphors and analogies have proven to be effective at helping people understand the complexities of climate science.
Learn how to effectively explain climate science using metaphors like the heat-trapping blanket, too much carbon, ocean as the climate’s heart, and climate as the foundations of our lives.
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Teaching about climate change
Understanding the science of climate change makes people more concerned about the issue, more likely to support action, and more confident in talking to others. Understanding effective and impactful solutions empowers people to get involved.
Teaching about climate change can be complicated, but educators don’t need to generate curriculum themselves. Many educational resources already exist, including full curriculum programs, individual activities, downloadable games, and digital interactive tools.
Our list of climate curriculum and resources was recently updated. These resources are available to both formal and informal educators looking to incorporate lessons and activities on climate change and climate action into their classrooms and programs. Most of the resources are available at no cost. Explore the updated list of available resources.
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