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For
release: Aug. 3, 2012
What’s new at the Eco Experience at the
Minnesota State Fair?
Getting
ready for the seventh year at the Minnesota State Fair, the Eco Experience is better than ever! Every area of the exhibit has
added new components to get Minnesotans to take action in their everyday lives.
Energy Solutions Home: This brand new
component of the Eco Experience showcases real solutions for your home. Saving
energy will not only save you money but makes a difference in the air we
breathe and the water quality in our communities.
The Energy
Solutions Home includes these features:
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Home
performance.
How much energy does your home use and what is the environmental impact of
a typical Minnesota home? Check out this interactive display. See
equipment like blower doors, infared cameras, and other advanced energy
audit equipment.
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Home lighting. Do you become overwhelmed
when you’re shopping the lighting aisle? Learn how to choose exactly what
you need for many types of rooms.
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Home envelope- Have you
experienced ice dams? Learn how to seal and insulate your home to prevent
them in this interactive display showing all types of insulating and
sealing issues.
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Saving water. See the latest
info on low-flow fixtures, faucets, showerheads and plumbing fixtures.
Saving water saves you money
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Green materials. Check out the latest
finishes, cabinets, high-efficiency appliances and Minnesota-made
products.
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Renewables. Have you considered
solar or wind power for your home? See the latest products and meet
professionals who can answer questions on the best options and performance
of renewables for your home.
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Landscaping. Learn how to
implement things like rain barrels, pollinator gardens, drip irrigation,
and permeable pavers. Check out our beautiful but eco-friendly mini
gardens.
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Paying for it. Learn how to pay
for your home improvements through affordable financing and loan programs.
In the Eco-experience’s
water area, these new exhibits will be popular:
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The bugs that
live in our waters. Insects tell us a lot about the health of our lakes
and streams. There will be dozens of specimens to look at and magnifiers
to put them on the big screen in this hands-on exhibit. See which insects
indicate a clean lake.
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Tap water. Come refill
your reusable bottle with our free drinking fountain located next to the
water area.
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Stream table.
This exhibit will be a favorite with the kids. Turn on the
water and your own model stream in a sandbox. You can see how plants shape
a stream in this hands-on exhibit. A favorite with the kids!
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Deicing salt- What happens to
all the salt that is applied to icy sidewalks and roads? As it turns out, it
ends up in Minnesota’s waters. Fish, insects and plants don’t tolerate
salty water well, but the salt is nearly impossible to remove. Learn what
you can do to help.
Reduce,
reuse, recycle. Confused about plastic recycling?
From grocery bags to rubber ducks, find out what you need to know recycle your plastic.
Did you know over 1.4 billion water
and pop bottles are purchased each year in Minnesota? Shockingly, only 24
percent are recycled! Let’s recycle
more.
Wonder where all your plastic
bottles that are recycled go? Stroll through the Bottle Buyology exhibit to learn how you can help reduce your
plastic footprint, recycle more, and support Minnesota jobs. On your way, you will pass through a
30-foot-long hallway covered with 15,600 #1 plastic bottles. (Great visual
opportunity)
Kick
gas: Basic bicycle maintenance demonstrations which cover safety checks, tire changing, helmet fit, and more will be given from noon to 4 p.m.
daily. Pedal Minnesota will have great info to help you get biking all over the
state.
Climate
change: Minnesotans Making a Difference.
This interactive display will show visitors what real people, schools and
businesses across the state are doing to reduce energy consumption and
greenhouse gases. Check out videos, a real ice core model and a large State
of Minnesota display that shows specific examples.
Take a break in and check the free
activities available for children in the kids area.
Every
Action Matters! Kids big and small can put together
their own puzzle of easy actions they can take to reduce greenhouse gases. Once
put together, they will place a piece of paper over the puzzle and rub it with
crayons, giving them a something they can take home to remind them of simple
actions they can take to lessen their impact on the planet.
New in the
Healthy Local Food Area will be the Growing Strong: How Farmers
Markets Nourish People, Communities and the Planet exhibit. This exhibit celebrates the many ways that farmers markets
serve Minnesota communities. While supporting renewed interest in sustainable
farming and local food, farmers markets help fill a growing desire to make our
communities more connected, livable and vibrant. Through a combination of
photomurals and first-person storytelling, visitors will explore the importance
of farmers markets both now and throughout history.
At the vehicles display, we’ll be
showing the latest and greatest in fuel efficiency, electric vehicles, and how
you can connect your vehicle to solar. Lots of demonstrations and experts to
answer your questions. Check our website to see which vehicles will be in this
exhibit. Hint: Ford is providing
something very cutting edge for the exhibit.
Daily
themes are listed on the Eco Experience website, and
include some fun, new topics, such as recycled fashion. We’ll also have daily food demos by local chefs, farms and
companies in the Healthy Local Food
Area. The Sustainability Stage will
feature experts from all over the state who will share their knowledge with you
for free.
About the Eco Experience: A partnership between the Minnesota State
Fair, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and over 150 organizations and
businesses across the state, the Eco Experience has become the second most
popular exhibit at the fair. The Eco Experience is the largest environmental
event of its kind, nationally, in the last two decades. Since 2006,
almost 2.5 million visitors have attended the 25,000-square-foot exhibit to
learn more about clean air and water, saving energy, climate change, recycling,
healthy local food, transportation, green building and remodeling, and other
ways to lead more eco-friendly lives. Look for more information on www.ecoexperience.org
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