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U.S. regains climate cred. How about Minnesota?
We have a lot to lose if we don't reduce emissions quickly.
By Mary Brainerd and Ann Mulholland
August 21, 2022 at 11:00PM
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The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act marked the most significant achievement ever by Congress to respond to the climate crisis. As the Star Tribune Editorial Board wrote on Aug. 13, it re-establishes the U.S. as a leader on mitigating climate change.
With this legislation, federal lawmakers have dedicated $369 billion toward addressing climate change over the next 10 years. In the Editorial Board's words, "the bill and additional efforts by other national, state and local government entities could cut greenhouse gases by 40% by the end of the decade." This is a major accomplishment of the IRA, but the editorial fails to note the role that Minnesota leaders can and must play in addressing climate change.
Minnesota is one of the fastest warming states in the nation. Climate change is already having an enormous impact on our waters, lands, wildlife and residents. Yet the state has failed to meet its past emissions reductions goals and is still not back on track. To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, we need to reduce emissions by at least 50% by 2030.
Congress may have reasserted its credibility on climate, but our state leaders cannot yet say the same. Minnesota should seize this opportunity to pass ambitious climate legislation and demonstrate what it means for a state to lead on climate mitigation.
Minnesota's natural and working lands — like forests, pastures and croplands — can sequester roughly 20% of our carbon emissions. The IRA recognizes the potential of natural climate solutions and dedicates $20 billion to climate-smart agriculture to help producers reduce greenhouse gas emissions on their farms.
State legislators approved $500,000 for a soil health assistance program in 2022, a welcome step that acknowledges the role farmers play in managing large swaths of Minnesota's land area, and therefore our climate. But with about half the land in the state in agricultural production, the Legislature's investment — even with the addition of new federal funding — won't be sufficient.
The IRA also invests $5 billion for forests, supporting management activities to reduce wildfire risk and help our cities, towns and tribal communities plant more trees. This investment from Congress will help more Minnesotans access the benefits trees provide, like providing us with clean air to breathe, reducing pollutants and sediment in our water and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
But in recent years, Minnesota has fallen behind on investing in forests. Programs for reforestation, seedling production and forest management have all gone underfunded. This hurts the health of our forests, our residents and our economy, including Minnesota's robust forest products industry.
Recent analysis found that the IRA will support 10,000 jobs in Minnesota every year for the next decade, including skilled jobs across diversified industries such as the power, buildings and transportation sectors. These jobs and the associated economic activity will generate roughly $130 million in local, state and federal government revenue annually for 10 years.
Together, the IRA's innovative incentives and investments in agriculture and forestry, renewable energy, clean transportation and more will drive an estimated $6.6 billion of investment here in Minnesota over the next decade.
We applaud Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith and Reps. Angie Craig, Betty McCollum, Ilhan Omar and Dean Phillips for voting in favor of this investment in our climate and reclaiming our nation's status as a leader on climate change.
Now is the time for Minnesota to build on the progress Congress has made. The governor's administration has been working on developing a Climate Action Framework that will outline key areas for climate investments. In 2023, legislators can put resources behind these strategies.
Complementing this federal investment with ambitious state action to accelerate the expansion of natural climate solutions would make an even bigger difference and put Minnesota on a path toward a brighter future.
Now is not the time to let up.
Mary Brainerd is chair and Ann Mulholland is director of The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.
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Mary Brainerd and Ann Mulholland
Using the existing institutional structures, rather than blowing them up, will be a better way of advancing conservatives’ ideas to improve education.
