Environment (MN Governor's Race)

What are the issues facing the environment in Minnesota? First and foremost, there is climate change. Minnesota has warmed 1 to 3 degrees over the last century. In the winter, ice forms on lakes later and melts earlier. Throughout the Midwest, annual precipitation has increased 5-10% over the last 50 years, and 35% on the four wettest days of the year. As a result, floods have become more frequent. In the Red River watershed, which affects northwestern Minnesota, river flows during the worst flood each year have been increasing about 10% per decade since the 1920’s. In addition to floods, rising temperatures will interfere with winter recreation and agriculture, change the composition of Minnesota forests, and increase water pollution as severe storms increase the amount of pollutants that runoff from land to water. In the next 70 years, it is predicted that southern Minnesota will have 5 to 15 more days over 95 degrees than they do today. This will affect corn harvests in rural areas and public health in urban areas.

Why is the climate changing? Our earth is warming. Due to fossil fuel (coal, oil, and natural gas) burning, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is higher than it has been at any time in the last 400,000 years. People have increased the carbon dioxide in the air by 40% since the 1700’s. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released during the combustion of fossil fuels used to produce electricity trap heat in our atmosphere. As the atmosphere warms, evaporation increases which increases humidity, average rainfall, and severe storms.

What is Minnesota doing about it? Minnesota’s Renewable Energy Standard requires utilities to produce 25% of their electrical generation through renewable energy sources such as wind, hydrogen, and solar by 2025. Governor Pawlenty set this goal in 2006 and signed it into law a year later. It is one of the nation’s strongest renewable energy standards to move us away from the use of fossil fuels. Minnesota currently gets 21% of its energy from renewable energy.

Protecting Minnesota’s groundwater so that everyone has safe and affordable drinking water is another concern. Nearly 75% of Minnesotans get their drinking water from ground water sources. According to the Minnesota Department of Health’s Annual Drinking Water Report, 537 public wells have elevated nitrate levels and 10% of private wells already exceed health limits. The cost for treating this water is very expensive and will cost 10 communities in the state of Minnesota thousands of dollars per household. According to Clean Water Action, “Minnesota officials, farmers, and communities must find ways to reduce runoff from farm fields that contain excess amounts of nitrogen, which pollute drinking water with nitrates.”

Our elected officials play an important role in environmental protection, or lack thereof. In 1989, the legislature passed the Groundwater Protection Act which directs the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) to promote voluntary pollution prevention by reducing the use of chemical fertilizer. They also have the authority to impose rules if the voluntary prevention is not enough. These voluntary measure have not been enough, so as of June 2018, the MDA has held 17 public meetings across the state and has proposed a Groundwater Protection Rule to work with farmers and communities where the drinking water is already unsafe or approaching unsafe levels. Where this issue goes next will largely depend on our elected officials.

Here is where the candidates stand:

Jeff Johnson (R): Candidate Johnson does not address the environment as an issue on his website as he has downplayed the concern of climate change. In 2006, he did vote in favor of having a portion of sales tax dedicated to the environment and the arts, 30% of which would protect and restore Minnesota’s water.

Erin Murphy (D): Candidate Murphy supports strengthening efforts such as Minnesota’s Renewable Energy Standard to help Minnesota move away from fossil fuels. She wants to dramatically increase our use of electric vehicles by investing in the infrastructure to make electric vehicles an option for all Minnesotans throughout the state. She also wants to make serious investments in making buildings more efficient. She will work to expand Minnesota’s green energy portfolio to include more wind, solar, biomass, and other renewable options. She will invest more in the Natural Resources Research Institute in their pursuit of scientific advances capable of cleaning impaired drinking water, preventing impaired water, and reacting quickly to compromised water. She believes in making an $11 billion dollar bonding investment to update state and local waste and drinking water infrastructure to prevent water contamination in communities all over the state.

Tim Pawlenty (R): Candidate Pawlenty does not address the environment as an issue on his website. However, in 2003, as governor, he established the Clean Water Cabinet to coordinate and facilitate efforts to protect Minnesota’s waters. And, as stated above, he set the goal of 25% of energy generation to come from renewable resources by the year 2025 as governor in 2006. In 2011, during a speech at the University of Chicago, he said, “The Environmental Protection Agency is now regulating carbon emissions, a policy rejected by Congress, but putting millions of jobs at risk. We don't need the unelected officials at EPA to do what our elected officials in Congress have rejected. We need less EPA monitoring of our economy and more monitoring of EPA's effects on our freedom.” After his announcement of his bid for governor this year, he told the press corp, “The climate is always changing. …Here’s the good news: The United States of America, regardless of what you think about climate change, is leading the world in reducing carbon emissions. … We now have access to abundant and affordable American energy. … But we do not need, and we should not have, more government mandates or dictates about any of that. … Regardless of what you think of climate change, and the climate is changing.”

Tim Walz (D): Candidate Walz supports expanding Minnesota’s Renewable Energy Standard to ensure that by 2030, 50% of our energy comes from renewable sources. He supports reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 in all sectors of the economy. He will work with farmers on clean water solutions. He will work for tribal rights when assessing Minnesota projects as he has with the updates to the Enbridge Energy Line 3 oil pipeline which passes through tribal lands.