Protesters greet Gov. Pawlenty at environmental meeting in Ely

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Subject: Protesters greet Gov. Pawlenty at environmental meeting in Ely

To see the video of the Governor with Bob Tammen, go to:

http://ksax.com/article/stories/S303681.shtml


http://tpt.blogs.com/almanac_producers/2008/01/almanac-highlig.html

Protestors covered on Almanac by Mary Lahammer

Global Warming in Ely
Governor Pawlenty and explorer Will Steger teamed up in Ely on Friday to talk about global warming. Our Mary Lahammer was there.
Fridays at 7 PM (live)
Sundays at 11:30 AM
WDSE-8, Duluth, MN

According to the Duluth cable guide this will air 10:30 AM Sunday and 11:00 PM Sunday night. Mary Lahammer covered the protestors in Ely and spoke with some on their opposition to sulfide mining in the state.


http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/01/05/copper/
MPR Protesters greet Gov. Pawlenty at environmental meeting
Gov. Tim Pawlenty was greeted by protesters at an Ely, Minn., summit on global climate change
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Governor Tim Pawlenty
Protesters greet Gov. Pawlenty at environmental meeting
January 5, 2008

Ely, Minn. — Gov. Tim Pawlenty was greeted by protesters at an Ely, Minn., summit on global climate change. Demonstrators worry that copper and precious metals mining planned on the Iron Range will create dangerous waste that could pollute area water supplies for decades or longer.

Gov. Pawlenty said there needs to be a balance, and that the mining could be done safely.

"One of the themes of the discussion today was making sure we balance the need to make sure that people have jobs and economic growth and economic activity, with being good stewards with the environment and the need reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and address climate change. I think both can be done," says Gov. Pawlenty. The Ely summit is the first of several meetings that Gov. Pawlenty and Will Steger are holding around the state.
Larger view
Will Steger

Minn. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar joined the Ely summit, along with a dozen Iron Range business and academic leaders.
Outside Vermilion Community College in Ely Friday afternoon January 4th-

The Governor shook everyone's hand and talked with everyone about sulfide mining. Elanne hand delivered a personal letter to the Governor. I gave Governor Pawlenty some literature on sulfide mining, he told me that it would give him something to read on the plane. Bob was the last person he talked with and he told Bob "It hasn't been permitted yet". Bob had a dialogue with him about fast tracking the sulfide mining projects, etc.





To see the video of the Governor with Bob Tammen and more, go to:

http://ksax.com/article/stories/S303681.shtml
Pawlenty responds to protesters
Governor Pawlenty, joined by Amy Klobuchar and explorer Will Steger, was in Ely Friday to discuss climate changes and how the state may have to deal with them...
Full Article

Pawlenty responds to protesters

Governor Pawlenty, joined by Amy Klobuchar and explorer Will Steger, was in Ely Friday to discuss climate changes and how the state may have to deal with them.

One of the issues on the table – how to reduce emissions, protect the environment, but not stifle economic development.

The governor’s handlers wanted Pawlenty to avoid a small group of protestors outside the climate forum, but instead, the governor addressed them.

The protesters said they question how the governor can be so concerned about climate change issues, while at the same time, his administration supports plans for increased mining on the Iron Range.

"At the same time they are talking about global warming they are trying to fast track a copper mine right on the other side of Birch Lake," said Bob Iammen, a protester.

A Republican governor, a Democrat senator, and even the steel industry shared the same stage, agreeing to call on Minnesota to use energy more efficiently and to come up with a plan to not only address climate change, but also to create economic opportunity for the state in the process.

"If we go boldly and correctly, it may create economic balance," Pawlenty said. "Having a cleaner, better environment doesn't have to mean the loss to the economy -- it could be a net gain."

Last session the legislature passed a law requiring Minnesota companies to reduce emissions. The stop in Ely was one of several made by the governor's task force, which will present a report to lawmakers in February.






http://tpt.blogs.com/almanac_producers/2008/01/almanac-highlig.html

Protestors covered on Almanac by Mary Lahammer

Fridays at 7 PM (live)
Sundays at 11:30 AM
WDSE-8, Duluth, MN


According to the Duluth cable guide this will air 10:30 AM Sunday and 11:00 PM Sunday night. I hear that Fern and Mark were shown being interviewed in Ely about copper/sulfide mining.

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Governor Pawlenty and explorer Will Steger teamed up in Ely on Friday to talk about global warming. Our Mary Lahammer was there.

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Posted at 03:41 PM | Permalink





http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=57538&section=homepage

Pawlenty says he may participate in Canadian Arctic trip in May
Lee Bloomquist Duluth News Tribune
Published Saturday, January 05, 2008
Gov. Tim Pawlenty hasn’t decided yet whether to accompany polar explorer Will Steger to the Canadian Arctic in May.

But the two joined forces Friday in the far reaches of northern Minnesota to again call attention to climate change.

“Will and I are going to do some more forums in Minnesota,” Pawlenty said in a conference call after a climate forum at Vermilion Community College in Ely. “I’m still interested in going on the trip, but it’s subject to scheduling and the [legislative] session in the spring.”
Pawlenty: Says his participation depends on scheduling this spring's legislative session. [2007 FILE/NEWS TRIBUNE]
Pawlenty: Says his participation depends on scheduling this spring's legislative session. [2007 FILE/NEWS TRIBUNE]
RELATED CONTENT
Duluth News Tribune Web Icon Steger
Lee Bloomquist Archive
It’s not the first time that Pawlenty and Steger have talked about the environment and its impact on the globe.

In October, the two teamed up in Duluth to talk about global warming.

Steger, a native of Ely, has explored both poles, the Arctic Ocean and the Andes. He says he’s seen firsthand the effects of global warming.

Pawlenty, meanwhile, has become a national leader in calling attention to climate change and pushing for tougher laws aimed at improving the environment.

Pawlenty in 2007 signed a renewable energy mandate calling for utilities to produce 25 percent of their power by renewable means by 2025. Pawlenty also has been an advocate for reducing the state’s carbon emissions.

Under Pawlenty, Minnesota has been a national leader in the production and promotion of E-85 fuel, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.

continued...

Some protesters turned out in Ely to express concern about copper

Some protesters turned out in Ely to express concern about copper, nickel and precious metals mining projects proposed in Northeastern Minnesota.

Pawlenty said he believes that development of copper, nickel and precious metals mines could be balanced along with protection of the environment.

“I think both can be done,” Pawlenty said. “It’s going to take some technological breakthroughs, but you can do both.”

In the future, Pawlenty says he sees more opportunities for the state to lead in environmental issues.

In early February, a climate change advisory task force will issue a report to Pawlenty and the Legislature proposing additional energy saving and environmental protection strategies.

Coining a north woods version of the “silver bullet” phrase, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar said there’s no “silver buckshot” that will solve climate change.

Klobuchar, who attended the Ely forum, said she expects the federal government to provide incentives for renewable energy development in the short term.

Under federal law, the production of E-85 is set to reach 36 billion gallons in the next 10 to 15 years compared with 5 billion to 8 billon gallons today, she said.

“We should be investing in the farmers of the Midwest rather than the oil companies of the Mideast,” Klobuchar said.

Klobuchar said she’d also like to see the rest of the country adopt Minnesota’s standard of producing 25 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2025.

Steger’s team in May will use dogsleds to reach Ellesmere Island, about 700 miles south of the North Pole.

The team consists of two Americans, two Norwegians, a Canadian and a Briton.

The team plans to place time-lapse cameras on the island to record glacier retreat and other signs of global warming.

LEE BLOOMQUIST can be reached weekdays at (800) 368-2506, (218) 744-2354 or by e-mail at lbloomquist@duluthnews.com.
Steger: Plans another trip to Canadian Arctic in May to record signs of global warming. [FILE]
Steger: Plans another trip to Canadian Arctic in May to record signs of global warming. [FILE]



No mention of protestors in the Mesabi Daily or Star Trib-

Warm talk way up north
Pawlenty, Klobuchar, Steger lead panel on climate change in Ely
Angie Riebe
Last updated: Friday, January 04th, 2008 10:47:06 PM

ELY — A governor, a U.S. senator and a global explorer — all from Minnesota — met Friday in one of the most northern parts of the state to talk about the reality of a warming climate and what real steps need to be taken to combat it.

“Global warming is real,” said Will Steger, of Ely, who has witnessed the impacts of climate change during more than 45 years of dogsled expeditions to the polar regions. “Global warming is a silent enemy at our doorstep.”

But there is opportunity to “unite as people” and “act collectively,” he said during a community forum at the Vermilion Community College theater in Ely.

Minnesotans are concerned about climate change as evidenced, he said, by Friday’s audience. The auditorium was packed with well more than 200 people of all ages — many standing or sitting in the aisles — including 60 area high school students.

The purpose of the forum — one of many being held throughout the state — was to discuss the effects of climate change in northern Minnesota and to discuss solutions for the future.

Steger and Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty were joined by U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and a panel that included representatives of the mining, paper and snowmobile industries, a tribal leader, Ely business owner, and union representative.

“Suppose the whole thing is a hoax,” Pawlenty said of climate change. “The best thing we can do is clean up the planet and leave a better planet for our children and grandchildren...”

In northern Minnesota, climate change impacts everything from the forests and wildlife populations and habitat to recreational activities and tourism, he said.

Studies have shown, Klobuchar said, that since the Ice Age, the planet has warmed by one degree, and it will continue to do so. But “it’s not just science anymore,” she said.

The Ham Lake fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness last summer was a result of global warming, she said. Lake Superior barge traffic is threatened by changing water levels. Anglers are waiting “longer and longer to put their ice houses out.” And, although there’s been more snow this winter than years past in the state, ski resorts have also suffered in recent times.

Dr. Lee Frelich, research associate and director of the University of Minnesota Center for Hardwood, said climate change will lead to the loss of forests for a number of reasons, including droughts, which make trees “susceptible to disease and insects.” Reforestation and limiting carbon dioxide emission can help the problem, he said.

“We have some work to do,” Pawlenty said.

However, work has already been accomplished, he said.

Last year, the governor signed the Next Generation Act of 2007, which aims to provide more renewable energy, energy conservation and less carbon emissions statewide. The bill includes goals of greenhouse gas reduction in the state of 15 percent by 2015, 30 percent by 2025, and 80 percent by 2050.

Last April, the governor also established the Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group, which consists of about 50 Minnesotans working to develop a plan for reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Additionally, Pawlenty was among a number of Midwestern governors last year to sign the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord, which will serve as a regional strategy to achieve energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.

Also, Klobuchar said, the climate change bill, which intends to put a cap on greenhouse gas emissions, has been approved by a Senate committee and is now headed to debate in the full Senate.

o

Members of the panel also spoke about solutions taking place in northern Minnesota.

“We’re close to eliminating fossil fuels” from operations at the Sappi paper mill in Cloquet, said plant director Tom Collins. At one time, he said, paper products were measured by how smooth, shiny and white they were. Today, however, consumers have driven the industry with environmental concerns about such things as how much recycled fiber was incorporated into the products and what sort of energy was used to produce them.

Kevin Leecy, chairman of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, also spoke about the cultural implications of climate change. “We depend on the area for food and medication central to our traditions,” he said. But “we’re not opposed to modern development.”

Not only does Fortune Bay Resort Casino have a recycling program, but the band has also received $300,000 in state funds for a feasibility study of a biofuel facility on the reservation.

“We need to look seven generations ahead when it comes to renewable energy in Minnesota,” Leecy said.

Vermilion Community College uses geothermal energy on its campus and encourages recycling, said Provost Mary Koski. It was fitting that the forum was held at VCC, which has a number of environmental programs, she said.

Panel members spoke, too, of the economic opportunities that accompany renewable energy sources.

The production of wind turbines, for example, “put workers to work,” said David Foster of the United Steelworkers of America union. They are “real jobs with real benefits to the economy.” But “benefits can’t come to us unless we have the right global warming solutions.”

Foster noted that companies in China use three times more carbon per ton in production of steel than those in Minnesota.

If companies close down in Minnesota, those overseas will take over, said Craig Pagel of the Iron Mining Association, adding that “Minntac has used sawdust for years to reduce greenhouse emissions. ... We need a global solution.”

Steger noted that one of the largest wind turbine companies is seeking a place to set up shop and that Minnesota would fare well to “attract this industry.”

o

Steve Piragis, owner of Piragis Northwoods Co. in Ely, said even a small Northern Minnesota community such as Ely can do things to combat climate change, such as recycling and installing energy-efficient light bulbs.

Ely residents “recycle per capita more than anyone else in northern Minnesota,” he said. Piragis presented a challenge to the Ely community, saying that it would not be difficult for all residents to switch the light bulbs in their homes to florescent — and Ely could be the first town to use only energy-efficient lighting.

Small things, such as putting computers on sleep mode when not in use, are also helpful, Pawlenty said.

In response to a question from a student in the audience, he and Klobuchar remarked about ways they have reduced their own carbon footprint.

Klobuchar said she changed all the light bulbs in her home, bought a washing machine that uses less water and energy, and will eventually replace her car with a hybrid. Pawlenty said the governor’s residence used LED Christmas lighting this year, and he also changed out light bulbs in his home and carpools when possible.

“There’s not one silver bullet,” he said. Rather, “a collection of things” must be done to be environmentally responsible and fight climate change.

Minnesota can be a leader in climate change solutions, Klobuchar said. From the state came the invention of Post-it Notes and the pacemaker, and “energy revolution is our next challenge.”

A year ago during a visit to Ely, she said she stopped at Vertins Cafe and met a man who had worked with her grandfather at Ely’s Zenith Mine. The man told Klobuchar that her grandfather, a foreman, “went down with the guys (into the mine) and he went down first,” she said. “This is our opportunity to go first.”

“The work we’re doing here today,” Pawlenty said, is “setting up shade trees literally and figuratively for the next generation to come.”

o

Angie Riebe can be reached at angie.riebe@mx3.com. To read this story and comment on it online go to www.virginiamn.com.





http://www.startribune.com/local/13062862.html
Pawlenty and Steger kick off climate talks in Ely

The forum was the first of several for the adventurer and the governor, who are focusing on possible local effects of climate change.

By LARRY OAKES, Star Tribune

Last update: January 4, 2008 - 11:12 PM

ELY, MINN. - The boreal forest surrounding this town, defining its rugged character and sustaining its wilderness economy, is one of the precious assets Minnesota stands to lose if humans fail to reduce emissions contributing to global warming, a scientist warned Friday at a forum hosted by Gov. Tim Pawlenty and explorer Will Steger.

"With a doubling of [carbon dioxide], our forests will shift 200 to 400 miles northward," University of Minnesota forest ecologist Lee Frelich told about 250 people who crowded into the auditorium at Vermilion Community College. "There would be a tsunami of grass from the west. Minnesota would end up without much forest at all."

The gathering was the first of several Pawlenty and Steger have agreed to host statewide, focusing mostly on the potential local effects of climate change. The Republican governor and the dog-sledding adventurer joined forces last fall on the issue, with Pawlenty declaring it "one of the most important issues of our time."

Minnesota should seize the chance to benefit economically from solutions, Pawlenty said, creating "green collar" jobs.

These could involve clean-energy technologies such as wind, solar, and bio-mass.

"Finally we're waking up to the fact that global warming is real, as evidenced by the audience here today," Steger told the gathering in his hometown of 3,500 people, where "eco-tourism" is a pillar of the economy.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, whose grandparents lived in Ely, agreed that Minnesota should seize the opportunity to become a leader in combating climate change.

"We've brought the world everything from the Post-it note to the pacemaker," Klobuchar said. "I see this as our next major challenge."

Ely wilderness outfitter Steve Piragis, citing the wind storm that mowed downed millions of trees in the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness a few years ago and has contributed to major forest fires, said the potential problems from climate change outweigh any potential advantages, such as longer summers.

"Can we afford to say the blowdown wasn't related to climate change?" Piragis said. "I don't think so."

Can states work together?

Noting that citizens don't need to wait for their government to lead, Piragis posed another question: "Wouldn't it be great if Ely could become the first town in America to have every lightbulb in town be fluorescent?"

Pawlenty said that in the absence of strong national leadership, action by individual states, combined with multistate compacts, have the potential to become "de facto national policy."

J. Drake Hamilton, science and policy director for a nonprofit group called Fresh Energy and the conference moderator, challenged citizens to take action that they'll be able to defend 20 years from now.

"Our children will ask, 'What did you do?' " she said, adding that the best answer would be: "We did everything we could -- and it worked."

Pawlenty said he still hopes, schedule permitting, to rendezvous with Steger during the explorer's planned trip to the Canadian Arctic this spring to see the shrinking ice floes that demonstrate the effects of climate change in that region.

He said that a lack of 100 percent certainty about climate change and its causes should no longer be an excuse to do nothing.

"Suppose the whole thing is a hoax," Pawlenty said. "The worst thing we'll do in the process is clean up the world and leave a better planet for our children and grandchildren."

Larry Oakes • 218-727-7344
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