1. Protecting the Minnesota we love
This fall, Environment Minnesota teamed up with a coalition of 200 organizations to ensure passage of the Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment on November 4th. The amendment provides dedicated funding to protect clean water, parks and trails, and wildlife habitat. The result will be $90 million in annual tax revenues beginning in 2010. Over the summer, and right up to election day, Environment Minnesota educated tens of thousands of voters about the amendment, urging them to vote Yes.
2. Advocating a new energy future
After an intensive campaign, we helped pass the first Congressional increase in fuel economy standards for cars and trucks since 1975. Having helped pass strong renewable energy standards in over 20 states, we helped move Congress toward a new energy future with the passage of an Environment Minnesota-backed renewable energy standard in the House of Representative in 2007.
3. Protecting critical waterways
Environment Minnesota and allies stopped BP’s plan to dump more pollution into the Great Lakes; won new laws to stop runoff pollution from sprawl in Maryland and Rhode Island; and used the Clean Water Act to protect rivers and streams from polluters.
4. Stopping global warming and air pollution
On the heels of strong economy-wide caps on global warming pollution in California and New Jersey, as well as commitments from 13 governors to stop global warming, Environment Minnesota-backed legislation introduced in Congress in 2007 would cut global warming pollution 80 percent by 2050.
5. Protecting national forests
Environment Minnesota continues to counter attempts to log and drill in national forests. A record-setting number of citizens nationwide called on the Bush administration to protect these areas and we worked with governors in seven states to petition to do the same.
6. Fighting for clean air
In 2007 Environment America staff played a major role in convincing 13 governors to oppose automakers that attempted to stand in the way of Clean Cars programs that would clean up air pollution.
7. Preserving the Arctic Refuge
Despite the power and influence of the Bush administration and ExxonMobil, our broad-based coalition and the bipartisan support we’ve helped to build stopped Congress from opening the Arctic Refuge to drilling every time it has been proposed.
8. Advancing clean cars
Over the past 15 years, our staff in 10 states have enacted policies that put cleaner cars on the road, reducing asthma attacks, cutting smog, and helping to stop global warming.
9. Toxic-free communities
Building on a legacy of strong advocacy to prevent toxic exposure, we have won measures to phase out developmental toxins from consumer products in California, Washington, Illinois and Massachusetts. We’re also building support for federal legislation to protect children's health from dangerous chemicals.
10. Clean, renewable, homegrown energy
In 2006 we helped pass the landmark Million Solar Roofs Bill in California, and then the boldest solar hot water program in the nation. We have also won solar tax credits in seven states.
