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Brian Peterson, Writer
Brian Peterson is pursuing a Master’s of Public Policy degree at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. He is concentrating in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy.
Cap and trade: Why you should care, what you need to know
Climate change is rapidly rising as an issue in the public conscience, in Minnesota and across the United States. The number of Americans naming climate change as the world’s biggest environmental problem jumped from 16 percent to 33 percent from 2006 to 2007 (Washington Post/Time/ABC/Stanford University). Closer to home, a 2006 poll for the Minnesota Conservation Federation found that 66 percent of Minnesota sportsmen feel that climate change is an urgent problem requiring urgent action. The question remains, however, how can we address such a complex issue without causing huge economic problems? MORE »
Greening Minnesota cars
Walk onto a lot at any car dealership in Minnesota today, and the cars you see will look pretty much the same as the cars sold across the border in Wisconsin or Iowa. A bill currently in the Legislature, however, might give cars sold in Minnesota a green tinge. The bill’s sponsors call it the Clean Car Act. If passed, it would direct Minnesota to adopt the emissions standards set by the California Air Resources Board, rather than the standards set by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. MORE »
