The Central Minnesota Chapter of The Climate Reality Project
Representing Minnesota and surrounding areas
A diverse group of passionate individuals who’ve come together to solve the greatest challenge of our time - Climate Change.
We are Minnesota activists, cultural leaders, organizers, scientists and storytellers committed to building a sustainable future together.
Featured
City Climate Action Plans Across Minnesota
The 100% Campaign has released a report reviewing city climate action plans in Minnesota. This report compares the planning work of 13 cities and one county that have created Climate Action Plans in Minnesota. In this event you will get an overview of city climate action plans in Minnesota, best practices for these plans, and ideas to support and push for local climate action leadership. The 100% Campaign is a coalition advocating for equitable climate action in Minnesota.
About the Speaker: Dr. Kate Knuth is the founder of Democracy and Climate LLC and has worked on research, policy, and solutions at the intersection of climate change and civic life.
Thursday, May 12 2022 - Zoom meeting
Recording now available!
Upcoming Events
Sat May 21
11am-1pm
In-person event
Sheridan Park Picnic Shelter
6500 Upton Ave S Richfield MN
Wed Jun 1
6:30pm-7:30pm
Leadership Zoom Meeting
Committee Breakouts
Thu Jun 8
6:30-7:30pm
J Drake Hamilton
Senior Director of Science Policy
Fresh Energy
Topic: TBD
Wed July 6
6:30pm-7:30pm
Leadership Zoom Meeting
Committee Breakouts
Recent Events
Sustainabilty isn't hard...
Mar 10 2022
... it's just not simple. Wendy Jedlička, industry packaging expert stimulates the discussion into the sustainability practices and business considerations for the consumer packaging that surrounds us, and how systems thinking provides a better context for understanding sustainable package design.
Members
In Person Event - May 21st
Apr 22 2022
Our first in-person event will be held Saturday, May 21st from 11am-1 pm at the Sheridan Park Picnic Shelter in Richfield MN!
Bring your appetite and your signature dish to share! RSVP by 7pm Friday, May 20th!
Solutionary Rail
Feb 10 2022
Bill Moyer presents Solutionary Rail as a "higher purpose for our nation’s railroad infrastructure, transforming the way we use trains and the corridors they travel through. It is a grand strategic project that leads with a positive vision for the future."
Reality Hub Updates
Apr 9 2022
The Climate Reality Project has updated the Reality Hub!
The changes incorporate a user interface that prioritizes sharing, messaging and cross-region sharing. Click below to learn more about the changes
Community Solar
Jan 13 2022
Timothy DenHerder-Thomas, co-founder of Cooperative Energy Futures, gives a high-level overview of the community solar project environment in Minnesota, including deployment volume, examples of solar projects in Minnesota, stakeholders and government processes that affect solar installations.
Achieving Drawdown
Nov 8 2021
After a summer marked by wildfires, air quality alerts, droughts and heatwaves, we all could use a little hope when it comes to climate change. In a talk by Dr. Jonathan Foley, the executive director of Project Drawdown, we take a look at some reasons for optimism when dealing with climate change.
Science
Planetary Dashboard
Global Temps
This number is the increase over 1900-2000 average surface temperatures.
As more of the infrared radiation (heat) is trapped by the atmosphere, surface temperatures have also increased.
+.98° C
Arctic Sea Ice
This value represents the total ice coverage minimum during the summer in the arctic. As the atmosphere warms, ice melts faster in the summer. Additionally, less ice coverage increases the dark areas of the arctic, which further increased the absorption of sunlight and leads to further warming of the arctic waters.
4.72 million sq km
2021 summer minimum sea ice levels
Mountain Glaciers
This graph charts the decline of mountain glacier mass over the past 30 years. Melting glaciers are the primary driver of sea rise, along with the expansion of warming ocean water.
Ocean Heat
Warming waters cause sea level rise, glacial melt and coral bleaching. Much of the heat trapped since the beginning of the industrial revolution has gone into the ocean.
Sea Level
This chart shows the steady increase of sea level since the 1800's. Driven by melting glaciers and the expansion of warmer water, this rise leads to coastal flooding and saltwater intrusion, which damages homes and crops, and threatens hundreds of millions around the world who live in these threatened coastal areas.
CO2
418 PPM
This is the current concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. A principal cause of global warming since the beginning of the industrial revolution, this reduces the ability of the Earth to radiate generated heat into space, trapping more of the heat and leading to increased surface and ocean temperatures.
Chapter Information
We Need You!
We need your help to provide content and fight climate change! Submit your ideas for presentations, news, information or other relevant topics to info@climaterealitymsp.org
We also need your assistance in presenting topics to the chapter. Signup for a short talk and demonstrate your passion in fighting for the future of the planet.