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 activists, cultural leaders, organizers, scientists, storytellers and students committed to building a sustainable future together.
Featured
Holiday In-Person Gathering
Saturday Dec 2nd 11am-2pm
Bryce Hamilton Studio
3112 West 28th Street Mpls MN
Join us on Saturday, Dec 2nd between 11am and 2pm for the Central MN Chapter Holiday Gathering at the Bryce Hamilton Studios: 3112 West 28th Street Minneapolis MN
Family is more than welcome to attend as well. Just let us know at info@climaterealitymsp.com if you're coming, and signup below to bring your tastiest dish. We'll have BBQ meatballs and a slow cook Mac 'n Cheese for the pasta lovers out there. Plus, join in on a rousing medley of climate themed holiday-based songs. Click here for more information.
CMC Action Tracker
Upcoming Events
Sat Dec 2
11am-2pm
Chapter Holiday Get Together
Bryce Hamilton Studios
Wed Jan 3
6:30pm-7:30pm
Leadership Zoom Meeting
Thu Jan 11
6:30pm-7:30pm
Chapter Zoom Meeting
Speaker: TBD
Wed Feb 7
6:30pm-7:30pm
Leadership Zoom Meeting
Thu Feb 15
6:30pm-7:30pm
Chapter Zoom Meeting
Speaker: TBD
Recent Events
Members
Decarbonizing Buildings
Posted Nov 22 2023
The Inflation Reduction Act includes several updates to existing policies that improve the project economics for geothermal. This presentation outlines one new technology from Darcy Solutions, groundwater based geothermal, and why it is a fit for dense urban settings
IRA Tax Credits and Rebates
Updated Oct 15 2023
The Inflation Reduction Act provides tax credits that are currently available to households, as well as upcoming rebates totaling as much as $14,000 per household.
This is free money from the federal government to help modernize your own home and vehicle and reduce carbon use.
Click here for more information, or select "Tax Credits and Rebates" under the Learn menu.
Green Ammonia and Hydrogen
Posted Nov 4 2023
Nitrogen fertilizer production is primarily produced from fossil gas and is extremely carbon intensive. Most of our fertilizer comes from the Gulf Coast. Minnesota could use green hydrogen from wind and solar to produce the fertilizer locally.
Posted June 6 2023
Smart Grids and Microgrids
Chapter member Timothy Nolan has put together a compelling compendium on smart grids and microgrids, explaining their purpose and our need for them as we continue to shift away from fossil fuels.
"Decarbonizing the electricity system, and ultimately achieving net-zero emissions, will require action on a transformative scale. "
Smart Electric Grids
Posted Oct 4 2023
As we move to from fossil-based energy generation to renewable sources, our electrical grid will have to be improved significantly to handle the future growth.
Dr. Massoud Amin discusses methods for increasing resilience of our current electrical infrastructure and challenges and opportunities for future developments.
Federal and MN State Policy Updates
Posted Sept 9 2023
Between changes in federal legislation and state level laws, the climate policy landscape in Minnesota has improved dramatically.
In the presentation, Anna Johnson of Fresh Energy gives an overview of the new opportunities available.
Climate Image Archive
Updated Feb 18 2023
We've been working on a new Climate Image Archive to use in presentations and other materials, and the archive is now live! The images are free to use and distribute with any climate presentation.
We have created two separate collections of high quality climate photos at Unsplash and Pixabay.
Photo by Raychel Tanner from Unsplash
Solutions
Solutions that are scalable, reliable and proven are the key to fighting climate change - we need both policy and ingenuity to solve the issues of a warming world.
The proposed solutions below lead us in the right direction, and provide hope that we can win the fight against global warming.
Decarbonizing Aviation - Synthetic Fuels
The Future of Nuclear Power in an Evolving Energy World
There are concrete steps that we can take to both prepare for a warming world and fight against the sources of that increasing warmth. Check out these presentations from chapter members that highlight the specific ways you can make a difference.
25% by '25 Climate Action Plan Update (2023)
with Mary Britton
Beyond Recycling and Composting
with Kellie Kish
with Isaac Evans
with Bill Middlecamp
with Mary Britton
Sustainable Fashion
with Wendi Russo
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.com
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.
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.
