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Goal: A clean and healthy environment that contributes to our state's well-being now and into the future.
A long-running ad campaign dubbed Minnesota "the land of sky blue waters," hinting at our tradition of caring for the environment: Forward thinking in environmental preservation, an array of natural spaces, laws keeping our air clean, innovation in "green" practices, and people who enjoy the outdoors all year long. But are we doing as well as we could be? As the world begins to clean up its act, are we still setting the bar, or lowering it?
What's happening
- In 2006, Minnesota's average annual greenhouse gas emissions registered a slight decline after increasing each year on record since 1970. The state will have to accelerate this positive trend to meet mandated targets for 2015 and 2025, as outlined in the The Next Generation Energy Act of 2007.
- The Air Quality Index, which is the Environmental Protection Agency's measure of our air quality on a daily basis, rated the air in the Twin Cities region “good” about three-fourths of the days during 2008. This was the best percentage of good air quality days this decade.
Making connections
There is no question that transportation has a major effect on the environment. Likewise, how our business sectors work to the good or detriment of the environment has an effect on the economy and workforce. Poor air and water quality also negatively impact the health of residents in the region, which brings down our quality of life.
New in our Library
- Confronting climate change in the U.S. Midwest: Minnesota
- A Look at community capacity to conserve open space in the Twin Cities area
- The state of the great outdoors: America's parks, public lands and recreation resources
- Greenhouse gas emissions in Minnesota: 1970-2006
- Air quality in Minnesota: Emerging trends
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