Windustry is a non-profit organization out of Minnesota that helps communities set up wind energy projects that will allow them to benefit economically from our state's most valuable resource. To find out how to set up a local wind project or about current state incentives for renewable energy production, visit:
Call the Wind Information Hotline:
612-870-3461
or Toll Free: 800-946-3640
email: [email protected]
Climate disruption is an urgent threat to the environmental and economic health of our communities. Many cities, in this country and abroad, already have strong local policies and programs in place to reduce global warming pollution, but more action is needed at the local, state, and federal levels to meet the challenge.
On February 16, 2005 the Kyoto Protocol, the international agreement to address climate disruption, became law for the 141 countries that have ratified it to date. On that day, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels launched the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement to advance the goals of the Kyoto Protocol through leadership and action. Two years later, The U.S.Conference of Mayors launched the Mayors Climate Protection Center to administer and track the agreement, among its other activities. By November 1, 2007, there were more than 710 signatories to the Agreement.
Under the Agreement, participating cities commit to take the following three actions:
* Strive to meet or beat the Kyoto Protocol targets in their own communities, through actions ranging from anti-sprawl land-use policies to urban forest restoration projects to public information campaigns;
* Urge their state governments, and the federal government, to enact policies and programs to meet or beat the greenhouse gas emission reduction target suggested for the United States in the Kyoto Protocol -- 7% reduction from 1990 levels by 2012; and
* Urge the U.S. Congress to pass the bipartisan greenhouse gas reduction legislation, which would establish a national emission trading system
Links
Climate Protection Agreement and Resolution ( US Conference of Mayors site)
Click here to see if your city has signed the agreement!
Grand Forks Mayor Michael Brown has signed onto the Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement and formed a committee charged with creating a plan to Green Grand Forks. 2XtM Education Coordinator, Jason Schaefer, is a proud member of this committee. Learn more...
The City of Fargo was ranked #1 for overall environment by the Earth Day Network. The city of Fargo passed out 500 reusable grocery totes last Earth Week to encourage less use or reuse of non-biodegradeable plastic grocery bags.
Fargo continues to work toward being a sustainable community. Efforts include continuing to improve the transit system (ridership has almost doubled since 1999, now over 1.2 million rides, 30% are under college age), using 20% biodiesel in our entire fleet when it's not too cold, capturing greenhouse gas and converting it to energy and cash, and promoting more use of recycled, reusable grocery totes to reduce the amount of plastic bags going to the landfill.
For more information on Fargo's efforts, check out our good friend, Mike Williams' blog - Renew ND