Letter from the Executive Director

A few articles caught my eye in the Minneapolis based Star Tribune last month. Of course I was proud of Will Steger’s opinion piece on climate literacy, published on January 27th: Will writes “if the nation is to address climate change, it must begin with a public that is climate literate.” You can read the piece here.

Another article in the paper was the new plant hardiness zone map released by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), used by gardeners to select plantings that will be compatible with temperatures in their area. The climate change deniers in the Bush Administration pulled a similar map from circulation in 2003 because of the clear northward trend of planting zones. USDA insists that this is not a climate change map but when compared to the previous map, issued in 1990, the warming trend is hard to miss.

Finally, the U.S. Energy Information Administration recently released its Annual Energy Outlook 2012 report, citing that the United States consumed less coal and imported oil in 2011 than it did in 2005. While current emission levels are not on target to reduce U.S. carbon emissions by 17 percent by the year 2020, EIA’s forecast shows that new fuel-economy standards are helping Americans reduce their daily oil consumption. Locally, in Minneapolis, the city has experienced a 12.8 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions without cutting electricity use over the past six years. The reduction may be the result of cleaner energy such as wind and solar as well as more fuel-efficient cars. The city is currently revising a new Climate Action Plan.

Read more about our program highlights in this month’s e-newsletter.

Sincerely,

Nicole Rom, Executive Director

August 7 and 8, 2012 at the School of Environmental Studies in Apple Valley, MN

Apply Now To Attend

The Will Steger Foundation’s Summer Institute for Climate Change Education will enrich your teaching of climate change and help you bring climate literacy to your educational setting.

The 2012 Summer Institute will feature keynote speaker Dr. John Abraham from the University of St. Thomas. Dr. Abraham will share his climate science expertise to provide educators with an overview of fundamental climate science concepts.

What past Summer Institute attendees are saying:

"It was one of the best, most useful workshops I have been to in a long time.”

“I was engaged, the information was clear and logical.”

“I can use some portion of every session I attended in my classroom, which makes this a success for me.”

Grades 3-12 formal and informal educators will receive training on and a copy of our revised, interdisciplinary and standards-based Minnesota’s Changing Climate curriculum and online classroom. Those who have already received this training will have the opportunity to attend more in-depth sessions and learn about new activities to include in their teaching.

Participants will be able to attend a variety of breakout sessions including sessions focused on climate change basics and outdoor classroom skills. In addition participants will hear from educators who have piloted and adapted this curriculum during the 2011-2012 school year. Mileage and accommodations are available for those traveling over 150 miles round-trip within Minnesota.

Join us the evening before the Summer Institute, August 6, for a free public forum with Dr. Eugenie Scott and Will Steger. Dr. Eugenie Scott, is the Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education (NCSE). The event will take place at 7pm in the Cowles Auditorium at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

Watch the video below for a recap of last summer’s Institute or review last summer’s agenda here.

There is a nonrefundable $10 participation fee for the 2012 Summer Institute to cover participant meals for the 2 days and composting fees.

Please contact Ann Benson, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any questions.

Investigate Minnesota’s Changing Climate at the Will Steger Foundation’s 7th Annual Summer Institute for Climate Change Education

August 7 and 8, 2012 at the School of Environmental Studies in Apple Valley, MN

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Letter from the Executive Director

Arctic Oscillation Diagram

It’s hard not to notice the lack of winter across most of the country, at least in the lower 48 states. Two weeks ago a January heat wave smashed records from North Dakota to California before spreading into the Northeast. At least 1,500 daily record high temperatures were set during the period from January 2-8, including Minnesota. Real winter weather is just around the corner though, thanks to the Arctic Oscillation. The Arctic Oscillation is a pattern of atmospheric pressure that helps steer the jet stream in the Northern Hemisphere and is transitioning into a new phase. When it’s in a “positive phase” as it has been so far this winter, cold air tends to remain bottled up in the Arctic. In fact, the Arctic Oscillation has been extremely positive this winter, with the Arctic Oscillation index reaching its second-highest level on record, dating back to 1950. This is the opposite of how things were in December 2010 and January 2011, when the Arctic Oscillation was extremely negative and several major snowstorms slammed the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Scientists do not fully understand what influences the behavior of the Arctic Oscillation, but some studies show links between it and the loss of Arctic sea ice, which is due in large part to global warming, and other research suggests that solar activity can have an effect on it as well. Our friend and Minnesota weather guru Paul Douglas was on MPR’s Midmorning show recently discussing our weird weather and more. Listen here.

At a recent school visit in Proctor, Minnesota in early January, Will Steger explained the difference between weather and climate and talked about how he navigated his expedition teams without a GPS unit using wind, the sun, and weather as a guide. Students were surprised to learn how skills he learned as a young child enabled him to survive in the Arctic. Learn more about Will's early observations and journals in our online classroom.

Sincerely,

Nicole Rom, Executive Director

Letter from the Executive Director

With the end of 2011 approaching, it’s a natural time to express our gratitude, to reflect on this past year’s achievements, and lay the groundwork for the year ahead. Our 2010-2011 Annual Report is complete, and with eight-more pages than last year, thanks to more supporters and an incredible list of accomplishments, we want to acknowledge our friends that made this all possible.

I want to thank our dedicated Board of Directors and incredible staff, who not only go above and beyond what is asked of them with their time, but also contribute financially. I am proud to share that we have 100% financial participation from our entire team. We are all passionate about the issue we work on and our approach. We are a unique organization that combines education, youth leadership and advocacy to advance solutions to climate change.

Thanks to your support and interest in our work, you have also made a tremendous impact on hundreds of educators, youth leaders and defended policies that protect our health, environment and advance the clean energy economy.

We have big plans for 2012, such as revamping our climate education resources, increasing our outreach in Minnesota and across the Midwest, and so much more. We’ll need you again to make this a reality. Right now, however we just want to say thank you.

Sincerely,

Nicole Rom, Executive Director