Letter from the Executive Director

We had a wonderful donor appreciation event earlier this month. Over 50 friends and supporters joined us for a sustainable breakfast and presentation from WSF staff on our programs and recent accomplishments. Thank you again to those who joined us for this new annual event!

If you pay attention to the rhetoric between those concerned about climate change and climate change deniers, you would think that it is a polarizing issue - that you could predict by political party affiliation which way the public will fall on climate and energy issues. A new poll says this is not true. The majority of people, regardless of political affiliation, believe that addressing climate change should be a political priority and they want their elected officials to do something about it. They are ready for a new national climate and energy policy to emerge.

In other news, Minnesota legislators and Governor Dayton worked together to pass a bonding bill that makes it easier to install solar on schools and other public buildings. This provision will allow public building projects financed by bonding to use 5% of the project cost for solar systems, providing local, clean energy for electricity. Best of all, a "Made in Minnesota" provision will help Minnesota solar businesses to manufacture these solar systems here. This legislation will create manufacturing jobs across Minnesota, especially in areas that have been plagued with high unemployment and stagnant economies. We were really pleased to have played a role in this success.

Unfortunately, there is still significant opposition to efforts to address climate change. We also published a quick response to Congressman Cravaack’s amendment to cut funding for climate change education. Look for our commentary in the Duluth News Tribune this Thursday! You can learn more about this issue and other efforts in this month’s e-newsletter.

Sincerely,

Nicole Rom, Executive Director

Letter from the Executive Director

Last month we ramped up our education and youth outreach across the state. Will visited Hawley and Detroit Lakes where he spoke to over 1,000 people about the impacts and solutions to climate change here in Minnesota. Students at Hawley Elementary and High School visited with Will and shared what they are learning using our Minnesota’s Changing Climate curriculum and online classroom.

Then over 80 high school and college youth convened at the state Capitol to advocate for solar and other environmental policies. The video from the event is a delight to watch as youth sing “Let's Use the Sun” to the tune of  Beatles song "Here Comes the Sun".

We also co-organized an event with diverse partners at the University of Minnesota to explore the question “Clean Air: is it the new civil rights struggle?” The event emphasized that everyone deserves clean air and a safe community. Karen Monahan, Environmental Justice Organizer with the Sierra Club concluded, “We all share the same air. It’s all of ours, regardless of the color of your skin or what continent you live on. There is a place for everyone in this movement.”

Read more about these exciting initiatives and more in this month’s newsletter!

Sincerely,

Nicole Rom, Executive Director

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

Letter from the Executive Director

The Will Steger Foundation blog has a number of great articles by our youth leaders this month. From Midwest Powershift in Cleveland, Ohio to youth led meetings with legislative staff, to preparing to participate in the upcoming United Nations climate conference in Durban, South Africa, a generation is getting to work building their future.

Youth have also been submitting observations to our online classroom for Minnesota’s Changing Climate: "I learned that humans have a huge impact on how fast the climate changes and that everything we do affects the changing climate. I also learned that we can change the world.” "I learned that every living thing has an impact on how the world changes." Check them out in our exciting online classroom!

The Changing Arctic event was a great success last month. Over 80 people joined the Will Steger Foundation and partners for a thought-provoking conversation. The half-day event explored what a changing arctic, mainly an ice-free arctic, means for economics, the environment, diplomacy and security.

We are gearing up for Give to the Max Day this Wednesday November 16th and hope you will join us by supporting our work.

Finally, on December 7 & 8 Will Steger will be talking about his eyewitness experience with climate change and the connection between climate, clean air and human health at two events in Grand Rapids and Princeton, MN. We hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Nicole Rom, Executive Director