Greenhouse gas reduction report

Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions should be a three-pronged approach, according to a subcommittee report of the Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group.

Speaking before a joint meeting of a House Environment Policy and Oversight Committee and two House transportation divisions Feb. 24, five members of the group’s Transportation and Land Use Policy Subcommittee provided recommendations published in their 2008 study of greenhouse gas.

Emissions are the results of fuel consumption, carbon content in fuel and the overall number of vehicle miles traveled, said Will Schroeer, a MCCAG committee member and state policy director for Smart Growth America. The subcommittee recommended 11 strategies to reduce these three factors.

Among the strategies are a pay-as-you-go car insurance plan that charges rates based on the number of miles traveled; a vehicle miles traveled tax policy; changes in land use requirements for new schools; and rehabilitating the central core of cities before allowing urban sprawl to occur.

One surprise finding of the committee was that rural residents contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, which had been largely considered a metropolitan problem. That led to a rhetorical response from Rep. Terry Morrow (DFL-St. Peter).

“As a representative of Greater Minnesota that has a lot of farmers, and listening to vehicle miles traveled, how do we consolidate those farms into a community where the kids can bike to school? … I don’t know what message I take back to Greater Minnesota.”

As a sponsor of the Next Generation Energy Initiative legislation, Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) said she felt the subcommittee was underrepresented by the railroad industry in comparison to trucking. “The people you put in a room to come up with solutions influence the solutions that come out of the room,” Hortman said.

MCCAG members were appointed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty and were directed to address climate change in response to the Next Generation Energy Initiative.