The Environment as a Core Minnesota Value

By Marty Broan, Program Director of the Minnesota League of Conservation Voters

Values, values, values... It seems it's all we heard about in the political campaigns of 2004. Every candidate claimed to be for "Real American Values" such as "Healthy Children," "Economic Prosperity" and "Energy Independence."

Where was the environment in all of this? Can you recall either presidential candidate in 2004 making any substantive comments on the environment? Other than President Bush's smart-aleck "Wanna Buy Some Wood?," I cannot. We've had trouble articulating our value in protecting our natural world and it's killing us.

Our elected officials are scrambling to associate themselves with easily digestible VALUES that can be delivered as sound bites real people can identify with emotionally. Why do they do this? Because it WORKS. Those that talk about environmental ISSUES repeatedly get out-flanked and marginalized by those who adhere to widely held and consistently articulated values.

Reclaiming the word "Environment" as Value

Protecting our water, air and natural places is not a Republican or Democrat issue... It's a Minnesota VALUE and it's ours to reclaim. While the word "Environment" has become a bit of a political pariah of late, it is important for us to remember that most of our concerns can be framed most effectively by other core Minnesota values. Mercury in our fish? Since it threatens fetal development, it's about "Healthy Children." Since it threatens a $2 billion per year fishing industry in Minnesota, it's also about "Economic Prosperity." Wind power in Minnesota? We're the Saudi Arabia of wind. It's about developing a multi-billion dollar industry in Minnesota so it's about "Economic Prosperity." Since it could help wean us from foreign and out-of-state energy sources, it's also about "Energy Independence." See how easy it is?

Environmental issues suddenly become relevant to broad swaths of Minnesotans when couched in widely held values. Think of this before you speak with your elected officials or debate an ideologue on the street. This is how other issues, their associated values and promoters dominated the debate and elections of 2004.

There's a great live example of our community using environmental values to great effect. A broad coalition of over 90 conservation and environmental groups called the Minnesota Environmental Partnership (MEP) has embraced and promoted "Protect Our Water" as a core Minnesota value... and it's working.

When Minnesotans think about what defines their state, they think of their clean lakes and streams and they feel that protecting our lakes and streams is a core Minnesota value. We enjoy them for fishing, boating and swimming and rely on them as sources for our drinking water.

Unfortunately, Minnesota's water is not as clean as it should be. Of the lakes and streams tested in Minnesota, 40% are polluted (or "impaired") with contaminants such as human and animal waste, algae from phosphorus, fertilizers and mercury.

Key legislators from both sides of the aisle join associations as diverse as the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, the Minnesota Farm Bureau and the League of Minnesota Cities to rally behind MEP's "Clean Water Legacy" plan to identify and clean up these polluted waters.

What can YOU do?

Stay informed - Join the Minnesota Environmental Action Network, an email-based alert system that keeps its members informed about Clean Water Legacy and other important environmental issues and provides simple steps to contact your elected officials. Go to mnaction.org and sign up today. Learn about the state's environmental community and the broad-based support for Clean Water Legacy at the Minnesota Environmental Partnership's web site - mepartnership.org. Learn about how your elected officials have voted on environmental issues from the Minnesota League of Conservation Voters' environmental scorecard at mnlcv.org.

Make your voice heard - Your voice REALLY DOES MATTER. A state legislator's vote can be affected by a small handful of phone calls or emails. Make political campaigns about the environment by asking environmental questions at debates, writing letters to the editor of your local newspapers and magazines.

Start at home - Lead by example by taking small but meaningful steps in what you do and what you buy. By being a member of the Wedge, you already are making a huge difference by putting your money where your heart is. For more information about additional steps you can take, the Wedge Member Services Desk is a wonderful resource.

Stay positive - Yes, the sky IS falling and it's tempting to preach like Cassandras about the destruction of our natural world, but your optimism and solution-oriented mindset are critical to our success (if not your emotional health!).

Marty Broan is Program Director of the Minnesota League of Conservation Voters and formerly on the Wedge Board of Directors.