Minnesota will miss its goal for cutting emissions

[NickB79]

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/233872951.html

Seven years ago, Gov. Tim Pawlenty and the Legislature committed Minnesotans to doing their part in modifying the human behaviors that contribute to global warming. By 2015, the state would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent (from 2005 levels), followed by more ambitious reductions of 30 percent by 2025 and 80 percent by 2050.

Now, as 2015 draws near, it’s clear that Minnesota won’t come close to hitting its first target. Despite impressive progress on electric power plants (carbon discharges are down 13 percent), other emissions from cars, trucks, homes, industry, agriculture and other sources remain a problem. Overall, greenhouse gas emissions are expected to decline modestly — by about 3 percent — over the 2005-2015 period, but that’s still 20 million tons short of the goal. And so, the question arises: Was Minnesota serious in 2007?

Crap.

[unhappycamper]

1. After extensive research I've found the problem:

[NickB79]

2. If only it were that easy

The problem is that industry and agriculture are booming here. The economy is doing much better than the national average, and high crop prices have farmers ripping up grasslands and forests at lighting speeds to get more acreage to plant.

The southern half of the state is peppered with wind farms, and we're converting coal-fired plants to natural gas, but most of those emission cuts are being nullified by increases elsewhere.