My Speech on a GreenSteps School Program and a Green New Deal
By Curran Neely
With catastrophic, human-caused climate change looming, we must invest in every way possible to mitigate its effects. The Minnesota GreenStep schools program offers a framework for educators, community members, non-profits, and government agencies to collaborate to combat the climate crisis, and promote healthy communities and sustainable economies. They provide a set of “best practices” for schools to follow and recognize schools that succeed in implementing environmentally-friendly changes. This program could help us significantly on our path to environmental and community sustainability, and has already been endorsed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Minnesota Department of Education, both the Minnesota Design Center and the Institute on the Environment a...