Electricity Consumption: Winners and Losers July 13, 2005

The public is invited to a forum on ?Electricity Consumption: Winners and Losers? at the Northfield Retirement Center (900 Cannon Valley Drive) from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 13th. The forum will focus on the impact U.S. electricity consumption has on people and the environment in Manitoba, Canada; the work done by local organizations on sustainability issues; and policy solutions that could move Minnesota toward energy independence. The forum is sponsored by RENew Northfield, the Cannon River Watershed Partnership, and Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ME3).

The forum will begin with an ME3 presentation on large-scale hydroelectric dams that have been constructed in Manitoba in recent years. The presentation will include a 12-minute trailer for Green Green Water, a documentary that was filmed in northern Manitoba about the devastating effects the dams are having on the lives of people in the region. The land of the area?s Cree and Metis people has been flooded, leading to the destruction of the region?s commercial fishing industry. Results include massive unemployment and some of the highest suicide rates in the industrialized world (ten times higher than the Canadian national average). Minnesota electricity consumers are directly involved in this issue, as Minnesota utilities purchase 40 percent of the electricity produced by those large-scale dams.

RENew Northfield and Cannon River Watershed Partnership representatives will discuss related local issues and projects, and discuss practical steps that can be taken to reduce energy consumption. Senator Tom Neuville and Representative Ray Cox have been invited to attend to take part in a panel discussion to answer questions about public policy.

For further information, contact RENew Northfield at 645-7133.