News Release ‘Reinventing Environmentalism’ Campaign to Kick Off in St. Paul on April 9th
Contact: Don Parmeter, Founder
American Environmental Institute
(651) 493-3532 (612) 558-2859 (cell)
St. Paul, MN…..A campaign to give local people a stronger voice in energy and environmental policy at the state capitol and in Washington, D.C., will kick off in St. Paul on Saturday, April 9th. According to organizer Don Parmeter, the modern environmental movement is no longer a grassroots movement and it’s no longer about the environment. “It’s about money, power and control.” he said. “It’s fundamentally about governance. The question is whether we want government from the top-down or from the bottom up.”
Parmeter started the American Environmental Institute to help encourage a change in the direction of the movement in order to restore and preserve land and water rights, scientific integrity, and the constitutional principles of limited federal powers. Parmeter, a native of northern Minnesota, is a former pollution control engineer. A West Point graduate, he received a fellowship from the Environmental Protection Agency for an interdisciplinary graduate program in energy and environmental studies at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
An afternoon workshop will be held at the Minnesota History Center, followed by an evening dinner meeting at the nearby Kelly Inn. Mark Glaess, manager of the Minnesota Rural Electric Association, and William Glahn, Gov. Pawlenty’s outdoing director of Energy Security will be the keynote speakers for the evening event. (See below and attached for details)
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“We need a new environmental movement with new goals and new organizations.” Author Michael Crichton
“If they beat us in Minnesota, they can beat us anywhere.” Karl Gawell, Environmental lobbyist
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In a very profound way, modern environmentalism affects every aspect of American life. Regardless of your political views on the subject, it is important to consider alternative ways of protecting the environment without unnecessarily sacrificing jobs, the economy, freedom, and the social well-being of communities and regions.
Below is an agenda for an afternoon workshop and evening event entitled Reinventing Environmentalism, scheduled for Saturday, April 9th. The workshop will be held at the MN History Center, and the evening event will be held at the Kelly Inn. Both are located in the capitol complex in St. Paul.
To help cover expenses, there is a fee of $10. for the workshop, and $20. for the evening dinner event. Organizations, businesses, and individual sponsorships are also encouraged. For a donation of $50. or more, organizations and businesses will be recognized in the event literature (unless you indicate otherwise). Individuals will be recognized for a donation of $20. or more. All sponsors will receive a periodic e-mail newsletter and action alerts for one year.
An initial meeting on this subject was held in St. Paul on March 1st, and a broad cross-section of people were in attendance. There was a great deal of interest and enthusiasm for moving forward, so we hope you will join this new movement by attending one or both of the April 9th events.
Don Parmeter, Founder
American Environmental Institute
(651) 493-3532 (612) 558-2859 (cell)
Reinventing Environmentalism
“Believing in People”
Saturday, April 9th
Capitol Complex
St. Paul, Minnesota
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Principal Sponsor: American Environmental Institute
The Mission of AEI is “to define actions needed to change the course of the modern environmental movement in order to restore and preserve land and water rights, scientific integrity, and the constitutional principles of limited federal powers.”
Workshop
Education Center (2nd Floor), MN History Center
345 W. Kellogg Blvd
12:30 p.m. Introductions
Review and Discussion of Modern Environmental Movement
1:00 p.m. Environmentalism and the Economy: Agriculture, Energy, Forestry, Mining, Outdoor Recreation, Small Business
2:00 p.m. Some Current Issues: EPA’s Expanding Authority; MN Clean Water Legacy Act; Natural Resource Funding;
Energy Policy; Agenda 21; Heart of the Continent Partnership; Landowner’s Revolt in SE MN; the International Joint
Commission and the Rainy/Lake of the Woods Watershed; Mississippi River Corridor/Watershed; DOI’s Wildlands
Project; President’s Great American Outdoors Initiative; Other issues
3:00 p.m. -Break-
3:15 p.m. Hope, Not Fear: 15 suggested principles for guiding a new grassroots movement
3:45 p.m. Making it Work: Short and Long-term Action Items
4:30 p.m. Pro-North Campaign: Creating a model for grassroots governance
5:00 p.m. Adjourn
Reception and Dinner
Kelly Inn
161 St. Anthony Avenue
5:30 p.m. Reception
6:30 p.m. Dinner
7:00 p.m. Toward Responsible Energy Options for the Future:
“What do we get for our Money?” Mark Glaess, Manager, MN Rural Electric Association
“Where do we go from here?” William Glahn, Outgoing Director of Energy Security, MN Dep’t of Commerce
8:00 p.m. General Discussion of Land and Water Policy
8:30 p.m. Summary of recommendations from afternoon workshop
9:00 p.m. Adjourn
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Registration: Workshop - $10.; Reception and Dinner - $20.
Sponsorship: Organizations and Businesses: $50.+; Individuals: $20.+
Please make checks out to: American Environmental Institute, and mail to: 161 St. Anthony Ave., Ste. 935,
St. Paul, MN 55103. (Only one check necessary if you’re planning to attend both events), or you can pay at the door.
*RSVP* by Wednesday, April 6, to [email protected] or by calling (651) 493 - 3532.
