Sustainable
Development Initiative
Abstract
The Sustainable
Development Initiative researched the challenges and benefits of sustainable
development in
History
On January 29,
1993
In 1996 the
Governor appointed 30 business, environmental and community leaders to the
Board of the Minnesota Round Table on Sustainable Development. He asked them to
identify practical ways of achieving economic and community vitality while
sustaining the quality of
Goals
“The Round
Table’s priorities are: 1) Raise awareness and understanding. 2) Measure
progress toward sustainable development. 3) Encourage sustainable communities.
4) Engage and empower business. 5) Create new institutions and approaches. 6)
Understand connections between long-term economic and environmental health, and
the issues of liberty and justice.” (MN 3-4) These are very broad and ambitious
goals. For a long term state initiative they are appropriate. They reflect the
wide variety of interests and concerns to be addressed. They include all the
phases of project based research; diagnose, prescribe, implement and evaluate.
Strategies
The initiative
identified six key strategies: 1) Align
The Initiative influenced several
important items of legislation one of which “became a symbol in the wise use
movement of state intrusion upon personal and local prerogatives.” (Wells 8)
The Environmental Quality Board carried the concept of sustainability into
additional legislative issues and several research projects, some of which are
still active. One of these, Smart Signals,
found that “the money state government spends on affordable housing was found
to be countered several times over by the property tax code treatment of
housing.” (Wells 9) These endeavors contributed to the Smart Growth policy embraced by the
Rhetorical Strategies
The Initiative
was created with the involvement of 105 citizens and a mandate to incorporate
an abundance of research from many points of view. With state staff support
this citizen base provided language and a style with broad appeal in the
community. Because the opposing point of view was at the table most of the time
communications were more likely to include the logic, the sentiments and the
ethics of the listener. They were also less likely to polarize opinion. Sustainability
by definition includes an appeal to economic and environmental interests
without allowing any one interest to predominate. The educational goals
included educating all levels in schools as well as the general public. It
appears rhetorical strategy could have included a stronger emotional appeal to
the general public. Even though the project did incorporate opposing interests,
because it was driven by a relatively small group of highly vested individuals,
it ran the risk of being a Cassandra.
Membership
Looking at the
names and titles of the Round Table members prompted me to note in my email to
John Wells: The original roundtable seems to have been weighted toward
business. He replied: “I
disagree. Business was probably a third or less of the participation,
which was one weak point.” I asked: How did
the balance work? He replied: “The
Round Table developed a lot of trust and became quite a unit, while it existed.” I asked: What is the next step? He replied: “To re-convene the effort and
play “catch-up.” It appears that even though individuals
represented an interest they effectively spoke for themselves, thereby
representing the citizenry.
Power
The
initiative identified six challenges to sustainable development in
The greatest single lesson of the
Initiative is its understanding and tapping of the power of citizen engagement.
Citizens brought to the table their experiences, issues, concerns, contacts
and, most importantly, basic commitment to
Nature
Sustainable
development bridges Cronon’s constructions of nature. It includes preserving untouched
areas thus including naïve reality and moral imperative. It includes
restoration of damaged areas thus including the Edenic construction. By including
residential housing that is already in existence it must of necessity include
nature as artifice. By asserting that we can plan and design to live
sustainably it includes nature as virtual reality. Including economic
interests, farmers, foresters and developers it depends on nature as a
commodity. By designing for natural disasters, trying to anticipate shortages
and surpluses it deals with the demonic side of nature. The design of this
project precludes nature as contested terrain. By using citizen, business and
government input to a consensus process; understanding the values of all
concerned parties is strongly encouraged if not insured.
Summary
John Wells
concludes his paper on the Sustainable Development Initiative by saying; “The
nature of sustainable development activities has evolved significantly since
the inception of the Sustainable Development Initiative in 1993. The centralized, exploratory approach of the
mid-1990s has given way to a series of independent, action-oriented
initiatives. Today, a small corps of proponents in a number of agencies throughout state
government works on water, biotech, rural development, transit, and hydrogen
initiatives, And thanks at least in part to the Initiative, the
overriding consensus of each of these initiatives is that economic development
need not occur only at the expense of the environment, or environmental
improvement only at the expense of the economy.” (Wells 15)
Works Cited
Wells, John R. Sustainability
in The Land of Lakes: Minnesota’s Experience in the Art and Science of
Sustainable Development. Paper.
Some Surviving Sites
Minnesota Environmental Quality Board <
http://www.eqb.state.mn.us/> The Environmental Quality Board draws together
the Chair, five citizens and the heads of 10 state agencies that play a vital
role in
Minnesota Milestones < http://www.mnplan.state.mn.us/mm/> last updated 2002
Minnesota Sustainable Communities Network < http://www.moea.state.mn.us/sc/mnscn.cfm> The goal of MnSCN is to encourage networking, information exchange, and better access to assistance.
Next Step <www.nextstep.state.mn.us> a new interactive Web site specifically designed for people interested in sustainability. The site provides the ability to post and search for information related to sustainability, including resources, job listings, calendar events, case studies, ongoing discussions and more!
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Paul, this is the best I
could do this week! See below. John
-----Original
Message-----
From: PJacobs289@aol.com [mailto:PJacobs289@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2005 9:31 AM
To: John.Wells@state.mn.us
Subject: Re: Sustainability
John,
1)
In searching around the site I could not find a report on what's happening now.
Very little,
if anything! I’m on a national Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable and
the International Sustainability Indicators Network, as well as the
statewide/global guide for The Next Step web site, as I mentioned before.
I do bring sustainability approaches to my water policy work with the
Governor’s Clean Water Cabinet. We here at EQB have initiated a Water
Sustainability 2030 project with DNR in which we’re projecting water demand to
2030 at the county level and will be comparing it with supply side info from
DNR and others. With MnSCN there is obviously action. Is there a progress report
or is oversight missing? There is no progress report because people don’t
consider the SDI alive. What about MN Milestones (Pawlenty dropped this bipartisan activity
altogether, although they have their own indicators/accountability effort.) or a report card?
2)
The original roundtable seems to have been weighted toward business. I disagree.
Business was probably a third or less of the participation, which was one weak
point. How
did the balance work? The Round Table developed a lot of trust and became quite a unit,
while it existed. What is the next step? To re-convene the effort and play
“catch-up” If it involves oversight how will that board be composed?
3)
This is obviously a long term project. Yes! You referred to the Initiative as
"dormant." Why did it go dormant? Politics and fear of change. What will bring it to
life again?
A new Administration.
4)
The pamphlet Investing in MN Future elaborated six challenges. Which has
been the greatest challenge and what is the current challenge? The RT always had
the greatest difficulty understanding how to integrate social issues into its
work. Each of the six challenges was difficult in its own way, each also
has had progress made both directly and indirectly because of SDI efforts.
I’m attaching a paper I
did a few years ago on the SDI, FYI. I hope this helps!
Paul,
I’ll give that a try, but
my time is going to be tight all this week as I’ve got to get several things
done before going on vacation the following week (and beginning this Friday
afternoon).
John
-----Original
Message-----
From: PJacobs289@aol.com [mailto:PJacobs289@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2005 2:35 PM
To: John.Wells@state.mn.us
Subject: Re: Sustainability
John,
I'm in
Paul, yes, I’m a member
and guide for the state/national/global section. Today and Wednesday
aren’t good for me this week, but we could talk some time Thursday or maybe
Friday morning. John
John,
My inclination is to go with an active organization though your process could
be interesting and informative as well. Are you connected to MNSCN Minnesota
Sustainable Communities Network otherwise Next Step?
Paul, the Minnesota
Sustainable Development Initiative is essentially dormant today and has been
for a few years. Let me know if that doesn’t matter for you in your
project and I’d be glad to arrange a time to talk.
John
John R. Wells
Strategic Planning
Director
Department of
Administration
300 Centennial Building
voice: 651.201.2475
fax:
651.296.3698
John.Wells@state.mn.us
-----Original
Message-----
From: PJacobs289@aol.com [mailto:PJacobs289@aol.com]
Sent: Sunday, October 09, 2005 7:34 PM
To: John.Wells@state.mn.us
Subject: Sustainability
John,
I am doing the research for a short paper on an environmental group (I realize
including the Initiative in that category is a stretch for some). I could use
Earth Charter which I have worked with in the past. However that feels too
broad. It appears the Initiative would be broad in principle but local and
specific in application. I will need to interview someone during the coming
week either in person, by phone, or email. Will this work for yourself or
someone in your office who knows the Initiative well? Looking forward to
hearing from you.
I
think the dormancy tale would be good--you could find out what
happened :-)
Helen
>>> <PJacobs289@aol.com> 10/10/05 11:54 AM >>>
Helen, A group I found interesting is "essentially dormant today and
has
been for a few years." The director is willing to talk. My immediate
response is
that I need an active organization. On second thought dormancy could be
a
tale of its own. What do you think?
Paul,
I received this copied
email from Bill. Sorry that I’m so late
in responding but I’ve been out of town.
Right now I don’t believe that there is much local activity around the
Earth Charter. Nancy Dunlavy (nancy@dunlavy.net)
had been running things locally but has retired from that role. Some good local environmental organizers that
I would recommend are Sean Gosiewski the Executive Director of the Alliance for
Sustainability (612-331-1099 x 1 iasa@mtn.org ) or Terry Gips who does Natural Step framework seminars and training
(tgips@mtn.org T: 612-374-4765).
Hope
this helps!
All
the best,
Matt mbrennecke@visi.com