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April 11, 2008 (MINNEAPOLIS) – Minneapolis has awarded a total of 25 Climate Change grants and mini-grants to help local neighborhoods and organizations fund creative ways to engage residents to fight global warming. In 2007, Minneapolis became the first city in the nation to award this type of grant. Based on the success of those grants, Minneapolis is awarding nearly $100,000 in grants this year to neighborhood and business groups, faith-based organizations, non-profit organizations and parks to support their efforts to curb climate change.

The grants will not only energize Minneapolis groups, residents, and businesses to take action, but each of the efforts funded by the grants is a learning opportunity. The grant awardees, and the City, will both benefit by learning how different approaches work to engage the community to combat global climate change.

“When we saw all the good work that happened because of the City’s climate change grants last year, we knew that we needed not only to continue that work, but expand it,” said Mayor R.T. Rybak. “Last year we awarded $60,000 in grants, and this year it’s almost $100,000. City government takes many steps to make our city a green leader, but it’s programs like this that really engage people across Minneapolis and get us all working together to fight climate change.”

“These grants really challenged our community organizations to think creatively about ways to reduce energy use and combat global warming, and they’ve responded with some wonderful ideas,” said City Council Member Scott Benson, who chairs the Council’s Health, Energy & Environment Committee. “Each one of the grant awardees will also work to sign people up for the Minneapolis Energy Challenge, which just in the last year has led to more than 3,000 Minneapolis residents and businesses pledging to reduce their carbon footprints and save money along the way.”

The grant awardees are:

Climate Change Innovation Grant Recipients (up to $10,000)

Cedar Riverside Business Association - http://www.cedarriverside.com/crba.html

Outreach to more than 100 businesses on energy conservation options and programs. At least 20 businesses will complete a basic energy and lighting audit.

Corcoran Neighborhood Association - http://corcoranneighborhood.org/

Targeted marketing of ways people can fight climate change focused on Midtown Market customers, the Latino community, absentee landlords, businesses, and others in the community.

Do It Green - http://doitgreen.org/

Fifty “Energy In A Box” parties that can either be downloaded or checked out along with 28 “Do It Green” Workshops with a variety of climate change topics.

Eureka Recycling - http://www.eurekarecycling.org/

Comprehensive training and educational outreach to engage local restaurants and their customers to focus on climate change – especially as it relates to waste reduction, recycling and organics composting.

Linden Hills Power and Light - http://www.lhpowerandlight.org/

Entice the community to produce videos focusing on energy conservation, organics, waste reduction and other ways of reducing our carbon footprint, leading up to a Green Carpet Film Festival. Winning entries will be broadcast on YouTube, local websites, cable, the Energy Challenge website and Southwest Journal newspaper website.

Longfellow Community Council - http://www.longfellow.org/

Carry out an energy audit and matching grant program for rental properties, along with other climate change information for all area residents through workshops, door knocking and translation services.

Phillips Community Energy Coop -http://renewableenergy.greeninstitute.org/default.asp?active_page_id=39

Community outreach at 10 events, along with a series of home energy conservation workshops, and providing 30 low income residents with in-home energy evaluations and installation of basic weatherization materials.

Climate Change Micro Grant Recipients (up to $1,500)

(For more information on these grants, visit www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/sustainability).

Annunciation School

Armatage Neighborhood Association

Bike On

Cedar Cultural Center

Diamond Lake Lutheran Church

Field Regina Northrup Neighborhood Association

Kingfield Neighborhood Association

Linden Hills Recreation Center

Lowry Hill Residents Inc

Lynnhurst Congregational Church

Our Neighborhood Works

Powderhorn Park Neighborhood

Spirit of the Lakes Church

Standish Ericsson Neighborhood

Southwest Community Ed

Ventura Village Neighborhood

Waste Wise

West Bank Community Coalition

Minneapolis is considered one of the most environmentally-friendly cities in the country, and the City has long been a leader in creating policies and practices that protect and enhance the environment and combat global climate change. The launch of Minneapolis’ Sustainability Initiative in 2003 took the City’s commitment to the environment to a new level. As part of the initiative, the Mayor and City Council established 24 diverse sustainability indicators, which are designed to create a more ecologically sustainable city. To learn more about the sustainability initiative, visit www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/sustainability.

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Minneapolis Awards Grants to Fight Global Climate Change