Al spent the week talking about putting Minnesota at the forefront of a new green economy. He toured schools, businesses, and developments that are using renewable technologies and creating green jobs.

Among the stops was a Monday visit to Sage Electrochromics, a Faribault-based company whose technology allows for windows to be tinted electronically. They’re the only manufacturer of this technology – and they’re here in Minnesota. Their product reduces heating and cooling costs, and is part of the reason that Minnesota is the “Silicon Valley of windows” - a phrase first coined by the President of Sage.

The Faribault Daily News was on hand for the tour, and wrote about the growth potential of this Minnesota-based company:

He [Franken] polled one table to find that quite a few employees had been drawn to Faribault to work at Sage and that the company was in a rapidly growing industry. Sage President John Van Dine told Franken that the company’s next target was Europe, a market that Sage has already advanced past technologically.

“So you are ahead of them on this?” Franken asked before giving Van Dine a fist pound.

On Thursday, Al visited Westwood Elementary, a LEED-certified school in Zimmerman. The kids at Westwood eagerly explained to Al that their “green” school had oversized windows and slanted ceilings to allow natural light, a special fresh-air ventilation system that had reduced incidents of asthma and allergies, and an environmental awareness program that was second to none.

The Elk River Star News met up with Al at a coffee shop in Zimmerman after the school visit. Al talked about common-sense solutions that can address global warming and create green jobs here in Minnesota.

Franken has been critical of the George W. Bush administration, which he says has suppressed science and argued against global warming when it could have been investing in renewable energy and energy-efficient technology, preserving the environment and reducing the country’s dependence on oil.

“Global warming presents an urgent crisis for us all,” Franken said in a press release. “But, for Minnesota, there is tremendous opportunity to be found in renewable energy and energy efficiency technology. These are common-sense, win-win solutions.”

To read the rest of the article, click here.

The week concluded with a “Green Jobs Showcase,” held at the campaign headquarters. On display were a variety of homegrown items and technologies, ranging from “plastic” toys composed primarily of recycled rubber to a vinyl tile made from recycled carpet that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Ice cream was served, but even this frozen treat was done in a sustainable way. The ingredients were all locally grown and produced, and both the bowls and spoons were made from biomass sources, are entirely biodegradable - and were sent to be composted at the end of the event.

Al spoke of what he learned during the week, and about the need for Minnesota to be on the forefront of the emerging green economy. He wants our state to be the national leader in renewable energy, and to also take the lead in the global marketplace for sustainable products and technologies.

From Al’s remarks at the Green Jobs Showcase:

I believe that the epicenter of the next Apollo program should be right here in Minnesota. We are the Silicon Valley of windows and one of the windiest states in the nation. We are the home of some of the world’s foremost research universities and some of the nation’s most creative and hard-working farmers. We can be the big winners in the “green” economy.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 28th, 2008 at 8:59 and is filed under From the Trail. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.