Clean Up The River Environment

CURE PROTECTS AND RESTORES RESILIENT TOWNS AND LANDSCAPES BY HARNESSING THE POWER OF PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT THEM. WE DO THIS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT ROBUST HUMAN COMMUNITIES CAN ONLY BE SUSTAINED BY HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS, AND ROBUST NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS CAN ONLY BE REGAINED THROUGH VIGOROUS STEWARDSHIP. OUR WORK TAKES MANY FORMS, BUT ALWAYS INVOLVES THREE CORE PRACTICES: AWAKENING PEOPLE'S BONDS WITH THE NATURAL WORLD AROUND THEM. INCLUSIVELY AND STRATEGICALLY EXPLORING ISSUES AND ACTIONS. SYSTEMATICALLY BUILDING COMMUNITIES OF CHANGE AT CRITICAL INTERSECTIONS OF ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING.

CURE'S ENERGY DEMOCRACY PROGRAM IS UNIQUELY FOCUSED ON STRATEGIES TO IMPACT CLIMATE, ENERGY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE DECISIONS AFFECTING RURAL RESIDENTS. ENERGY DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT BUILDING POWER TO ADDRESS LINKAGES BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES, INEQUITIES, AND OTHER SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES FACING OUR COMMUNITIES. YOU CANNOT TALK ABOUT ENERGY DEMOCRACY IN RURAL COMMUNITIES WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT RURAL ELECTRIC CO-OPS. ONE IN THREE MINNESOTANS GETS THEIR ELECTRICITY FROM A RURAL ELECTRIC CO-OP (REC). RECS ARE DEMOCRATICALLY OWNED AND OPERATED UTILITIES THAT WERE CREATED DURING THE NEW DEAL TO ELECTRIFY RURAL AMERICA. HOWEVER, THE OPERATIONS OF MINNESOTA'S RECS TODAY LACK TRANSPARENCY AND GOOD GOVERNANCE. CURE IS A NATIONAL LEADER IN THE REC REFORM MOVEMENT. IN SERVICE TO ALIGNING THE PRIORITIES OF MINNESOTA'S REC'S TO THEIR COOPERATIVE FOUNDING PRINCIPLES, CURE HAS ORGANIZED MEMBER-OWNERS TO CHANGE REC PRIORITIES: GROW TRANSPARENCY IN REC GOVERNANCE, BUILD GRASSROOTS POWER, AND FIGHT AGAINST THE REC'S RELIANCE ON DIRTY ELECTRICITY FROM COAL INSTEAD TRANSITIONING THEIR ELECTRICITY GENERATION TO RENEWABLE, COMMUNITY-BASED ENERGY SOURCES THAT WOULD BE CHEAPER FOR THEIR MEMBER-OWNERS AND BE A SOURCE OF RURAL ECONOMIC GROWTH. CURE'S ENERGY DEMOCRACY PROGRAM IS HELPING DELIVER CLEAN ELECTRICITY, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, CLIMATE JUSTICE, AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE TO RURAL COMMUNITIES AND POSITIVE CLIMATE AND ENERGY IMPACTS TO ALL MINNESOTANS. ENERGY DEMOCRACY IS: CLEAN - ENERGY PRODUCED WITHOUT THE RELEASE OF GREENHOUSE GASES, FOR EXAMPLE, WIND AND SOLAR POWER. LOCAL - ENERGY PRODUCED AND OWNED IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND BY OUR NEIGHBORS. DEMOCRATIC - COMMUNITY HAVING A VOICE AND POWER IN THE DECISION-MAKING ABOUT OUR ENERGY FUTURE.

CURE'S RURAL DEMOCRACY PROJECT IS HELPING PEOPLE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES BUILD INDEPENDENT POLITICAL POWER WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON ELECTORAL POLITICS. STARTING AT THE LOCAL LEVEL IS WHERE REAL CHANGE WILL TAKE ROOT; THIS WILL SET A PRECEDENT FOR THE STATE AND NATION. PASSIONATE GROUPS OF PEOPLE MEETING IN CAFES, LIVING ROOMS, AND CHURCHES ACROSS MINNESOTA ARE WHERE CHANGE IS CULTIVATED. THIS IS THE NURSERY OF DEMOCRACY. CURE EMBRACES DEMOCRACY-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS TO RURAL ISSUES AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. WE WORK WITH PEOPLE ACROSS MINNESOTA TO BUILD POWER TO CREATE A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE AND VIBRANT COMMUNITIES THAT BENEFIT ALL WHO LIVE HERE.

CURE BELIEVES THAT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS AROUND WATER AND CLIMATE WILL ONLY BE MET IF WE HAVE THE SUPPORT OF AN ENGAGED, NETWORKED, AND CAPABLE BASE OF GRASSROOTS CITIZEN ADVOCATES. WE KNOW THAT WATER IS PRECIOUS AND IS OFTEN EXPLOITED FOR PERSONAL GAIN. OUR GROUNDWATER AND OUR LAKES, RIVERS, AND WETLANDS ARE ALL UNDER THREAT. AT CURE, WE HAVE SYSTEM-MAPPED WATER ISSUES IN MINNESOTA. THIS COMPLEX ANALYSIS MADE CLEAR THAT THE ONLY WAY TO HAVE MEANINGFUL AND SUSTAINABLE CHANGE IS TO ADDRESS OPERATIONAL VALUES AND BEHAVIORS. CURE BELIEVES THE FUTURE OF OUR WATER AND OTHER NATURAL RESOURCES DEPENDS ON PROGRESSIVE POLICIES AND GRASSROOTS ENGAGEMENT. WE KNOW THAT ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO MAKE THIS CHANGE IS WITH THE CREATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A WATER ETHIC CHARTER (WEC). A WEC HELPS ENSURE THAT ETHICAL DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF ALL MINNESOTANS-NOW AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. GETTING PEOPLE CONNECTED WITH NATURE IS OFTEN OUR FIRST POINT FOR ENGAGEMENT. CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH NATURE IS A FUN WAY TO BRING LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE TOGETHER AND INTRODUCE THEM TO OUR ORGANIZATION. FOR EXAMPLE, CURE HAS PARTNERED WITH LAND STEWARDSHIP PROJECT AND MINNESOTA STATE AGENCIES FOR THREE SUCCESSFUL TALLGRASS PRAIRIE BIOBLITZ EVENTS. PARTICIPANTS LEARNED ABOUT PLANTS, ANIMALS, GEOLOGY, AND LAND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES THAT IMPACT OUR MOST ENDANGERED ECOSYSTEM.