MDVA’s sustainability commitment enhances care and services to Minnesota’s Veterans and their families while reducing environmental impacts and costs.
4/14/2022 9:00:00 AM
MDVA’s sustainability commitment enhances care and services to Minnesota’s Veterans and their families while reducing environmental impacts and costs.
The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) celebrates Earth Week, April 18-22, a globally recognized week dedicated to increasing awareness and encouraging action that supports lowering our environmental footprint.
As Minnesota’s climate continues to change, we are seeing warmer temperatures, shorter winters, and more frequent and extreme precipitation events. In response, MDVA’s strategic plan includes being an exemplary steward of natural resources which also helps improve the quality of life for Veterans and MDVA staff and promotes fiscal responsibility, according to MDVA Commissioner Larry Herke. “MDVA’s sustainability initiatives are guided by Governor Walz’s Executive Order 19-27 and focus on reducing water and energy use, fossil fuel consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions while increasing waste diversion and sustainable procurement. We are continually making progress toward these goals,” Commissioner Herke says.
Throughout Earth Week, we’ll highlight on MDVA’s Facebook page programs that are enhancing MDVA’s exemplary care and services and helping our environment at the same time.
Simple water saving tricks can add up. Here are some changes at our facilities that can be easily done at your home, too.
MDVA is installing low-flow fixtures at the Domiciliary Program in Hastings and decreasing how often the lawn is watered at the Minnesota Veterans Home - Minneapolis. This also helps save on costs, too! The Minnesota State Veterans Cemeteries planted native grasses and perennials because they require less water and create habitats for pollinators. Check out the Board of Soil and Water Resources to find out how you can convert some of your lawn to pollinator habitat, sometimes with financial assistance from local groups.
MDVA is reducing energy use through upgrading to efficient LED light bulbs and replacing heating and cooling systems with a less energy intensive system at the Minnesota Veterans Home - Silver Bay. Additionally, the Domiciliary Program in Hastings is participating in an energy conservation pilot project through the U.S. Department of Energy that identifies ways for continual energy savings.
If you’re looking to save energy, but not sure where to start, get a home energy efficiency assessment from Center for Energy and the Environment. The assessments provide energy saving recommendations tailored to your home like sealing air leaks, installing insulation, weather stripping or new windows. It can also help you get rebates from your utility company. Or simply unplug devices or turn off power strips when they’re not in use. Even if your devices are not on, they still consume energy, accounting for up to 10% of your home’s electricity use and 1% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
MDVA continues to replace vehicles with fully electric or plug-in or traditional hybrids vehicles, including utility vehicles. The Little Falls and Duluth State Veterans Cemeteries and Minnesota State Veterans Home - Minneapolis and Hastings Domiciliary Program recently added fully electric vehicles to their fleet. MDVA also transitioned to virtual training opportunities, which saves staff time and miles on the road. In fact, one MDVA program has decreased mileage nearly 80% from pre-pandemic levels. Trainees also appreciate the ability to attend these events remotely.
As gas prices rise, consider taking public transit, carpool, walk, and bike to work or on errands. If you live in the Twin Cities, check out Metro Transit’s carpool connector to see if any of your neighbors want to share a ride to work.
MDVA is going solar! Both the future Redwood Falls State Veterans Cemetery and the future Minnesota Veterans Home - Montevideo are being constructed with on-site solar to offset electric use. The power at Minnesota State Veterans Cemeteries in Duluth and Little Falls and the Minnesota Veterans Home - Silver Bay is sourced solely from 100% renewable wind energy.
Interested in solar energy, but don’t have the space or sunlight for solar at your home? Join a community solar program to save money on your electrical bill and support the local renewable energy industry. Find out more from the Department of Commerce.
MDVA is currently hosting Minnesota GreenCorps member Emma Hutson. Emma has completed waste sorts to understand the materials in the trash and recycling at the Minnesota Veterans Homes and is implementing best management practices to increase our recycling and organics diversion rates.
You can help support the recycling economy, too. Not only do we need to recycle, but we also need to buy products made from recycled materials, like paper products made from post-consumer recycled content. Better yet, support the reuse community by shopping for preowned items, like clothing. It takes more than 700 gallons of water to make one cotton shirt. By shopping pre-owned, you’ll prolong the life of clothing, save money on your wardrobe, save water and energy needed to create new clothing, and help keep clothes out of the landfill.
