New Episode of Resources Radio: "Saving the Snow: A Conversation with Minnesota Senator Tina Smith on Climate Policy"
WASHINGTON, DC—Resources for the Future (RFF) today released a new installment of Resources Radio: “Saving the Snow: A Conversation with Minnesota Senator Tina Smith on Climate Policy.”
In this episode, host Kristin Hayes talks with Senator Tina Smith, the junior senator from Minnesota. Senator Smith served as the 48th lieutenant governor of Minnesota from 2015 to 2018, after a career in both the private and public sectors in the state. Senator Smith is a member of several committees in the Senate relevant to natural resource, energy, and climate issues, including the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Hayes and Senator Smith discuss climate policy, its importance to both Minnesota and the nation, the ways in which the conversation around climate policy is changing, and the energy legislation that she has recently introduced.
Notable quotes from the podcast:
- “We need to create opportunities for innovation. Nobody can say today that they know exactly what's going to solve our problems in 50 or 60 years. We need to get past looking for that silver bullet and move forward.”―Senator Smith (8:14)
- “This is going to be a big, hard, heavy lift—but it is an opportunity that we also don't want to leave behind … the United States can either lead, or we can follow when it comes to moving toward a clean energy future. And I want us to lead, because that's going to mean that the innovation happens here—the jobs happen here, and not in China.”―Senator Smith (11:03)
- “It's interesting to me how the conversation has shifted [since] even just a few years ago. Talking about climate change would take people in Minnesota to this place where they're starting to think about sacrifice and what they can't do, what they're going to lose, how much it's going to cost—a conversation that is all about scarcity, in a way. I believe that [the] conversation is changing in Minnesota because people are really understanding that this is a serious threat … Minnesota and, I believe, much of the country, is ready to have this conversation, and wants to see people like me and others taking action and not just talking about it.”―Senator Smith (12:30)
Resources Radio is a weekly podcast series exploring timely environmental, energy, and natural resources topics. Episodes can be found on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, SoundCloud, Spotify, and Stitcher.
Resources for the Future (RFF) is an independent, nonprofit research institution in Washington, DC. Its mission is to improve environmental, energy, and natural resource decisions through impartial economic research and policy engagement. RFF is committed to being the most widely trusted source of research insights and policy solutions leading to a healthy environment and a thriving economy.
Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed here are those of the individual authors and may differ from those of other RFF experts, its officers, or its directors. RFF does not take positions on specific legislative proposals.
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