Cultivating Hope + Defending Our Futures

By Dr. Kate Knuth

Earlier this month my daughter turned six and started kindergarten. She’s a bundle of observant, messy-haired energy. I love her with a fierceness I didn’t know was possible. I have also never been more nervous or more hopeful about her future than I am at this moment. 

These feelings about my daughter’s future – and the future of every child in our community – come from my work at the intersection of building our multiracial democracy and forging a safer climate future. 

I’m both nervous and hopeful because November’s election will be a defining point for whether we accelerate recent progress or allow polluters and extremists to define our futures. 

If polluters and extremists define our future, we’re looking at living in a climate that harms our ability to thrive and making decisions in a democracy that doesn’t include everyone. Extremists refuse to accept the results of fair elections and deny the science of climate change. We are way too close to having all of our futures defined by the power grab of a minority of extremists and shaped by a changing climate that overwhelms our ability to address it.

Not suprisingly, that makes me nervous.

That said, I’m also hopeful – for three big reasons. First, climate action is happening in larger ways than I’ve ever experienced, and we have the tools to level up even more. Second, I’ve never seen the level of focus on defending democracy that I am seeing right now. And finally, Minnesotans have a history of stepping up to make the right decisions in defining political moments that enable all of us to live better futures. 

Let’s start with climate change. I’ve been working on equitable climate solutions in Minnesota for over 15 years. I’ve never actually seen the real potential for accelerating progress that we havenow. Back in 2007, I was serving my first term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. I was so excited to be part of passing the Next Generation Energy Act, which made science-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals and a renewable electricity standard for our state’s utilities. Every year, the legislature struggles to come to agreements on spending for climate - spending like transit investments or solar on schools – but it has never been enough. We are behind on making the GHG emissions reductions to meet our goals.

In short, We’ve made progress, especially on clean electricity, but we continue to fall short on building a truly just, climate-resilient state.

I’m hopeful on climate because unlike previous moments, we now have federal investments that will help us level up climate action at the scale actually needed. In August, the federal government passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes the biggest investment the United States has ever made in climate solutions ($369 billion!). That’s on top of the big infrastructure bill passed earlier this year, which included major investments in climate-smart transportation solutions. 

According to a report by the Center for American Progress, ““As with the IIJA [federal infrastructure bill], the Inflation Reduction Act’s policies and investments will require states, local governments, and the federal government to collaborate in order to achieve the most transformative results.” 

I’m also hopeful on climate because here in Minnesota, we’re seeing local leadership that shows we have the tools to be smart about deploying these federal climate funds. The Minnesota House Climate Action Caucus released an ambitious, comprehensive climate action agenda in their House Climate Action Plan. At least 14 local governments in Minnesota have climate action plans from Albert Lea, to Hennepin Countyl, to Grand Marais. Just this month, our governor released the Minnesota Climate Action Framework, which sets a vision and concrete strategies to make major progress on addressing climate change.

When it comes to democracy, I am also hopeful. I’m hopeful because for the first time in my life I am seeing politics squarely focused on defending our multiracial democracy. In previous moments, we’ve talked about voting rights, and defended them.That’s essential, but democracy is so miuch more than voting. It is starting to feel like we’re building an idea of democracy that includes voting and the other ways we build our future together. Until recently, we also haven’t been explicit about how building a multiracial democracy is for including all Minnesotans in the work of building our future. Without being explicit that democracy should include all of us, we risk being a place where many are left out of shaping our futures together.

My hope is not without a clear-eyed assessment of the threats to democracy. Extremists are actively denying election results here in Minnesota and across the country. We are seeing many efforts to prevent some people (particularly Black, brown, Indigenous, and young people) from fully participating in democracy by making voting harder. Extremists want to continue to allow huge amounts of corporate money to influence elections.

But still, I’m hopeful about our democracy because I see signs that our public conversations about democracy are changing in healthy ways. The newly-created We Choose Us Campaign is bringing people who work on a range of issues together around a key shared idea – that defending our muliracial democracy is essential for progress on anything. We need to make sure our democracy is strong. And our democracy is only strong if every Minnesotan – across race, income, geography, age, and level of ability – can truly participate. .

Now, here is the thing that makes me most hopeful— In this high-stakes political moment for the future of multiracial democracy and our climate, we need to remember something very important. We are Minnesotans. 

As Minnesotans, we have a history of delivering for each other in high stakes political moments that define the futures each of us can create. As Minnesotans, we passed the Legacy Amendment, deciding together to raise our taxes to protect one of our state’s most treasured assets – our clean water. As Minnesotans, we decided that every Minnesotan should be able to marry the person they love. As Minnesotans, we protected voting rights by defeating a radical attempt to enshrine a restriction on basic voting rights in our state’s constitution. 

These moments remind us that as Minnesotans we meet political moments that ask us to dig deep, talk to each other about our hopes and dreams, and vote together to make futures that are healthier and more just… for all of us.

Right now, in 2022 in Minnesota, we are at another one of those high stakes political moments. A moment in which it is critical to defend our futures. As Minnesotans we can say YES to doubling down on the huge potential for positive climate solutions. We can say YES to multiracial democracy. W can say NO to a future defined by extremists who deny the realities of fair elections and the science of climate change.

Right now in Minnesota, we can come together to elect climate champions and democracy defenders who will help us build the future our children deserve.

From now until November 8, I will be working hard to make sure we come together as Minnesotans for our climate, our multiracial democracy, and our children.

I’ll be doorknocking, I’ll be talking to friends about voting, and I’ll be making my plan to vote. When I do all of these things, I will be holding my daughter close figuratively and literally. I’ll definitely continue our family tradition of bringing her to vote with me. This year it’s extra exciting because she started school, and her school is our polling location. Maybe she will even let me brush her hair for the occasion!

I hope you will join me. And the 100% Campaign is here to help.

Commit to voting and bring others along. You can get help doing so by becoming a Future Defender and sign up for missions (doorknocks, talking to friends, phone banks!) to help defend a multiracial democracy and climate-safe future. 

Each week between now and the election, I will go deeper about the stakes of this election for our multiracial democracy and equitable climate solutions. I will do so by connecting the offices on your ballot to this work, looking at the potential in each. I hope this series of essays will help you better understand why voting and getting others to vote for climate champions and democracy defenders matter. And after the election, we will have a solid understanding about how to work with the different parts of our government to create the futures we desire and deserve. Follow along!