A little over a year ago, my friend Tom Steward published his eye-opening series on the tsunami of cash flooding into Minnesota from out of state to remake our energy and environmental laws.
Tom focused on the workings of RE AMP, a Minnesota-based media and policy network that operates the website Midwest Energy News.
Today, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports on the local McKnight Foundation's new grant to RE AMP and others. The Foundation, arising out of the 3M fortune, has pledged $25 million to fight global warming in the Midwest. Read that last sentence again.
The Star Tribune reports,
"The two-year grants of $20 million to Energy Foundation and $5 million to RE-AMP, a network of nonprofits, extend existing funding partnerships and the philanthropy’s $100 million commitment, announced in 2008, to blunt climate change. The two groups will focus on developing policies and public education to reduce dependence on fossil fuels in Minnesota, the Dakotas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Ohio."
Since when did "philanthropy" mutate into "developing policies"? How many homeless could be housed with $25 million? How many hungry could be fed for $25 million? How many sick children could be healed with $25 million?
I suppose that the McKnight Foundation can spend its $ billions any way it chooses. What I can't quite see is how global warming policy counts as charity.
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