• Home
• About Amy
• Serving Minnesotans
• About Minnesota
• Issues/ Legislation
• Media Center
• Contact Amy
• FAQ

News Releases

Klobuchar Honors K-12 Students for Global Warming Efforts

Next "Carbon Buster" Awards Will Go to College Students

March 3, 2008

Minneapolis, MN – Yesterday, at a ceremony on the University of Minnesota campus, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar was joined by renowned Arctic explorer Will Steger in presenting her “Carbon Buster Awards of Excellence” to Minnesota K-12 students who have made special efforts to raise public awareness about the need for action on global climate change.

Klobuchar also announced a new round of her Carbon Buster program for Minnesota college students.  Awards will go to the top entries in two categories:  essay and multimedia.  It is open to any undergraduate student at a Minnesota college.  The deadline is May 9, 2008.

More details can be found on Klobuchar’s Senate website by clicking here.

“Climate change is a real problem, but it also has real solutions,” said Klobuchar.  “We have the power, as individuals and working together, to take serious action to reduce the threats posed by global warming.  As is often the case when the world is changing, it’s the younger generations who are among the most aware and the first to take action.”

Klobuchar said she established the Carbon Buster Awards program “to put the spotlight on some of the best efforts by Minnesotans to raise public awareness and highlight what can be done to save energy, reduce greenhouse gas pollution and combat global warming.”

Among those attending the Carbon Buster Awards ceremony were nearly all the students from Ryan Rysavy’s 4th grade class at Baxter Elementary School, near Brainerd.  In order to receive their award, they traveled to the Twin Cities by bus with family members.  The class produced a five-minute video that features students offering practical tips to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas pollution.

Klobuchar and Steger presented Carbon Buster Awards to the top entries in four categories:

Essay for grades K-6
Brandon Cramer, 5th grade, Twin Lakes Elementary School, Elk River
Rachel Ann Lawrence, 3rd grade, Northrop Urban Environmental School, Minneapolis

Multimedia project for grades K-6
Ryan Rysavy’s 4th grade class, Baxter Elementary School, Baxter

Essay for grades 7-12
Brian Rodysill, 12th grade, Mayo High School, Rochester

Multimedia project for grades 7-12
Stephanie Erickson’s 8th grade class, Washington Technology Magnet Middle School, St. Paul

After just one year in the Senate, Klobuchar is already a national leader on global warming, serving on three Senate committees directly involved with the issue:  Environment, Agriculture and Commerce.  Last year she visited Greenland as part of the bipartisan Senate Environment Committee delegation to observe firsthand the dramatic effects of climate change evident there.

###