During the 2024 Legislative Session, CURE was a voice for rural Minnesota, advocating for a clean energy future while striving to protect and preserve the Minnesota landscapes and communities we love. This was sometimes a lonely position to hold. No other organization does what CURE does in rural Minnesota. But being a progressive rural advocate […]
A Voice for Rural Minnesota: CURE’s 2024 Legislative Wrap-up Read More »
🚫 CO2 Pipelines in MN 🚫 CURE continues to lead the opposition to Summit’s proposed CO2 pipeline. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the 28-mile portion of the project in Otter Tail and Wilkin County was published in January of this year. We were happy to see so many impacted community members, members of
No fooling! Catch up with CURE ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥 Read More »
Minnesota’s “Carbon-Free Future” & the Myth of Cleaner Fossil Fuels In October, CURE hosted a convening for environmental organizations and activists in Saint Paul entitled “Carbon Capture and Minnesota’s ‘Carbon-Free’ Future.” Joined by experts from across the country, CURE staff delved into the issues of a rapidly expanding carbon capture industry, providing insight as to
Light returns. Years turn. Catch up with CURE. Read More »
Minnesota winters, rural roads, and electric vehicles are made for each other! This free in-person event allowed folks to test-drive new EVs in winter conditions during Ely’s annual winter extravaganza. CURE partnered with Drive Electric Minnesota and the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs). Saturday, February 3, 1:30 -4:30 PM as part of Ely’s Winter Festival
Northern Exposure: Winter EV Ride & Drive | Ely Read More »
2023 Minnesota Legislative Session There were so many wins for Minnesotans and our Minnesota lands – Read more here! CO2 Pipelines + False Climate Solutions CURE continues to lead the Minnesota campaign against proposed CO2/Carbon Pipelines by helping organize landowners and concerned communities. At the state and federal level, CURE continues to intervene with regulators
The Run Down: CURE’s Work + Wins in 2023 Read More »
At the convening “Carbon Capture and Minnesota’s ‘Carbon-Free’ Future,” CURE and other experts from Minnesota and throughout the U.S. came together for a timely and critical discussion about industry-driven carbon capture, CO2 pipelines, and the false promise of a “cleaner fossil fuel” future. Since 2021, CURE has been at the forefront of the debates surrounding
Carbon Capture + Minnesota’s Carbon Free Future Read More »
What really brings Minnesotans together? Fried food on sticks. Working together to solve big problems. While CURE doesn’t excel at culinary delights on sticks, we are leading the way, tackling some of the biggest problems facing Minnesotans to create a better tomorrow for everyone —and we didn’t take the summer off from this fight. CO2
The Great Minnesota Get Together Read More »
TL;DR: CURE continues to pursue democracy-driven solutions to solve big problems—because the places we love the most and call home aren’t somewhere over the rainbow; they are right here. But—because you did take the time to open this jam-packed blog—stick with us for the next 4 minutes and learn more about historic rural clean energy
Somewhere over the rainbow Read More »
Now is the time to invest in carbon-free electricity, energy efficiency, demand-side flexibility, and other innovations for the 21st century, NOT dirty diesel power. It is 2023. Minnesota, the country, and the world are experiencing the impacts of the growing climate crisis. In recognition of the urgency of the moment, this year, the Minnesota legislature
GRE’s Cambridge 2 Peaker Plant Proposal: A blast from the past Read More »
The Land Back movement, a decentralized effort to return control of ancestral lands to Indigenous communities, gained widespread visibility in recent years, but it has existed in different forms since colonial powers first seized land. Land Back is a part of Indigenous people’s and allies’ efforts to address the ongoing legacy of colonialism. Indigenous communities
Land Back opportunity in Minnesota Read More »
Kelsey Olson (she/her) joined CURE in 2025 as its Director of Environmental Stewardship. As a skilled environmental naturalist, Kelsey’s work focuses broadly on environmental education and advocacy with a keen focus on rural land use and how that use impacts our environment and climate. Working Lands, how land is used to support agriculture and forestry, is a key focus of her work. She brings 15 years’ experience in public communication, environmental education, and rural community engagement – strong communication strategies are core in her work. This includes two terms of service with AmeriCorps in the VISTA program in Oregon and Maryland and a nearly 10-year career as a naturalist followed. She recently worked on communications and marketing for rural economic development.
Kelsey lives in New London, MN, with her young children, husband, dog, and two cats. They enjoy spending time together outside and finding small treasures in nature. Visits to Minneapolis often include visits to one of their favorite historical museums, the Minnesota Swedish Institute. Kelsey enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, whether this is canning local produce, making kombucha, or other treats!
