In a bipartisan effort Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle (D) teamed up with Republican Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty to host the two-day Midwestern Governors Association Energy Summit Nov. 14 and Nov. 15 held at The Pfister Hotel, 424 E. Wisconsin Ave.

The summit's goal was to "unveil a Midwestern energy security and climate stewardship platform," according to the agenda the organization released.

"The United States should depend less on the (Middle East) and more on the Midwest for its energy needs," Doyle said in a press release announcing the creation of the bi-partisan summit. "Wisconsin and the entire Midwest have the opportunity to lead the nation in the fight against global warming."

Topics discussed at the summit included "The Potential of MGA States" and "The Midwest's Role in a Global Carbon Marketplace," said Dan Kohler, the leader of Wisconsin Environment, a non-partisan, non-profit organization that works for clean air, open space and protected waterways.

Kohler said summit organizers were influenced by the environmental initiatives of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and leaders in many other states along with the research of an international panel.

"The panel asked, 'What is the threat and what must we do?'" Kohler said.

Kohler also said he hoped the summit would make commitments in line with what scientists are saying regarding the threat of global warming.

"We'd like to see a 15 percent to 20 percent reduction in global warming emissions by 2020 and an 80 percent reduction by 2050," he said.

The governors' initiatives are a result of growing public interest in environmental issues, Kohler said.

"There is an increasing public opinion regarding global warming, foreign oil and pollutants. People are crying out for solutions," said Kohler.

Concern for environmental issues is not new to Wisconsin or bi-partisan for the first time.

In the last state Senate session, Sen. Rob Cowles (R-Green Bay) was the lead sponsor of the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Power Act, which calls for 10 percent of energy utilities' power to be from renewable resources by 2015. The act passed 32-1 in a Republican-led Senate.

"By increasing Wisconsin's use of renewable energy and re-focusing our efforts to promote conservation, our state can be more self-sufficient and meet the rising energy demand of our economy," said Cowles in a press release announcing the March 2006 passage of the bill.

Cowles, former chairman of the Environment and Energy Committee, also supported an act involving Neighborhood Electric Vehicles, which are rechargeable, battery-powered cars about the size of golf carts that can run at about 25 miles per hour.

Students on Marquette's campus have also expressed a strong interest in the environmental concerns the summit worked to solve. Aimee McGinty, president of Students for an Environmentally Active Campus, said she supported the summit.

With an active campaign to get Marquette to buy into renewable energy on the horizon, McGinty said she is optimistic about what the energy summit could accomplish.

"Any goal [the summit reaches] would be good," she said. "We're behind."

John Connors, chairman of College Republicans, said he agrees the summit is positive.

"The reality is that it isn't a political summit when you look at the bi-partisan support," Connors said.

While he said he views climate changes as due only partially to human activity and more to natural weather cycles, he recognizes the economic benefits of relying less on foreign oil and more on ethanol and Midwestern biofuels.

"We're moving in the right direction," he said. But Connors also said passing regulations to reduce emissions is not the most economically efficient option.

While the summit's governors were primarily concerned with what the state as a whole can accomplish, Kohler said he recognizes many people are interested in what they can do individually.

"Contact your state legislators," he said. "The Assembly right now is considering the Wisconsin State Climate Act, which would reduce global warming emissions back to 1990 levels by 2020."

Kohler said if Wisconsin was its own country, in 2004 it would have ranked 37th in the world for emissions.

McGinty said her organization will also continue to promote interest in environmental issues next semester.

"A lot of people don't know what these issues entail," she said.