MN United FC’s Collin Martin Wants to Have a Conversation
I moved to Minnesota three years ago to play soccer and learned quickly that Minnesotans love their lakes, their parks, and outdoor spaces. Whether you hunt, fish, snowmobile or mountain bike, outdoor spaces are where we clear our heads. We connect to nature and renew our energy to engage in the world around us. But, increasingly, we know the world around us is changing and we understand now more than ever that the changing climate will impact the outdoor spaces we love.
That’s why I signed up to be an ambassador for ULLU – a new campaign in Minnesota that will spark millions of conversations about the climate challenge.
I first heard about ULLU from Richard Carlbom, Minnesota’s leader of the Freedom to Marry campaign. The huge win in 2012 that allowed same-sex couples to marry was won by the largest conversation-based campaign Minnesota has ever seen, changing the course of history. They created ways to reshape the conversation – using new tools, talking points, partnerships. And they met Minnesotans where they were. ULLU will deploy this same tactic in the fight against climate change, aiming to be the largest conversation campaign since 2012. Under Richard’s leadership, ULLU is focused on creating respectful conversations with Minnesotans who know the climate crisis is real—but haven’t themselves gotten engaged in the fight.
With ULLU’s help, Minnesotans can see how easily we can create a healthy climate, empowering us to enact real change in our state. We want people to get excited about living sustainably. Minnesotans will celebrate one another for the things they do day-in and day-out to better our state, whether that’s bringing a reusable coffee cup to work, checking our tire pressure, or making the switch from incandescent bulbs to LED.
Obviously, if we want to achieve something big, understanding and coming together is the critical first step. After that, it’s all downhill. We all agree that we want to live in a clean, healthy climate—for ourselves, our kids, our grandkids.
I’ve become more in tune with the issues our planet faces with warming temperatures, carbon waste, and general waste, but I’ll admit that I just didn’t even know where to step in. As it turns out, just talking about it is a really important first step.
I’m proud to be an ULLU Ambassador, and I’m excited to jump in with all of you – by starting conversations, asking questions, listening, and opening my mind to new ideas about creating a clean, healthy climate future.
And, if we all do that—imagine how far we can go.
I am ready to get the conversation going!
