I attended a forum on climate change at the University of Minnesota Duluth on Nov. 16 (Reader's View: "Now is the time to finally address climate change").
It was disappointing to note that the attendance at this forum was not robust. Knowledgeable speakers, including University of Minnesota Duluth science faculty and local business representatives, joined U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan to inform about and discuss the deleterious effects of climate change locally and globally.
Among the many disturbing facts I learned: Lake Superior is warming at an alarmingly fast rate. This warming correlates directly to the increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Increasing carbon dioxide also is affecting Minnesota's eastern landscape. The spruce forests will disappear and become virtually barren open plains if this rate of carbon dioxide pollution continues.
We know that coal-fired power plants contribute large amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. At the forum, Minnesota Power presented its plan to reduce its coal-fired production of electricity to one-third of its total production. But the pace of this transformation is too slow. The extraction of oil from Canadian tar sands is yet another source of massive amounts of carbon dioxide. Enbridge Energy proposes to increase the volume of this dirty oil it proposes to pipe through Minnesota. Aren't we moving in the wrong direction here?
The science is undeniable: Global warming and the human contribution to it is a reality we must confront. On a personal level, we can drive less, bike and walk more, become informed, and join with others to voice our concerns to local, regional and national legislative leaders, business leaders and regulatory commissions.
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Linda Herron
Duluth
