Pope Francis has now come out and spoken about climate change, saying "it represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day." The Environmental Protection Agency has come out with the report "Climate Change in the United States — Benefits of Global Action," highlighting the significant advantages of preventing climate change. At the same time, the Minnesota Department of Transportation has made a change that appears to ignore the potential consequences of climate change. It has recently increased the speed limit on the 9-mile stretch of Interstate 94 from I-694/I-494 to the Wisconsin border from 65 mph to 70 mph. On average, this change will reduce the fuel efficiency of vehicles by a significant amount — 9 percent. The amount of time saved to travel this route is insignificant — 36 seconds. Having thousands of vehicles every day sending more global-warming emissions into the air is an extremely poor and unwise trade-off.
Even though there are differing opinions on the issue of climate change, I would hope most of us would be willing to occasionally give up 36 seconds of our time to prevent the potential catastrophic effects. I encourage concerned individuals to leave a comment on the MnDOT website.
Pat Hinderscheid, Mendota Heights
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In mid-July, the Metropolitan Council will consider Dakota County's plan to insert a 6-mile, 8-foot-wide, multiuse, flat asphalt trail through the interior of Lebanon Hills Regional Park. Survey after survey clearly demonstrated that the residents of the county do not want such a trail. Yet five out of the seven county commissioners sent this proposal to the Met Council, requesting millions of dollars.
The federal government wants an 1,800-mile corridor from Duluth to Dallas for the preservation of the monarch butterfly; the state of Minnesota wants 50-foot grass buffers on all streams and lakes for the express purpose of clean water and habitat restoration. Yet five Dakota County commissioners want hills leveled, mature stands of oak savanna turned to sawdust and much of the cleared land turned into an asphalt trail.
Additionally, they want Legacy money to build it. The aim and intent of the 2008 Legacy Amendment do not provide for degrading natural areas. If you are tired of this arrogant, blind behavior and you don't want to take it any more (see the ruination of Spring Lake Park), please send your comments and ask the Met Council to stop this proposal: public.info@metc.state.mn.us.
Mike Stinson, Apple Valley
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
About that well-known lake in southwest Minneapolis
A June 23 letter writer says about John C. Calhoun that "[c]ertainly he was wrong on slavery," but it was a trifle when compared to Calhoun's other accomplishments, apparently.
The letter writer also says: "Like Jefferson, Jackson and Washington, Calhoun died before the Civil War commenced, so we have no idea where he'd stand on secession." That's absurd. Calhoun whipped up sentiment in South Carolina against the 1832 federal Tariff Act, which resulted in South Carolina's Nullification Act: secession lite. President Jackson told Calhoun that he was "standing on the brink of insurrection and treason."