Opinion editor's note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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Theft has led to the closure of retailers all over the country ("Retailers cut losses but leave a void," Oct. 2). Is it time to bring back LaBelle's? This was a retailer in the late 1960s and 1970s with a unique shopping experience. They displayed only one of each item in their store showroom. The customer would fill out an order sheet with their needs and submit the form at the order counter. Several minutes later they would call your name over the PA that your order was ready. You went to the sales counter and an associate would present you the products you selected. You paid for your purchase, and you were on your way.

With no stock on the shelves there was nothing for the flash mobs or shoplifters to steal. Was it a bit inconvenient? Maybe for some, but my family and I often shopped there and never had a problem with the service or prices. Is now the time to reconsider this type of retail experience?

Ken Vanek, Savage

A Sept. 30 letter raised many excellent points about the potential role of history in our lives ("All stories welcome"). At Hennepin History Museum, we couldn't agree more that it should be a "both/and" consideration when exploring the people and events from different eras of the past.

As public historians, we also understand that there is fierce competition for people's time and attention and that many don't think of history as their top priority. So the challenge for organizations like ours is to find compelling places and stories with immediate relevance to people's lives today.

One example of this approach can be found with our summer walking tour program. In Minneapolis' Whittier neighborhood, in Edina and at Minnehaha Falls, we have shared the stories of people and events from the 19th century all the way up to the present. By layering in stories from different eras, participants come away with a better appreciation of how the continuum of history has a direct impact on their own lived experience.

We are glad that our efforts to explore a broader view of history are being noticed, and particularly with the focus on people who previously have been overlooked. That recognition underscores our belief that when everyone is represented, history can play an important role in bringing people and communities together.

In a time when many feel the stresses of change or alienation from others, we welcome readers here to help us realize this vision. Together, we can share meaningful stories that help us all understand more about each other and our region.

John Crippen, Minneapolis

The writer is executive director, Hennepin History Museum.

The Oct. 2 commentary discussing the climate impacts of Minnesota agriculture included several misleading statements and cherry-picked science to assert that ethanol is not a clean fuel ("Big Ag must be part of climate crisis solution").

If 4 out of 5 doctors agree that eating vegetables and regular exercise is good for your health, we wouldn't take seriously the outlier who recommends a Snickers bar and eight hours of television.

The National Academy of Sciences study cited as the basis to claim that ethanol emits more carbon than gasoline doesn't hold up to peer review. It uses "questionable assumptions" and an "overestimation of the [greenhouse gas] emissions of corn ethanol" according to research (see tinyurl.com/environ-outcomes) from the Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory.

Other research conducted by Argonne (see tinyurl.com/ethanol-ghg-reduction), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (see tinyurl.com/ethanol-report), the Environmental Protection Agency (see tinyurl.com/epa-ghg-lifecycle), the California Air Resources Board (see tinyurl.com/carb-dashboard), and major universities including Harvard (see tinyurl.com/ethanol-carbon-intensity) have consistently demonstrated that ethanol is a low-carbon biofuel with 40 to 50% fewer emissions than petroleum on a life cycle basis, even when accounting for hypothetical land use change scenarios.

These hypothetical "land use changes" are used by the author to assert that ethanol has driven an increase in corn acreage even though EPA's annual estimates of cropland cleared or cultivated since 2007 has shown reductions from the original baseline of 402 million acres. Our farmers are using less land to produce higher yields through productivity gains.

If 4 out of 5 researchers say ethanol is good for the climate, we shouldn't take seriously the outlier who says it's worse than petroleum.

Brian Werner, Minneapolis

The writer is executive director, Minnesota Biofuels Association.

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A recent commentary ("Big Ag must be part of climate crisis solution") neglects to note how corn farmers are investing their own resources in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building resilient farm operations.

Each year, over 95% of Minnesota's corn farms — almost all of which are family owned — contribute a portion of each sale to the Minnesota corn checkoff. Managed by the Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council (MCR&PC), the checkoff is a fund established under state law for research, promotion and outreach efforts on behalf of Minnesota's corn farmers.

Through the corn checkoff, the MCR&PC invests over $2 million annually in university-level research. That research includes several efforts addressing greenhouse gas emissions. One is a University of Minnesota Department of Soil, Water and Climate project specifically looking at ways to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from corn farming. Another is an investment in the University of Minnesota's Climate Adaptation Partnership to ensure corn farmers have access to the best practices that help address carbon emissions by improving sustainability while maintaining productivity. MCR&PC funding helped to support an extension educator to provide science-based information to help farmers understand how changes in climate and weather will affect their operations, both year by year and in the long term.

Minnesota's corn farmers are continuously working to improve and become better stewards of our state's natural resources. We will continue investing in efforts to reduce emissions, become more resilient and help farmers implement sustainability best practices.

Gary Prescher, Delavan, Minn.

The writer is chair of the Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council.

The Star Tribune announced letting Mike Thompson go (the editorial cartoonist who replaced Steve Sack after his retirement) as a "business decision" ("Star Tribune nixes its editorial cartoonist job," Oct. 3). Sack was brilliant, so I was skeptical that anyone could come close to reaching such a high bar. It was like trying to recreate "A Prairie Home Companion" after Garrison Keillor left. But, much to my surprise, Thompson didn't take long to win me over. Anyone who can capture the macrocosm in a one-frame microcosm with humor and wit does all of us a great service! We don't have to agree with it. The point is to see a part of ourselves and take a moment to reflect. Not an easy task to capture our brief attention spans in a fast-paced world! So, the "business decision" to let Thompson go is terrible blow. Are we so afraid we might see an uncomfortable truth in ourselves that we dim the lights? A newspaper needs to be more than a business. Its purpose is not only to educate and inform the mind, but to hold up a mirror and help us see into our souls, and even have a good laugh now and then. Goodness knows, we need it!

Martha Wade, Bloomington