Community Corner
Taking Care of Mother Earth
Earth Day reminds us that we should all be better caretakers of our world, and safeguard the natural resources, flora and fauna, our air and water. According to researchers at the University of Minnesota, the increasing content of carbon in the air we breathe has a damaging effect to humans, mammals, reptiles and other species. This means more species may soon be extinct.
April 22nd should remind us all to leave this "camp site"cleaner than we found it. Anyone who's been to the BWCA gets that! Maybe the greatest legacy we can leave our grandchildren and great-grandchildren is a planet with a sustainable atmosphere. There are clean streams left in southern Minnesota, where trout swim. It would be a shame to let these islands of nature be spoiled by pollution so easily created by people. It is to our advantage, environmentally and in business, to seek out and support green businesses.
Alternatives to coal-burning power were on display a month ago in Lakeville at the Heritage Center. Contractors talked about the siting and installation of "community solar gardens" - banks of solar panels which may follow the sun in generating clean electric power for a neighborhood. As stewards of our planet, it's useful for us to know about these non-polluting resources in power generation.
A candidate for Congress in the Second District, Mike Obermueller, has expressed interest in, and support for, innovations which can transform our power grid and preserve endangered species and the heritage we leave to future generations. I think that kind of thoughtfulness about our planet is something we need in a congressional representative.
Happy Camping!