The price of natural gas is supposed to go up 31% this year after going up almost that amount last year. Imagine this trend continuing as it probably will as natural gas gets harder to find and storms disrupt gas drilling operations in the gulf. Minnesota will be hurting as increasing amounts of money flows out of our state. Developing and constructing renewable energy technology and establishing a serious conservation plan is more important than ever. Minnesota produces zero fossil and nuclear fuels. All fuels compete with each other. If we squander one fuel it can drive up the price of other fuels. Power plants in our state and around the world use coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear fuels. A very small percentage use renewable energy. People driving the wantonly wasteful vehicles are driving up prices on all fuels around the world. Our federal government is doing almost nothing in the area of conservation. Our governor and state government are doing nothing. With the latest federal energy bill the oil, coal and nuclear fuel industries will get billions of dollars and renewable energy will get small token amounts. Minneapolis could and should show the world what can b done. There are state and federal funds for installing solar and wind energy technology. If these funds are used they will be refunded. If they are not used they, of course, will not b refunded. Conservation will help to keep billions of dollars in our city and state. Renewable energy technology will likewise help to keep billions of dollars in our city and state. Conservation and renewable energy will reduce deadly mercury emissions and other pollutants. Maybe most important it will reduce greenhouse gases. We can put beautiful arrays of grid tied photovoltaic modules on the south facing sound barriers of our freeways and over parking ramps. This is already being done in Europe and Scandinavia. We can't afford to get further behind. We can't afford to delay. Global warming is banging on the door. Super storms due to a warmer atmosphere are making their debut. They will b more frequent, more intense and longer in duration. Everyday the earth gets warmer. Every year more of the earths snow cover melts. The snow cover reflects the sun's infrared radiation (heat) back to outer space. As the earth absorbs more heat the melting of the snow cover accelerates and we have a vicious cycle. We can't reverse global warming in our lifetime but we can and we must slow its progress and hope and pray its not too much of a geometric progression. Sincerely, Don Johnson, Candidate for Mayor, 3808 Grand Ave So. Minneapolis, MN 55409 (612) 824 1111 _www.DonJohnsonMayor.org_ (http://www.donjohnsonmayor.org/) REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list.
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