I was excited to see your article about St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman signing on to the “Resilient Communities for America Agreement.” The announcement that 45 majors not only acknowledge, but also plan to take action to prevent the economic and environmental problems related to climate change is significant. Although local officials have long led the push to curb greenhouse gas emissions, specific preparedness pledges remind the public that the consequences of unchecked global warming are costly and dangerous today, not in the distant future.
Clear plans like this are key to implementing solutions that tackle global warming. But local entities should not be the only ones to address a challenge of this magnitude. At the federal level, the Obama administration has proposed carbon pollution limits for new power plants. Yet despite the fact that more than 3.2 million Americans and 48,000 Minnesotans voiced support for standards last year, they have yet to finalize a rule or propose standards for existing power plants.
I urge President Obama to back up his strong words on global warming with strong action to clean up power plants, so that we can fulfill our obligation to our children and future generations to address global warming.
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