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"When making decisions, we must consider our grandchildrens' grandchildren."

-- Charles Loring,
Minneapolis' first park superintendent, in his arguments for the creation of the Minneapolis Park System.

Mother Earth and Father Sky

Much has already been said throughout the Twin Cities Tours' website about the importance of water to Minnesota, with all of its lakes and streams; with all of its natural beauty. This appreciation goes way back. The word "minne", as in Minnesota and Minneapolis, means water in the indigenous Lakota language.

As a sightseeing company, water is without question the number one attraction. Guests sigh at the magnificant beauty of the Twin Cities lakes; and they are only a few of the thousands in the state. Without question, water for people anywhere presents a certain magic that draws us to it. Shore property is always the most expensive. In the Twin Cities thousands gather at our city lakes: walking, rollerblading, jogging, biking, swimming, sailing, or just quietly gazing.

Yet, we cannot ignore a growing problem, and, in the interest of our grandchildrens' grandchilidren, we must speak up with alarm about water pollution.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources now advises us to eat our fish no more than once per month. Mercury is the number one toxin; but there are also agricultural chemical run-off and other sources. In Minnesota, the greatest source of mercury poisoning is coal burning and other power plants (51%). The second is taconite processing (21%), with the rest from such miscellaneous sources as sewage-sludge incineration and broken fluorescent tubes.

The good news is that many great people are working on the problem. Minnesota is a state leader in the development of alternative energies like wind, solar and biomass.

It is not our purpose here to overly expound upon this subject, other than to say that Twin Cities Tours is supportive of any an all activities which help us toward a cleaner, more sustainable future with clean air and water.

Below are some links of organizations which are working hard toward that goal, and we thank them.

Minnesota Environmental Action Network

Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center

Aqua Essence Resource Center

Minnesota Water - Let's Keep it Clean

Minnesota Environmental Partnership

Minnesota Environmental Partnership Links page

Masaro Emoto's web site

He does AMAZING experiments with water crystals.

ME3 - Minnesotans for an Energy Efficient Economy

 

Pictures of water crystals taken by Masaro Emoto.