from the publishers

Who knows where you are reading this right now. You may be one of our "snowbirds" living in Arizona or Florida or Texas for the winter. You may be at your home in St. Cloud or Duluth or Redwood Falls. Or, you may be on a laptop somewhere in Jamaica checking in on us via our website.

But no matter where you are and what the weather is like, one thing that should concern you is the subject of global warming. And, unless you've been living under a rock - and even then you've probably noticed some changes - you no doubt have heard or read something about this topic, which is of utmost importance to all of us.

It may seem odd to write about global warming in the middle of a Minnesota winter. But let's not kid ourselves, no matter what the temperature is outside right now, there's no denying that big changes have been occurring with our climate in recent decades. And, it goes a whole lot deeper than the fact that many of us adults haven't experienced a winter as harsh as those of our childhoods.

That's why we've decided to help. We are donating $1 to fight global warming for every new subscription of Minnesota Moments ordered this year. It may seem small, but we are a small business. We're hoping to raise a few thousand dollars and to set an example for other businesses, big and small. We're working with explorer Will Steger of Ely, who has made it his life's work to bring awareness to this global issue through his Global Warming 101 Expeditions. Will's wife, Patti, has established a program called Dollars For Environment, which will use the money for environmental solutions and education.

If you'd like to donate directly to the effort to fight global warming, visit www.dollarsforenvironment.com. And, please consider purchasing Minnesota Moments subscriptions to aid in this effort as well.