What more could we ask for? Two and half hours of snow drifting down from the heavens, some in large fluffy flakes, some in icy, wind-blown rain, others just lackadaisically covering the roofs, all carrying invitations: "Just step outside and feel how gentle and warm I really am."

All this, followed by bright sunshine with disintegrating power. All of it gone at 3 p.m. How could that be? I surely dreamed it.

God's gift to an Oregon morning on Jan. 11. What more could we possibly ask?

Lunette Mulkey

Albany

Must be riding bicycles

Referring to the Jan. 13 Mailbag letter "Keep the ban on oil drilling:" If they don't ride bicycles, must be nice to not be concerned about the price of gasoline.

Tom Lanman

Albany

Tens ways to fight warming

John Dunshee wrote (Wednesday, January 10) that he is concerned about doing "something" in regards to global warming and is "waiting for answers." I humbly submit the following 10 suggestions for steps we can take:

When buying a car or truck, we can choose one with the lowest fuel consumption needed to get the job done. (22% of our national energy use is in transportation)

Families can plan their vehicle use to take fewer trips, participate in a carpool, take public transportation, and walk or ride a bike when possible.

We can support further expansion of mass transportation such as bus and rail.

We can insulate our homes, put on a sweater, and turn down the thermostat when it's cold (or up when it's hot). Encourage building codes with higher standards for energy efficiency. (18% of our energy use is residential).

We can buy and install compact fluorescent or LED lighting. Use only the lights you need. (Lighting accounts for 20% of electricity usage in an average home).

We should beware of and avoid phantom loads from TV's, computers, cordless phones and other appliances. These loads account for 6% of US energy consumption.

We can support the implementation of "cap-and-trade" market systems for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. (33% of our energy use is industrial)

Methane is a greenhouse gas that is over 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. We can reduce methane emissions by recovering gas from landfills (24 percent of U.S. methane emissions), regulating emissions from the production and transportation of natural gas (23 percent), and eating less meat (28 percent of methane emissions come from cattle and manure).

We can encourage noncarbon sources of energy. We can start by putting solar photovoltaic panels on our roofs or by purchasing renewable energy from our utilities. Tax incentives can be used to promote these actions.

We can encourage smaller families at home and abroad.

Robert Waterhouse

Scio

Let's admit our M37 mistake

The Linn County Web site mentions the attributes of visiting this beautiful county. It shows pictures of pristine lakes and rivers for camping hiking and fishing. Mountain ridges, tall trees, and wildflowers exist for photo experiences, as do the back roads filled with farms and parks making this county (and state) attractive to visitors from all over the world.

I am an Oregonian. My head is filled with the memories of my childhood and the great adventures we had as a family exploring the gift we had all been given.

Tom McCall and other elected officials at the time thought the state was a resource too and passed laws to protect and preserve it for future generations. Because of those laws, the quality of living in Oregon has gone up (along with property values).

The Web site lists the Measure 37 claims - over 400 in Linn county alone - 32 by one company on 4,000 acres. Most of these claims are to change farm/forest land into residential compounds. There are 6,500 claims in Oregon (Capital Press).

Measure 37 is going to affect all of us by turning the farmland along the I-5 to one continuous commercial/housing strip.

Want to go hunting? With a random housing developments dotting the landscape, that would be too dangerous. Fishing in the wilderness won't exist. A geothermal plant, pumice mine and 176 homes will be your view (East Lake in Central Oregon).

The infrastructure of small communities is not designed to provide schools, police, or fire protection to areas outside the urban growth boundaries. Solution: Raise taxes.

I made a mistake! I voted for this measure thinking it was to protect family farms. I was fooled. Out-of-state developers and homebuilders' associations supported this measure. Windfall profits for landowners will become a reality as counties are intimidated into thinking they have to "waive rather than pay" inflated property values.

We can admit we made a mistake. Turn this law around and keep Oregon a place people want to visit, before it is too late.

Jan Boucot

Lebanon

MAILBAG GUIDELINES: Letters must be signed and include a return address, but we'll omit the street address in the paper.