Opinion editor's note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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The author of "Yes, Virginia, you can trim a tree and still fight climate change" (Opinion Exchange, Dec. 12), tries to argue that while humans are responsible global warming, somehow individuals are not. The author states:

"As I've noted before, the idea of a personal 'carbon footprint' was invented by BP PLC, the oil behemoth formerly known as British Petroleum. It's a clever marketing ploy that makes you, dear reader, feel guilty about your own emissions, which in turn makes you less likely to complain about those of, say, BP (340 million tons last year)."

Does it really matter who made up the expression? Perhaps it is simplistic, but it captures the fact that the global carbon footprint, including that of corporations, is ultimately the product of the billions of daily decisions that make up household consumption. Household consumption and government consumption (government consuming on behalf of households) are in fact the only contributors. Corporations, with all their carbon output, are only the middleman. No company exists without serving the demand of some entity that serves the demands of households. So, BP's carbon footprint belongs to each of us.

What makes global warming so hard to combat is that the cause is decentralized and diffused in our personal decisions, rooted in our instinctual drive to improve our lives. The concept of a personal carbon footprint provides an easy way to make that connection.

Regina Anctil, Minneapolis

In truth, loneliness affects more than one-third of American adults and can have profound impacts on both mental and physical health. A lack of social connections is associated with a 30% increased risk of early death, and research has shown loneliness to have the same impact on life expectancy as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Having connections with others is not a luxury … it is necessary, life changing and even life saving.

However, it can be challenging for many who are feeling isolated to reach out and make those connections, but there options out there to help. Warmlines, like the one provided by Mental Health Minnesota, can help provide connections with others who have also struggled with their mental health, isolation and loneliness. The peer support provided by this service is anonymous, confidential and free of charge, and can be reached via phone, text or chat, so it's available to anyone who could use a social connection or support seven days a week, including on weekends and holidays.

The holidays can be a particular difficult time for those who are already struggling with loneliness and isolation, but no one needs to face it alone, because organizations like Mental Health Minnesota are here to help. Visit mentalhealthmn.org or call 833-HERE4MN to connect.

Shannah Mulvihill, St. Paul

Special Counsel Jack Smith, Donald Trump's Grand Inquisitor, just pulled the trigger on a legal master stroke, in my opinion. He wants a clean, straight-up interpretation of the U.S. Constitution on the issue of whether a president can be brought to court on charges of committing grave crimes that threaten our democracy. And Smith wants fast action by the court because the country needs and deserves it.

When investigation revealed Richard Nixon's secret White House audio taping system records that documented high crimes, the Supreme Court moved to order the tapes be turned over to law enforcement. Like Smith's filing in the Trump issues, the Nixon tapes case was a straightforward legal issue. No messy fact issues for lawyers (or judges) to spin. Can a president use executive privilege to coverup a potential crime against the country? The court then said no, and Nixon was soon done and gone. He should have gone to prison, like his attorney general, chief of staff and other sycophants, but the political aristocracy takes care of its own.

Our founding myth is that we threw off the arrogance of kings and queens, but our history says we still fall for con men and false idols. If that happens again in 2024, and justice is not served, it's on us as much as Donald Trump.

Paul Gustafson, Minneapolis

The writer is a former Star Tribune reporter.

I agree on a proposal to provide help to middle-class families struggling to pay for child care. Small businesses like mine desperately need more parents freed up to participate in the workforce. We also want to see children in quality early learning programs, so that they are ready to succeed in school and all that follows.

New government programs take time to generate support, architect rollout plans, hire resources and execute on the objective. I'd love to see Minnesota build on an existing approach for delivering this kind of help that has a track record of working well and that has broad support.

Lori Most, Bloomington

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I am a 28-year-old registered nurse with an almost 3-year-old son. My husband and I both work full time to provide for our family. It is extremely disheartening to work hard at good-paying jobs yet be stretched so thin financially due to the outrageous cost of child care. We currently pay $350 per week for our one child to attend full-time preschool. This cost is preventing us from being able to save for a home, grow our family and put any money back into the local economy.

Furthermore, the stress this financial burden places on us is insurmountable. We need elected officials to address this issue immediately, as it is a huge problem for thousands of families just like mine. Good hardworking families, that are unable to plan for the future due to the amount paid for child care.