Letters to the editor

Obama needs to focus on country, not campaigningAs the turmoil was unfolding in Libya and Egypt, our president felt compelled to campaign in Las Vegas as a candidate rather then take charge as Commander in Chief. This does not instill me with much confidence. He and Hillary Clinton condemned the “senseless” violence, blaming it on an inflammatory video and apologizing to the protesters for our freedom of speech. These are not senseless acts of violence. These are acts of war.It took nine days before the administration finally admitted it was a terrorist attack. We are now in day 11, riots spreading to 20 countries, over three continents and not a word from Obama. I guess he is too busy “schmoozing” with Hollywood personalities to speak to the American people. I have had enough cool and hip. I want — and deserve — leadership.Inga SilverCarson CityClimate change approach is immoralAnne Macquarie of Carson City is right to be concerned about immoral approaches to climate change, but she seemed to have missed the biggest immorality of all.Of the roughly $100 billion spent each year in the world on climate finance, 95 percent of it is devoted to controlling global climate decades into the future. Only 5 percent goes to helping people affected by real climate change today, such as in the drought stricken Sahel region of East Africa.Even if it were possible to control climate change and increasingly more scientists say it is not, it makes no sense to focus more on what might happen in the distant future than on helping vulnerable people adapt to climate change today. When I spoke with African delegates at the Copenhagen Climate Conference in 2009, they were angry that developed countries seemed to place more value on people yet to be born than those suffering today. We are, to use Macquarie's analogy, “throwing Grannie under the bus.”Whether one believes humanity is causing problematic climate change or not, whether one is left, right or center, it should not matter. Today’s approach to climate change is immoral.Tom HarrisOttawa, Canadaexecutive director International Climate Science CoalitionDemocrats not up to running the countryBack in the run-up to the 2008 presidential election, Hillary Clinton ran an ad about who would be able to best handle that 3 o’clock in the morning phone call of some diplomatic crisis. Well, as the last week has shown, neither she nor Barack Obama are up to the task.David YoungsGardnerville