Global climate change set the stage for the “Frankenstorm” on the East Coast, and failure to enact effective climate legislation will ensure more extreme weather-related disasters in the future.

The issue of climate change was almost completely absent from the campaign trail this election season. Mitt Romney spoke of it as a joke at the Republican National Convention, and President Obama reiterated his verbal commitment to addressing climate change during the Democratic National Convention, but his inaction says it all.

Regardless of who the next president is, there is no doubt that Mother Nature will continue to make herself heard. The action required by the next president will be to help push through a tax-neutral fee on carbon that will create a clear, predictable, market-driven solution to addressing climate change.

Sandy is just the latest in a series of weather-related disasters connected to climate change that have caught the public’s attention this year. Out of this disaster comes a great opportunity for Congress to come together and pass climate legislation with bipartisan support. If we can put a steadily-rising fee on carbon-based fuels, and return that revenue to every American household, then we can mitigate climate change, put people back to work in high-skill renewable energy jobs and increase our energy independence without inflicting economic hardship on the American people.

Donald Addu

Citizens Climate Lobby

North Carolina Chapter

People of the future

We don’t need to keep on adding 80 million people a year, with all the sprawl and infrastructure problems with that. It’s not right to pass that mess on to future generations. It would be better to increase the death rate, by stopping the suppression of measles, influenza, malaria, and tuberculosis.

We’re living in luxury compared to the bulk of history, so there should be no complaints about limiting longevity. Better to have gratitude for all the modern conveniences we enjoy, and remember that people of the future are not less important than we are, just because they can’t vote.

David Polewka

Chapel Hill

Important reminder

Reading the praise and remarkable accomplishments of Israelis reveals a very smart and industrious people indeed. I applaud the Israelis on their impressive feats in technology, medicine, and more.

My questions is, why not make a just and lasting peace with the Palestinian people the next great Israeli accomplishment? Surely, Israel holds the greater power in relationship to the indigenous Palestinians – militarily, economically and diplomatically with protective American support at the United Nations plus our Congress that grants more and more billions in military aid despite the fact that successive Israeli governments have demonstrated disregard for stated U.S. policies.

Many Israeli analysts note that the settlement enterprise – the occupation and colonization of the Palestinian territory – is self defeating for it undermines Israel’s character and security. As Palestinian human rights are thwarted, homes demolished by American-made bulldozers, unarmed protesters violently sickened (some lethally) by American made tear gas and Palestinian property taken for more settlements, the possibility of a viable two-state solution grows unlikely.

The grandfathers in the bus ads suggest that U.S. military aid serves as an obstacle to security, peace and equality for Israelis and Palestinians. This is important for our body politic to learn more about as we dialogue in our gathering places, study more information from credible, accurate news sources and yes ....are now reminded to do when we ride on the Chapel Hill buses.

Margaret Rafferty

Cedar Grove

He’s relevant

Thanks to The N&O for a fine editorial eulogizing George McGovern, who died Oct. 21 at the age of 90.

Even after his death, he speaks to us today with the words from his 1972 presidential campaign: "Needless wars and military waste contribute to the economic crisis - by the dissipation of labor and resources and in nonproductive enterprises. For too long the taxes of citizens and revenues desperately needed by our cities and states have been drawn to Washington and wasted in senseless wars and unnecessary military gadgets."

A major test of our time is the conversion of our economy from the excesses of war to works for peace. "I urgently call for conversion planning to utilize the talents and resources - for modernizing our industrial plants and meeting human needs."

Forty years after McGovern spoke those words, N.C. Peace Action is working to Bring the War Dollars Home in Durham, Greensboro, Raleigh, Burlington, Asheville, Chapel Hill and Washington.

N.C. Peace Action and Veterans for Peace salute the life and work of George McGovern.

John Heuer

Pittsboro