Climate change is everywhere — except the presidential election

Today's editorial "What about climate change?" (Oct. 18) was great! Thank you for asking the question that CNN's Candy Crowley decided was less important than the economy during the debate between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

You described Mr. Obama as "head-and-shoulders above his challenger," but being as far behind as we are on climate change isn't a virtue. James Hansen of NASA is the planet's best-informed climate scientist. He said we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6 percent per year, until we reach zero emissions. In 2007 when the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won a Nobel Prize for their report on climate change, their reduction goal was 2 percent per year. Mr. Hansen has increased his reduction goal because of increased global greenhouse gas emissions since 2007.

The U.S. has not reduced our emissions since 2007 at all, much less 6 percent per year. Being "head-and-shoulders above his challenger" while putting humanity six feet under by increasing, and not reducing greenhouse gas emissions, is not a measure of success for the leader of the world's greatest superpower. It's an indictment for climate crime.

Jeff Cobb, Cincinnati, Ohio