Letters: The U.S. had nothing to gain by attending climate conference

"I'm glad the U.S. didn't send a delegation to COP30, the two-week-long U.N. "Climate Change Conference" in Brazil this month. This costly annual event accomplishes next to nothing (other than CO2 emissions from all the private jets flying in). Press releases touted the "progress" China is making in reducing greenhouse gases, while complaining the U.S. isn't "doing enough." The truth, however, was hidden away in some committee reports discovered by the Economist magazine of London."

"I find it ridiculous that people are trying to cancel "Mallard Filmore" because they disagree with his conservative-leaning views. Different views are important to democracy. Where were these people during the eight years of brutal attacks by "Doonesbury" against President Bush? Perhaps only their views are the correct ones? If Mallard is canceled, be sure you cancel "Doonesbury" and every other strip with an opinion."

"I am a life-long Democrat, but I did not support the government shutdown based on health care insurance issues. Approximately 85% of American residents receive their health care insurance via Medicare, Medicaid or their employers. Only about 7% get it via Affordable Care Act exchanges. The ACA has been a wonderful program to supplement households that would not be able to afford health care insurance in the private market."

The U.S. did not send a delegation to COP30, calling the two-week U.N. Climate Change Conference costly, ineffective, and a source of CO2 from private jets. Press releases praised China's progress while criticizing U.S. efforts, but committee reports showed China emitted more than double the CO2 of the U.S. and Europe combined in 2023. China continues to build coal-fired power plants and exports most of the solar panels and wind turbines it manufactures. The U.S. led global CO2 reductions over the past decade mainly by shifting from coal to natural gas. Separate opinions defend comic-strip diversity and question the value of an ACA-related shutdown.

Read at The Mercury News