Thank you for your editorial highlighting the need to move from debating climate change to actually doing something to prevent it ("Editorial: Are heat records performance-enhanced?"). In fact, the United States already has a law that could be a potent weapon against greenhouse gas pollution.

The Clean Air Act has reduced harmful air pollution for four decades. Courts have repeatedly upheld efforts to apply the Clean Air Act to greenhouse gases, but the Environmental Protection Agency has been too slow and timid in using the law to control carbon pollution.

For the sake of our planet and our children's future, it's time to put the Clean Air Act to work.

From Kassie Siegel, director, Climate Law Institute
Center for Biological Diversity; Joshua Tree, Calif.

Make discrepancies clear
It seems the ongoing debate over "global warming" never gets any simpler.

First, we must realize there is a drastic difference in meaning of the terms "climate change" and "global warming." The Earth has been experiencing climate change for all of its 4.5 billion years of existence. Global warming in my opinion refers to warming caused by the activities of humans.

There is also a tendency for many to think warm temperatures in the United States must be global and caused by humans. Many thought high temperatures this winter were due to global warming, while at the same time ignoring the fact that Eastern Europe experienced deadly cold that cost hundreds of lives.

If we can't get our terms and facts straight, we can't have an intelligent discussion on this subject. Until we can have an intelligent discussion, the science cannot be settled.

From James Moore; Ocean Isle Beach, N.C.

Obama must be strong on climate
Your climate change editorial states, "So it's time for the political debate to shift from whether the climate is changing to what can be done to keep the warming under control." President Obama can shift that debate by coming out firmly in favor of HR 3242, the Save Our Climate Act, which would steer our country away from fossil fuels toward cleaner forms of energy. This bill would also protect consumers, create hundreds of thousands of jobs and reduce the deficit in the process.

He should also challenge Mitt Romney, who has been all over the place on this issue, to state once and for all his position on the science and explain what he would do if elected to confront the climate challenge.

From D.R. Tucker; Brockton, Mass.

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These letters originally appeared here.