USA needs to do its part to save planet: #tellusatoday

On Earth Day, President Obama called on the nation to protect the planet for the generations to come and address climate change now. Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

Advancing clean energy is a good goal for many reasons, including reducing air pollution and transitioning away from oil that must eventually run dry. But the alarmist notion that we must drastically cut carbon emissions right now is overblown.

If the global warming scientists are correct, then it is probably already too late to prevent significant warming. For the United States to make drastic changes that would hurt our economy, while other countries continue their carbon output unabated, is crazy. Work on the transition to clean energy, sure, but the best approach to global warming is to prepare for warmer temperatures. Coastal cities, and agriculture and water officials need to plan ahead.

— David Swain

Fossil fuels aren't going anywhere anytime soon. So-called renewable energies aren't going to cut it, not for now anyway. They do have drawbacks.

— Richard Button

One of the fallacies that the deniers of climate change propagate is that attacking climate change costs money, and that doing nothing has no cost. Nothing is further from the truth.

— Terry Mayer

If in 20 years, because of a long-term drought, we can't grow crops to feed people in America, let alone the rest of the planet, deniers will look silly.

A vast majority of climate scientists say global warming is happening. It is potentially the most serious crisis humans have faced. People say liberals are exaggerating, but the skeptics should simply take a look at what scientists have concluded on the matter.

— Joe Bezas

Climate change notwithstanding, we need to stop polluting the air we breathe, water we drink and land we live on. There is no way populations can continue to increase, with people not only consuming more than our planet produces but also destroying it. It really does not matter whether global warming is true. Destroying the planet we live on is insanity.

— Bruce Mort

We asked our Twitter followers what they are doing to help the environment. Comments are edited for clarity and grammar:

I'm not flying on a jumbo jet, burning thousands of gallons of fuel, to a conference.

— @KestrelArts

I'm doing what I do every day: Maintain a golf course with sound environmental practices.

— @EMorrisonCGCS

I'm participating in my city's recycling efforts, and throwing out old cellphones, a coffee maker and other items.

— @JeffOstach

I'm eating vegan, which is the same thing I do every day, to help animals and the environment.

— @HMOORE123

For more discussions, follow @USATOpinion and #tellusatoday on Twitter.