The one-party system is bad for Pittsburgh

What do North Korea, Pittsburgh, Iraq under Saddam Hussein and the former Soviet Union have in common?

Yesterday was Election Day and the only choice for mayor of Pittsburgh was Bill Peduto or nothing. Is 80-plus years of one party rule not the definition of disenfranchisement?

The one-party stranglehold over this city is enough to make Kim Jong Un envious. GEORGE LUKETICH

Brighton Heights the rest of the world is proceeding with the Paris Accord, even as the U.S. pulls out and gets left behind. States, cities, and large corporations are making the effort go green even without federal backing. These efforts will slow the temperature rise, but we still need federal action to keep the rise under 3 degrees.

The Citizens’ Climate Lobby advocates a carbon fee and dividend plan that harnesses the market to reduce emissions and puts money into the pockets of the two-thirds of Americans with a smaller-than-average carbon footprint.

The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication sums up what every American should know about climate change in 11 words: “Scientists agree: It’s real; it’s us; it’s bad; but there’s hope.” I hope that the committees nominating candidates for the special election in Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District (after the resignation of Tim Murphy) will give us candidates that can lead us to a hopeful solution. CHRIS MULLIN

Mt. Lebanon perspective, Mr. Kristof brings up the Iraq War, describing it as a war that “America stumbled into.” Stumbled into? The Iraq War was not stumbled into. That war was thoroughly preconceived, an intentional steamroll, a stomping strike at the nation of Iraq. There was no stumbling. It was a long-time-in-the-planning plan unleashed upon humanity by one of our previous leaders. Millions of human beings worldwide saw it coming for months, filled the streets and dissented. Despite their prescience and persistence, they were unable to stop it.

It also should be noted here that the media, practically to a one, served as cheerleaders.

This being said, I greatly appreciate Mr. Kristof’s admonition for us to pay attention. C. DOUGHERTY

Mt. Lebanon