To the editor:

I disagree with the editor’s premise that the U.S. cannot effectively screen Syrian refugees entering our country (“Naive thinking,” Nov. 18 editorial).  Furthermore, I’m disappointed with the many elected leaders, including Gov. Brownback, whose response is to turn victims of persecution away. That is not leadership of which we should be proud.

Whether the refugees are a real or a perceived threat will continue to be debated. Climate change, however, is a real threat that over 97 percent of climate scientists are convinced is caused by our burning fossil fuels. In fact, military planners consider global warming a threat multiplier. Consider again the waves of refugees invading Europe because of a conflict exacerbated by extreme drought in Syria, a trend that is bound to worsen.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris begins on Nov. 30. The hope is that the conference will culminate in a global agreement on climate change with the nations of the world making commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The United States can lead the way by enacting legislation that places a steadily rising fee on carbon with revenue returned to households.