Sen. Hillary Clinton continues to be concerned about Sen. Barack Obama's church affiliation ("Clinton: Obama Had Choice," March 26). I suggest that she visit the Web site of Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago (www.tucc.org). It is very informative and describes a parish rooted in the combination of faith and good works to which I would be happy to know that the president of the United States belonged. There is nothing anti-American about it.

Many of us white, educated Americans are woefully ill-informed about religious traditions of any group except those we have thought of as traditional "mainstream" Christian churches. We fear Muslims, misunderstand Jews and sometimes even entertain long-standing prejudices within the Christian community regarding the labels "Evangelical," "Catholic," "Protestant." Many white Christians have never participated in a black Christian church. Pastor Jeremiah Wright's words were strong, but his message did not contain anything that many people who lived through Selma, the Vietnam War and the Iraq war do not understand and affirm.

I think that Sen. Obama is saying something very important to all Americans when he challenges us to grow beyond our known boundaries -- white, black, Hispanic, Asian, etc. -- to get to know one another and to work toward living together in harmony.

SISTER PATRICIA McCANN
Oakland

Tony Norman's April 1 column ("Wright, Obama -- and Clueless Media") was surely meant as an April Fools' joke. When ministers such as Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell have spewed hatred from the pulpit, they have been severely criticized by the media, including Mr. Norman. One can only imagine Mr. Norman's comments if either had ever been John McCain's pastor. So much for the "loyalty to the transcendent" he mentions, which, when considered, has always been the excuse of religious zealots, from burning witches to bombing the World Trade Center.

The use of Old Testament passages by Rev. Jeremiah Wright in his diatribes is instructive inasmuch as love, not hatred, is the theme of the New Testament. The Rev. Wright is simply a reactionary, preaching inappropriately to a combination of real concerns and those made out of whole cloth, such as his belief that the AIDS virus was invented by the United States to torture blacks. He has justly earned the same opprobrium as the Robertsons and Falwells of the world.

Each of us is free to draw his or her own conclusion as to how to judge Sen. Barack Obama and his relationship to his pastor. I admired the speech he gave that addressed the issue and it is closed for me. But Mr. Norman's contention that the media are clueless on this issue is, well, clueless.

DAVE BUCHANAN
Wilkins

The Post-Gazette is fortunate to have Tony Norman on its staff. Every column he writes challenges your readers to examine their priorities as they attempt to weave their way through the turmoils of this world. Mr. Norman knows when to comfort and he knows when to challenge. I hope the "clueless media" ("Wright, Obama -- and Clueless Media," April 1) -- especially the Pittsburgh area media -- accept his challenge to wake up.

GARY BROWN
Monroeville

Why is Tony Ceoffe of Lawrence- ville United negotiating deals with Lamar Advertising ("Speakers Chastise City Over Billboard Approval," March 21)? Just because he is in the paper frequently doesn't mean that he represents the people of Lawrence- ville.

Tony Ceoffe is not an elected official. He has no authority to negotiate on behalf of anyone but himself and Lawrenceville United. Negotiations with Tony Ceoffe do not qualify as public process!

As a longtime Lawrenceville resident, I'm very glad to see that City Council is stepping in to put an end to backroom negotiations like this one, and the one that started this whole mess in the first place, and getting this deal back out into the open where it belongs.

KITTY JULIAN
Lawrenceville

Can we do without fossil fuels? The awarding of the 2007 Nobel Peace prize to Albert Gore and the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a welcome recognition of the possibly devastating effects of global warming and the necessity of countering this trend.

Several bills in the U.S. Senate and House and the Kyoto Protocol are all directed to stabilization or reduction of carbon dioxide emissions but not to their elimination. Mr. Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth" makes a compelling case for substantial reduction, and total elimination is necessary.

Nuclear power, hydroelectric, geothermal and wind energy and biofuels can supply some of the world's energy needs, but most of these have undesirable side effects. However, solar energy is more than adequate.

Considering the sun's energy output, the total world energy needs and a reasonable estimate of utilization efficiency, this would require about 0.10 percent of the Earth's surface area, or 0.34 percent of its land area. This must come mostly from desert or arid tropical or subtropical areas.

Governments must put a heavy tax on carbon dioxide-generating activities and use the revenues for research, development, demonstration and construction of solar energy utilization facilities; more efficient vehicles, devices and buildings; and subsidies for rail and mass transit. This will require enormous expense and some sacrifice, but much less than what future generations will require if we continue our profligate utilization of fossil fuels.

TRUMAN KOHMAN
Mt. Lebanon

This is in response to the March 28 article "Lights Turned Off Tomorrow in Global Warming Event."

Pittsburgh Councilman William Peduto said he wanted people and businesses to participate in Earth Hour, by turning off their lights for one hour starting at 8 p.m. last Saturday.

Turning off the lights for one hour is a token gesture that has no significant effect on energy use or the environment. If the members of City Council were serious about protecting the Earth, they would quit driving to work -- not just for an hour but every day -- and start taking the bus.

DANIEL D. ALMAN
Squirrel Hill