Obama talks Libya, raises funds in NYC

President Barack Obama says the nation's conscience and its common interests "compel us to act" to protect civilian lives in Libya.

He says the international military effort against the regime of Moammar Gadhafi places the United States at the center of the mission, "but not alone."

In the shadow of the United Nations, the president said the international community is haunted by past failures to save innocent lives. He said force should not be the first option against a country like Libya. But if other measures are not sufficient, he called on nations to uphold international peace and security.

Obama spoke at the dedication of a new building for the U.S. delegation to the United Nations. The building is named after one-time Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, who was killed in a plane crash in 1996 while on a trade mission to the former Yugoslavia.

Brown was the first black Commerce secretary. He served under Bill Clinton -- the man Brown helped win the presidency in 1992 when Brown also was the first black Democratic Party chief.

The Ronald H. Brown United States Mission to the United Nations Building is located across the street from UN headquarters.

Earlier, Obama found his inner geek and joined New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg at a science and engineering fair at the American Museum of Natural History.

The president whetted his appetite for energy-saving innovations, checking out a bamboo bicycle, one of several projects featured in the final round of the New York City Science and Engineering Fair.

He told students: "There's going to be a great demand for people with the skills you're developing."

Later, Obama also spoke at two Democratic National Committee events in Harlem.