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Natural gas bans
are ill-advised
Re. “Our clean energy transition must not be just for rich people,” Page A6, Feb. 15:
It truly worries me to see people banning the use of natural gas, the cleanest burning fossil fuel, because it releases less carbon dioxide per hydrogen burned for energy.
Banning natural gas in hopes of seeing people use electricity is quite counterproductive, as a significant amount of electricity in the United States is made from burning dirtier forms of hydrocarbon resources such as coal. One wonders why we would ban a cleaner alternative.
Manny Hals
Richmond
County mismanagement
at root of high tax rate
Thank you for your Sunday piece “How the Raiders made $189 million in taxpayer money vanish” (Page A1, Feb. 13). My conclusion is with this level of fiscal mismanagement, little wonder the Alameda County sales tax of 10.75% is among the highest in the state.
Sean K. Lehman
Pleasanton
Recall fix needed,
but plan is off
Re. “How to fix state’s undemocratic but popular recall elections,” Page A6, Feb. 17:
Pedro Nava’s solution, what he perceives as the “fix,” to recall elections is what I would expect from the status quo.
I think that a recall for a statewide office should follow the existing succession plan called for in the state’s constitution. In the governor’s race, it should be the lieutenant governor.
This would provide someone who the majority of voters had voted for as well as someone who could hit the ground running.
As far as the 10% of registered voters, I think Nava is intentionally misleading. For the last recall, the 10% would be about 2.2 million versus 1.5 million, increasing the requirement by about 47%.
Kevin Hickman
San Ramon
State surplus could
help expand solar
Rev. Ambrose Carroll Sr.’s piece about rooftop solar panels (“PUC proposal on rooftop solar policy hurts working families,” Page A6, Jan. 13) is exactly right. It’s outrageous for PG&E to claim changing the Net Energy Metering rules will benefit low-income families.
With $750 a year more for those with rooftop solar panels, California, the supposed leader in all things sustainable, will have the highest fees in the nation. When we installed our panels, we thought we were helping to save the planet. This callous PUC plan feels like a slap in the face. Having PG&E spin this in the best interests of equity and social justice seems disingenuous.
Here’s an idea: Gov. Gavin Newsom, the champion of climate action, can take some of the state’s $45 billion surplus and pick up the tab for residents, churches and others instead of helping utilities like convicted felon PG&E earn profits on the backs of working communities.
Julie Freestone
Richmond
Solar advocates should
support Diablo Canyon
Nuclear power has some of the lowest full lifecycle emissions, and Diablo Canyon is a hugely powerful tool in the fight to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Diablo Canyon and rooftop solar each produce approximately 9% of California’s electricity. What would happen if such a large groundswell of support was seen for Diablo Canyon as for rooftop solar during the NEM3 debate? Isn’t Diablo Canyon’s electricity even more valuable than the rooftop solar, which disappears at 5 p.m. to be replaced by a giant ramp-up of natural gas?
My only conclusion is that the solar supporters care more about their individual benefits rather than the state energy situation as a whole. If all these solar advocates truly valued clean electricity, they would be equally (or even more) upset by the potential closure of Diablo Canyon, and recognize that currently, everyone else (even the poor) is subsidizing their energy habits.
Heather Hoff
San Luis Obispo
Keep mask mandates
for school children
Re. “Students to continue wearing masks,” Page B1, Feb. 15:
Please don’t lift the school mask mandate. We are doing so well. Why ruin it? Again.
Kids may be suffering, but it is not because of masks. Just the idea that it causes mental health problems is ridiculous. I am a therapist and a mom. Kids don’t even know they are wearing them half the time, except for the hearing impaired who need to see lips.
What hurts kids’ mental health? Losing their parent, their grandparent, their teacher.
Caren Sage Smiley
Santa Cruz
