Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.
Save Reid-Hillview,
the Valley’s gem
Re: “The EPA finally confirms the dangers of leaded airplane fuel” (Page A8, Oct. 22).
Reid-Hillview Airport is a gem — the basis of dreams for kids, a safety net at a time of crisisand part of our world-renowned aviation industry.
Cindy Chavez spent years trying to close Reid-Hillview Airport to further real estate interests, which will add traffic to already crowded streets, tax water, sewer, the electric grid and other infrastructure. Using fear of lead poisoning, she neglects to mention that Reid-Hillview no longer sells leaded aviation fuel, that the soil tested around the airport shows no more lead than other areas of the county and is not at a dangerous level.
Reid-Hillview should be protected and promoted.
Susan Bates
Sunnyvale
Congress must act
to slow climate change
Re: “Warnings about climate change begin heating up” (Page A1, Nov. 1).
Kudos to Paul Rogers for his excellent front-page article. The photos, alone, speak volumes about the effect climate change has had on humanity these past few years. And we can now add to that the latest climate news: the Highland wildfire burning in Southern California, and ‘unprecedented flooding’ in Northern Ireland. The list will go on and on if we don’t get a better handle on climate change by reducing our planet-heating carbon emissions.
As Rogers mentioned, California is already ahead of the game when it comes to action on climate. And the Biden administration has taken steps in the right direction by passing the Inflation Reduction Act. But more clearly needs to be done.
If all members of Congress could read Rogers’ article, perhaps they would wake up to the reality that we are in ‘dire straits’ due to climate change. It might just spur them to action.
Paula Danz
Los Altos
Permitting reform may
help cool the climate
Re: “Warnings about climate change begin heating up” (Page A1, Nov. 1).
Paul Rogers’ report on scientists’ warning that our climate is in “dire straits” comes with the hope that we can avoid the worst scenarios. Necessary technology already exists.
Rogers points out that the Inflation Reduction Act included $369 billion in tax breaks and incentives for climate investments. We need to get those funds to work to avoid worsening climate disasters. We must speed up the permitting process (without relaxing regulations or oversight).
We, members of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, are meeting with Rep. Zoe Lofgren’s staff to request support for permitting reform, and streamlining bureaucracy to get to faster “yeses” for good projects and faster “nos” for bad ones. We are asking her to support the Building Integrated Grids with Interregional Energy Supply Act.
Anna Koster, John Fioretta and William Kirkpatrick
San Jose
Source: www.mercurynews.com