Letters: Climate legislation offers hope against disaster

Submit your letter to the editor via this form Read more Letters to the Editor Measure offers hope against calamity Last week I visited the office of my California senator Tim Grayson and urged him to vote yes on the Polluters Pay Atmosphere Superfund Act This bill ensures that the state has funds to tackle the setting dilemma funds sourced from polluters As a high school novice in Orinda I attempt to maintain hope for the future but when I read that my society has the likely for wildfires as severe as the latest fires in Los Angeles I fear for the future I remember when bad air quality from distant wildfires caused my sister to have difficulty breathing It forced my family to mask when outside and created fear about even walking the dog which could not wear a mask to protect itself There are thousands of stories like mine across the state Ayan Mohapatra Orinda Measure T deserves a yes from voters Great schools make for strong communities The residents of Walnut Creek Lafayette Orinda and Moraga have consistently supported local tax proposals to ensure our children have access to a high-quality population guidance Voting yes on Measure T provides locally controlled funding to Las Lomas Acalanes Campolindo and Miramonte high schools to prevent impending cuts and to make our high schools less dependent on unreliable and inadequate state funding I volunteer in our schools and with the Walnut Creek Learning Foundation because I care deeply about the opportunity afforded to our children through our local population schools Strong local schools set our students up for success enhance our property values and strengthen our communities Vote yes on Measure T before May to keep great teachers high-quality programs and diverse and rigorous class offerings for our students Katy Grant Walnut Creek Can Lee deliver with more of same Re Barbara Lee elected Oakland s next mayor defeating Loren Taylor Page A April Oakland is plagued with high crime lots of homeless people and a shortage of money It has been run by progressive Democrats for years and the voters have apparently just endorsed more of the same by electing Barbara Lee as the next mayor Of syllabus time will tell how this works out Heaven knows the residents deserve better than their present situation Mike Heller Walnut Creek Meta s ethics vanish amid misinformation According to Meta s investor relations website their mission is to build the future of human connection and the system that makes it feasible This mission declaration is a not-so-subtle departure from Facebook s original mission message of to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected This change seems very close to a bait and switch whereby users who just desire to share and communicate with their friends are now subjected to a stream of algorithm-generated content which they are mostly not interested in nor sought to see Is this the future of human connection Is the future of human communication generated by fake accounts like social bots that flood the platform seeking to fool Meta s algorithms and thereby propagate false and misleading information Meta has lost its ethical and moral compass Meta should stand up and re-embrace its original mission message Lynne Weinshelbaum Oakland Homes need more than defensible space Re Move to reduce fire exposure for houses OK d Page B April Berkeley may mandate a -foot clear zone to mitigate wildfire threat This is to help harden structures against wildfires Cal Fire and others have a more comprehensive list of measures they recommend particular do it yourself or inexpensive others can be costly If your roof is worn out and leaking Cal Fire recommends a fire-resistant roof If you can afford to replace your roof it will enhance your safety and give you peace of mind Every hardened structure helps protect nearby homes Read the Cal Fire recommendations to understand your house s vulnerabilities Roger Ecker Alameda