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Harvesting a betterway to get water
Re: “California regulators are willing to spend billions to save a few drops” (Page A6, Jan. 30).
Instead of fining homeowners and businesses using too much water, we should be building atmospheric water harvesting systems.
Why wait for nature? Cut out the middleman. There are approximately 37.5 million-billion gallons of water in the atmosphere. Depending on nature to go through the process of delivering water to us in a sporadic way is nonsensical when we have the technological ability to take it out of the air immediately. Even in deserts there’s water in the air.
Here in Oakley my air conditioner produces a gallon per hour of water in the summer. Most buildings in the county waste this water. It can be collected, filtered and made drinkable or used for other purposes. Subsidize homes and businesses to add atmospheric water harvesters. Change building codes to mandate atmospheric water harvesting systems in new homes and businesses. That will create a more manageable water sustainability process.
It’s not rocket science anymore.
Michael DuprayOakley
Schools should besites of open inquiry
Re: “Sex education suddenly a culture war flashpoint” (Page A1, Feb. 10).
I get it. Parents should be concerned with what their children learn in school. Misinformation is abundant in our society.
What concerns me is that the “concerned” parents seem to be primarily interested in protecting their children from factual information. Whether it is sex education, history or scientific inquiry, their opposition often is expressed this way: “This is upsetting to my child. I want to protect them from it. Sensitive discussions like these should take place in the home. Schools should focus on teaching reading, writing and math.”
As a faith leader, parent and grandparent, I believe that learning best takes place when there is open inquiry, honest questioning and respectful dialog. I do not want those I love to be “protected” from them. I want them to be immersed in them.
Sadly, these are not the realities in many homes. Hence the need for schools to provide them.
Jim HopkinsOakland
Resources better spenton living than the dead
Re: “City leaders apologize to Black residents” (Page B1, Feb. 28).
Every descendant of slaves can establish ancestry with DNA testing and be eligible for monetary reparation. The Janie Har article stated that “Mayor London Breed, who is Black, said she believes reparation should be handled at the national level.” She knows the price tag for California taxpayers. The article states “There are about 46,000 Black residents in San Francisco” and further states that it’s “proposed that every eligible Black adult receive a $5 million lump-sum cash payment.” The total cash payout would be about $230 billion for just San Francisco.
We who are alive have caused no harm to the many deceased generations. The dead feel no loss or pain. We the living need to invest our resources to make our institutions equitable for all people, whether Black, Brown, White, Muslim, Jewish, Christian, male, female, LGBTQ, young, old, or members of any other division of humanity.
Edward McCaskeyDublin
Daylighting law leaveslittle room for cars
I understand the new law about parking 20 feet from a crosswalk is intended to protect pedestrians. A great many people do not have a parking spot and rely on street parking. Taking away roughly four spots is a huge difference on a street like mine where I regularly get the last spot. (Not to mention, about a quarter of the parking is metered before 6 p.m., so I don’t park there beforehand because I feel it’s wrong to pay to park when I live there.)
I just feel this law will have major unintended consequences. Where do we put our cars?
Hillary PritchardAlameda
Ignore recall effortfor Alameda County DA
“Soft on crime” is a dangerous and clever slogan. Don’t believe it.
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We are seeing certain wealthy individuals leveraging hundreds of thousands of dollars to get rid of progressive officials in San Francisco and Alameda County.
San Francisco progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin was called “soft on crime” for opposing racial biases in criminal justice. Yet crime has not gone down after he was recalled in 2022. No one is blaming the new district attorney for crime rates.
Now these strategists are funding an eerily similar district attorney recall in Alameda County.
Don’t be manipulated. Ignore the slogans, throw away the shiny mailers and check out the facts if there is a vote.
Elizabeth KatzOakland