Editor,
I think we all remember that morning last September, when the Bay Area sky glowed orange. At the community health center where I work, I watched ash settle on the shoulders of our patients as they got their temperature checked before entering the clinic.
That apocalyptic day caused a quick spasm of political recognition of the toll of climate change and environmental destruction. But when the time came to turn words into action, our leaders failed to protect the wellbeing of our most vulnerable communities.
I am writing to share my disappointment that state senators Eggman, Hertzberg and Hueso did not vote “Yes” on Senate Bill 467 — the “dirty drilling bill.” The bill would have created safety zones between our communities and toxic oil and gas sites.
Our communities’ health is threatened by the pollution being spread by oil and gas companies. Living in a heavily polluted neighborhood near an oil or gas well increases the risk of asthma and other respiratory illnesses, and 92% of Californians living in those neighborhoods are people of color. Especially during a pandemic that has only worsened health disparities, it is unacceptable that our Senators failed to put the needs of people and the planet over the profits of oil companies.
Next time we have an opportunity like SB 467, we must insist that our leaders do better.
Zoe Mahony
Los Altos
The letter writer is a member of the DayenuCircle at The Orchard, a hub of Jewish climate action in Silicon Valley.
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(2) comments
Ms. Mahony, you are correct in that our leaders must do better. We know our leaders can’t control lightning, so that’s off the table. But our leaders can be better at controlling those human causes that are responsible for the majority of fires, such as electrical failures, campfires, burning trash, smoking, and especially arson. Since none of these human causes are caused by this so called global warming thing, it calls into question whether your assertion that pollution caused by oil and gas companies is actually increasing the risk of asthma and other illnesses. After all, oil and gas companies are not concentrated in CA. How are other communities in other states affected by their presence?
The leaders of our power grid system (CEO's to PUC) need to pay more attention to maintenance for today and out into the future.
Bean counter management mentality will take profits & distribute them NOW and not save any to enough for maintenance for next year or for future decades
One reason why so many foreign countries (including 3rd world that had nothing) are light years ahead of the USA in their power/communication/transportation/etc infrastructures.
One huge example is how the Japanese ate Detroit's lunch in the 70's, 80's and still to this day, but not as large a bite.
They spent on their infrastructure to go negative and bet (actually they knew) that they would recoup in the future.
On that, the highly touted Japanese quality is based on both culture and in organization (the realization of documentation of the processes) because of their trips to the USA after WWII in the 50's.
They were given a Ford quality manual and that is the main basis. GE's manuals were also in there, but came later
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