Letters to the Editor: As planet heads into ‘uncharted territory,’ U.S. needs to lead on renewables

To the editor: Scientists continually call out the harm our planet and the people who live on it are facing due to the unabated effects of burning fossil fuels. Alarm bells continue to ring in the United States and across the globe as temperatures rise on land, sea and air (“‘Uncharted territory’ as brewing El Niño, roasting oceans, heat bring risk for California, planet,” July 6). For many, there is a sense of doom, grief and oh, well … if only there were something we could do!

Good news arrives every day as surely as the sun rises: Currently, renewable energy outpaces coal in electricity generation, solar panels are cheaper than ever and battery storage costs continue to decrease (which means we can power our appliances even after the sun has set).

In 1954, Bell Labs created the first solar cell able to convert enough sun power to run everyday electrical equipment. Now, the United States is second to China in the amount of renewables it generates yearly.

If our government can be brave enough to put smart policies in place, the U.S. can be a climate leader again as the planet heads into “uncharted territory.” The more voters demand urgency from our leaders, the more they will be brave enough to follow our lead.

Meredith Rose, Pasadena

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To the editor: In the Tuesday edition of the Los Angeles Times, an article detailing 14 important California propositions included mention of Proposition 45 (“14 propositions that could remake California taxes, housing, healthcare and elections,” July 6). The measure would reform the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, streamlining the environmental review process for specified project categories, including clean energy. It is noteworthy that that same Tuesday paper includes another climate-related article, highlighting record-breaking temperatures around the world.

It is clear to anyone watching the steady rise in global temperatures that we are at a tipping point, and that fossil-fuel-driven greenhouse gas emissions are the cause. If we are to address this threat to our climate, time is of the essence, and it is imperative that we move quickly to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and implement clean energy solutions like solar, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal.

CEQA reform, as prescribed in Proposition 45, will be essential to ensure that the state can expeditiously complete the clean energy projects that will enable our transition away from fossil fuels.

Chad Edwards, Altadena