Gas ban targets wrong sources of waste
We are fortunate to have a natural gas water heater, range and fireplace log insert in our home. During brownouts and blackouts, we can shower, cook and stay reasonably warm. If natural gas is such a boogeyman, why does 45% of all the electricity generated in California come from natural gas generation?
Although I understand the sentiment behind this move, the meager contribution we may make by banning natural gas is, in all probability, erased in about two minutes by the air pollution generated by India or China.
My spouse and I have been recycling and trying to reduce our carbon footprint for about 40 years. Recycled materials are ending up in landfills, more and more recent surveys have found.
We drive a gasoline powered car. So recharging during power outages is not an issue. Electricity is just not a proven readily available power source. And the environmental damage done to mine the raw battery materials needed is outweighing the supposed benefits. And then there is the issue of what to do with all those spent batteries.
The best way to ensure a cleaner environment is to reduce the population.
The problem all began when Grog, a Homo Erectus, dropped out of a tree and said, “Hey, look, I can walk.”
I hate to see us deluded into believing our own press releases.
Larry Breniman
Morgan Hill
Gas heat still works during brownout
I do not support these “bans,” including the new rules adopted by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District that will prohibit the sale and installation of gas water heaters in the Bay Area by 2027; gas furnaces by 2029; and large commercial water heaters by 2031.
At least when PG&E implements “brownouts” because the grid can’t support high demand, a gas stove provides a way to cook a meal, and a gas water heater still can heat water. Meanwhile, PG&E keeps raising rates, and there is never any mention of increasing electric generation capacity. Stop “banning” things and let people decide how they want to heat their homes and cook their food, i.e., if someone has asthma, they can choose a non-gas option.
Scott Sherratt
Morgan Hill
