Letters to the Editor: Pausing environmental requirements to save money on housing now means we'll pay later
To the editor: Elected officials get political benefits from demonstrating generosity to victims of disasters ("California should move faster on clean energy. Some lawmakers want to take a break," April 10). Within the context of climate change, this can prove short-sighted, even counterproductive. Sadly, the level of general understanding of the climate emergency is insufficient to protect and defend long-term legislation when it conflicts with short-term, anti-climate demands. This is particularly true when people are grieving the loss of a home — or an entire neighborhood.
I credit columnist Sammy Roth for bravely going where his deep understanding inexorably leads him. Existing regulations already are insufficient to meet the state's emissions goals. Meanwhile, the financial benefits of Assembly Bill 306 to homeowners, if any, is paltry compared to the long-term costs of increased air pollution (unhealthy), increased CO2 emissions (warming), sluggish electrification (slowed transition to clean energy) and decades of energy-inefficient new and existing homes (wasted resources).
The concept of affordability has to broaden to include the cost of other neighborhoods going up in smoke, some for a second time. There is no time left for procrastinating on the mandate that the climate emergency represents. Elected officials should stand behind their recently passed, forward-thinking climate legislation.
Gary Stewart, Laguna Beach
..
To the editor: Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas is on the wrong track, if he thinks he can help California housing costs with a six-year pause on new clean energy rules. I have news for him: Global warming is caused by greenhouse gas emissions, and stopping clean energy rules makes the problem even worse later. Rivas needs to find other savings in housing costs. These could include building smaller houses and apartments at greater densities. Better city planning is also needed, starting with public transportation. Global warming is immune to our concerns about lowering housing costs.
Carl Mariz, Irvine
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Korean Americans criticise Donald Trump Jr. for 'reckless' social media post
By Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) -An association of Korean Americans in Los Angeles has criticised Donald Trump Jr., the son of the U.S. president, for "reckless" comments on social media and urged him not to exploit a riot that devastated their community 33 years ago. The Korean American Federation of Los Angeles also said an operation by the U.S. administration to round up suspected undocumented immigrants lacked "due legal procedures". Donald Trump Jr. posted a photograph of a man with a rifle on a rooftop on X with a message: "Make Rooftop Koreans Great Again!" referring to actions by the Korean American community during the 1992 race riots in Los Angeles. The federation in separate statements expressed concern over the developments in Los Angeles over the last week and said their businesses were seriously affected by the crackdown and arrests. "While the unrest has not yet subsided, Donald Trump Jr. ... showed the recklessness of posting a post on X on Sunday, June 8, mocking the current unrest by mentioning the 'Rooftop Korean' from the LA riots 33 years ago," it said in a statement on Monday Los Angeles time. "As the eldest son of the current president and an influencer with approximately 15 million followers, his actions could pose a huge risk in these icy times, and we strongly urge the past trauma of the Korean people be never, ever exploited for any purpose." In 1992, some members of the community, armed with firearms, took up positions on store rooftops and reportedly fired on looters, giving rise to the "Rooftop Koreans" folklore. They had taken their defence into their own hands after they felt official law enforcement was not protecting them from unrest following the police beating of a black motorist Rodney King. Kang Hyung-won, a photojournalist who reported for the Los Angeles Times during the 1992 unrest, said on X in a reply to Donald Trump Jr.'s post the picture had been taken by him and it was used without his permission. "You're using the photo out of context. Please take it down," Kang said. Kang reached by email said he would be available to comment later. No-one from the Washington administration could immediately be reached for comment.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Charlotte rally calls response to anti-ICE protests in LA ‘state-sanctioned violence'
East Charlotte resident Vincent Kolb's grandmother crossed the border without documentation near El Paso, Texas more than 100 years ago. Her dream was simple: a better life for her children. 'That's the real immigrant story of America — not the one that is being purposed and propagandized by the current administration,' Kolb said. He joined around 40 people outside of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center Monday afternoon to rally against ICE raids across the country and President Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles. The Charlotte group held signs reading 'Free David Now' and chanted in-between speeches from organizers. The Trump administration made a number of immigration arrests across Southern California Friday, prompting days of protests, according to the Los Angeles Times. Despite objections from L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, Trump activated around 2,000 National Guard troops in response to violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement officers. California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday the state would file a lawsuit against the administration's deployment. 'Today, we are here to show that this is not going to fly in this country,' Jacob Plitman, lead organizer with SEIU 32BJ, said at the rally. 'It's not going to fly in the City of Charlotte, and we demand that they stop the raids.' Organizers also called for the release of David Huerta, president of SEIU California and SEIU United Service Workers West, who was arrested Friday during the L.A. protests for allegedly interfering with law enforcement activity. Plitman said Huerta was exercising his First Amendment rights when he was detained. Huerta made his first appearance in court Monday and was released on a $50,000 bond, the Los Angeles Times reported. 'The arrest of David Huerta is not only an attack on our community — it is an attack on our democracy. It is an attack on every worker in this country,' Stefanía Arteaga, co-executive director of the Carolina Migrant Network said during the rally. Additional speakers from Southeast Asian Coalition and Charlotte-Metrolina Labor Council expressed concern about how the federal government is engaging with anti-ICE protesters. Arteaga called it 'state-sanctioned violence.' The economy of the United States does not function without immigrants, Plitman said, noting that Charlotte grocery stores, airport operations and cleaning services all rely on immigrant labor. 'You can't walk down the streets of Charlotte and not point to something where an immigrant, whether documented or not, had an impact,' said Sebastian Feculak, first vice president of the CLC. Charlotte's growth, Plitman said, is thanks to immigrant labor. According to the NC Department of Commerce, 29% of construction workers and around 20% of agricultural workers are foreign-born. He called on local elected officials to better support immigrants and on community members to peacefully demonstrate. The administration can tell the difference between a city 'that's going to let this happen' and a 'strong, organized city that can demonstrate solidarity,' Plitman added. 'I think the more solidarity that we can demonstrate, the more likely we are to protect ourselves,' he said.
USA Today
14 hours ago
- USA Today
'Less lethal' weapons: How law enforcement is using force in the LA protests
'Less lethal' weapons: How law enforcement is using force in the LA protests Seven hundred Marines have been activated and are preparing to deploy to Los Angeles where they will join National Guard troops ordered to protect federal personnel and property in response to protests over immigration raids. President Donald Trump said the guard, sent over the objections of local and state leaders, would restore order after clashes between police and protesters angry at his aggressive pursuit of undocumented immigrants. Videos of the protests have shown both peaceful gatherings and chaotic skirmishes with protesters hurling objects and law enforcement firing so-called 'less lethal' weapons. This ammunition is designed to travel more slowly than bullets and cause pain without penetrating the body, but still can cause serious injury and death. Police departments across the country are increasingly adopting less-than-lethal weapons in the wake of police shootings in which unarmed citizens were killed, according to a January 2025 report by the Congressional Research Service. Some examples include: Batons or nightsticks Pepper spray Tear gas Tasers Flash-bang grenades Rubber bullets Beanbag rounds Sponge Grenades Here's a look at key events over the last few days and various munitions being used by law enforcement: Friday, June 6 Homeland Security agents detained several people outside a Home Depot west of downtown L.A., and later at a clothing store in the Fashion District. People gathered to photograph and video the officers, and a few protesters also arrived. Four search warrants were executed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a spokesperson for Homeland Security told the Los Angeles Times. At least 44 people were arrested. By around 6:30 p.m. local time more than 100 people gathered at the immigration services building and detention center in downtown Los Angeles to protest the raids, according to Reuters. At around 7 p.m. local time, the Los Angeles Police Department declared it an unlawful assembly and ordered the crowd to disperse. Some protesters threw pieces of broken concrete at the officers, who responded by firing tear gas and pepper spray. They also used flash-bang concussion rounds to disperse the crowd. Pepper spray is a lachrymatory agent, which means it stimulates the eyes to produce tears. The main active ingredient is an oil known as oleoresin capsicum, the same agent that provides 'heat' in chili peppers, according to Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician in New York City. It is typically dispersed as an aerosol or as small particles in a liquid spray, according to the National Capital Poison Center. Pepper sprays and mists can travel 8 to 12 feet, according to Sabre, a popular brand of pepper spray. Gel sprays can travel 20% farther. Saturday, June 7 The next day, larger protests began in the town of Paramount, south of Los Angeles, linked to rumors of a possible immigration raid. According to Los Angeles Times reporters who were on the scene, each time protesters threw anything at the agents or the police, tear gas and flash-bang rounds were fired back by federal agents. Law enforcement could also be seen firing pepper-spray balls in videos. With a range of up to 30 feet, pepper-spray balls are made of plastic that breaks on impact to release a chemical irritant intended to stun or incapacitate somebody. Sometimes, they contain marking paint for identifying a suspect or a particular area. Pepper-spray balls are typically the same caliber as recreational paintballs. They are typically deployed with paintball-style guns powered by compressed air. According to Homeland Security, on Saturday night, rioters surrounded the immigration services building and detention center, "assaulted ICE law enforcement officers, slashed tires, defaced buildings, and taxpayer-funded property. " In response, Trump signed a presidential memorandum deploying "at least" 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles. Sunday, June 9 Early Sunday, dozens of National Guard troops arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center three blocks from Los Angeles City Hall. By 10:30 a.m., as many as 300 members of the California National Guard had been deployed in three separate parts of the city. Crowds of protesters began arriving in the area around the federal complex around noon. Protests were not widespread, and most of the city was quiet. The situation escalated as the afternoon wore on. Many protesters waved Mexican flags or hybrid Mexican-American flags and chanted anti-ICE slogans. Some were also seen throwing water bottles and other objects at officers and law enforcement vehicles. Videos shared on social media and footage from local television stations showed officers in riot gear, with the sound of flash-bangs in the background. Lauren Tomasi, a U.S. national correspondent for Australia's 9News, was sore but unharmed after being shot in the leg by a Los Angeles officer. The incident was captured on video. At least five Waymo self-driving taxis were vandalized by protesters who spray-painted them with anti-Trump and anti-ICE slogans. At least two were set on fire. At one point, a crowd of protesters walked onto the 101 Freeway, blocking traffic in both directions. They were confronted by officers in riot gear, and by 5 p.m. local time the freeway was cleared. LAPD said on X that it had placed officers across the city on "tactical alert." The police department later declared an 'unlawful assembly' for the Civic Center area and the historic Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles, an area covering a small portion of the sprawling city of 500 square miles. It had authorized the 'use of less lethal munitions." Videos and photos at the scene showed police firing sponge grenades and other less lethal projectiles. Sponge grenades, or sponge rounds, are designed to stop violent aggressors without killing them and for crowd control. These projectiles are designed to cause blunt trauma and pain that temporarily disables the person. They are supposed to be fired at the legs or lower torso, and police are trained to avoid the head, neck and groin. Firing the projectiles from a distance decreases their force and accuracy and increases the risk of shooting people in the face or hitting bystanders. Firing too closely increases the risk of serious injury. At 8 p.m., authorities moved in aggressively with flash-bangs and tear gas grenades, sending hundreds of people running, their eyes streaming with tears. Helicopters clattered overhead as protesters fled the area to the honking of car horns and periodic cheers. Other video shot in the Compton area later that evening also shows flashbangs being deployed. Documents describing L.A.P.D.'s use of force tactics also list the beanbag shotgun. A bean bag round is a small fabric sack filled with No. 9 lead shot and fired by a shotgun. It is designed to expand in flight and cause trauma to the body, including muscle spasms, without penetrating the skin. These rounds are intended to be fired at large muscle groups on a dangerous person. The head and neck areas should be avoided to prevent killing them. Other munitions such as rubber or plastic bullets, also known as kinetic impact projectiles, have been used by law enforcement to control crowds. A 2017 study by the medical journal BMJ Open using injury data collected over 27 years found that of 1,984 people injured by rubber and plastic bullets and other projectiles in arrests and protests, '53 died as a result of their injuries and 300 others suffered permanent disability.' Deaths and permanent disability were often caused by "strikes to the head and neck," the study said. Contributing: Elizabeth Weise, Trevor Hughes, John Bacon, N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Michael Loria, Tom Vanden Brook Davis Winkie, USA TODAY Read more: Live updates: 700 Marines being sent to LA for riot assistance in response to protests Timeline: LA protests went from small to substantial over three days. Here's what unfolded 'Less lethal' can still maim and kill: A visual guide to weapons police use on protesters
