Guest Commentary

At the age of 44, my lungs inexplicably failed, and have never recovered. For over a decade, I've had a chronic shortness of breath, a high pulse rate, and have been dependent on oxygen tanks, inhalers and I've been unable to walk any distance or even carry my purse, without triggering deep chest pains. I'm one of the fortunate ones, because I'm still alive.

Californians want to make an investment in renewable energy and encourage electricity usage during times when it is being sourced from non-renewable sources. But upcoming changes to Southern California Edison’s “time-of-use” rate plans would  discourage solar adoption in pursuit of short-term profits when we should be ensuring that renewable energy is embraced by as many as possible.

Renewable natural gas is produced from the largest waste streams in society today—landfills, diverted food waste, wastewater plants and livestock operations. These waste sources emit methane—a highly potent greenhouse gas—into the atmosphere.   RNG projects prevent this from happening, by capturing the methane and converting it into an ultra-low-carbon renewable fuel or electricity.

Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disability in America and worldwide. Public health experts understand that it’s a short step from vaping to smoking. That’s why we must act before e-cigarettes hook the next generation to nicotine.

California’s publicly owned, not-for-profit electric utilities are providing safe, continuous and sustainable power to about one in every four Californians, with rates about 17 percent lower on average than those of investor-owned utilities.

All children have a right to a good education, no matter what neighborhood they live in or how much money their parents make. We must move beyond the debate about charter schools and focus on what all parents want: more great schools to help our children thrive and lead choice-filled lives.

Libraries are concluding fines for overdue material do more harm than good. Overdue fines accumulate and block access for low-income residents, the people who need libraries the most. And fines don’t work that well to prod people to return books. Better ways exist that don’t block access for people who need it.

Investigative Reporting Program and Investigative Studios filed records requests asking the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to identify officers who committed felonies and other crimes. The department respond by sending us spreadsheets with 12,000 names. Three weeks later, Xavier Becerra’s office sent letter demanding their return.

California agriculture is presented with an opportunity it has only begun to tap. Despite rapid growth in organic food production, only 4 percent of all agricultural land in the state is being farmed organically. We need policies that use organic agriculture as a practical, evidence-based approach to solving the complex challenges facing California.

Feinstein’s senior senator moment brought back speculation that she may decide to step down before her current term ends in 2024, when she will be 91 years old. That would allow Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint her successor. So who would he pick?