Let consumers choose

Regarding “President urged to declare national climate emergency” (Feb. 6): There is no need for a climate emergency declaration. The use of wind and solar to generate electricity is well under way, but the main problem is the carbon dioxide from gasoline that dwarfs either coal or natural gas used to produce electricity.

What President Biden needs to do is forbid the sale of any new lightduty vehicle after the model year 2024 that burns gasoline as the primary fuel, leaving existing vehicles to live out their natural lives on gasoline. Car companies know how to make electric, hydrogen and ethanolpowered vehicles, so let us consumers choose what to buy instead of trying to force only electric vehicles as the future.

GOOD WEEK

East Bay congressman shines as a House manager in the impeachment trial. Then again, the entire team was powerful and on point.

The slopes are coated with fresh snow, drawing epic traffic jams from the Bay Area due to pent-up demand. Careful, folks: The pandemic isn’t close to over.

Pride of San Mateo’s Serra High (Class of 1995) wins his seventh Super Bowl, this time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at age 43 — with no sign of slowing down.

Curriculum won’t suffer

Regarding “Don’t lower standards” (Letters, Feb. 10): I am just so sad and angry that the letter writer seems to feel that Lowell High School’s curriculum will somehow be degraded if admissions standards are changed. Who does he think will now be attending Lowell?

Young people who don’t want to study four hours a day? Students whose families no longer put a high premium on education? Students who should go to “schools where [they] can go to meet their level of academic capability?” Every high school in San Francisco — where I taught for over 30 years — offers a full complement of courses, including advanced placement and honors classes. Every high school is dedicated to serving their students, high achievers and English language learners both “in a supportive environment whether in sports or in academics.”

This has nothing to do with lowering standards. Achievement and accomplishment — in academics, sports and the arts — are honored at all schools where students who are serious and dedicated to getting the most from their education can learn and grow and succeed with classmates who share their values and ambitions. Lord help those who fail to see this.

BAD WEEK

President Trump’s lawyer opens impeachment defense with a presentation so mindnumbingly unfocused that even GOP senators winced.

San Francisco school board gambles with success by changing admissions to a lottery system for the jewel of its system. Maybe it’s time to rename the board members.

City’s largest employer announces that most of employees can keep working from home indefinitely. Is that monstrosity on the skyline a white elephant?