Trump taking guardrails off the entire nation

Re: “Trump will drive nation into ditch” (Page A6, Dec. 18).

A writer says that the president-elect is ‘’undermining institutional effectiveness and credibility” and worries he will ‘’drive the nation into a ditch.” It is much worse than that. Donald Trump and his bootlickers are spreading lies and chaos. Insulting our allies and fomenting hate at home and abroad is his shtick. He will torpedo any science-driven help for the environment and accelerate the desecration of our natural habitat, all for money.

Industry will now be free to increase dumping poison into our air, water and soil. What could be the harm of that? And, speaking of disease, I can hardly wait to see how they mismanage the next pandemic: get your syringe, bleach and UV light ready. Maybe we’ll get lucky and it will just “go away.” Then we can focus on polio, soon to re-emerge on the heels of withholding vaccines.

— Marilynn Gray-Raine Danville

Wood smoke threatens the Bay Area’s health

Did you know that wood smoke is the largest source of air pollution in the Bay Area during the winter?

Some residents may be inclined to fire up their woodburning stoves or fireplaces around the holidays.

Unfortunately, burning wood can be harmful to ourselves and our loved ones.

The fine particles in wood smoke are so tiny that they can move beyond the lungs and into the bloodstream, which can lead to asthma attacks and heart attacks. People with lung disease, heart disease, as well as kids and older adults, face higher risks from this smoke.

To improve the air quality in your home this winter, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s Clean HEET program helps reduce the cost of switching from a wood-burning stove or fireplace insert to an electric heat pump.

You can find more information on how to protect your lungs at lung.org.

— David Pepper, Oakland

Where were business leaders before vote?

Re: “Tech makes an economic case for immigrants” (Page C9, Dec. 23).

Recent reports indicate that agribusiness is lobbying to allow immigrant labor on farms, too. The garment and hospitality industries also seek exemptions. Business leaders everywhere agree that the Republican crackdown on immigrant workers, along with high tariffs on imports, will raise consumer prices and spike inflation. That is why this Republican voted for Democrats up and down the ballot in November.

Donald Trump promised to deport 11 million immigrants, slap heavy tariffs (taxes) on consumer goods and become dictator on his first day in office. Why did so many of these moguls support Trump and wait until now to make their case?

Ask the corporate elite to explain why so few had the integrity to defend migrant workers and explain tariffs’ impact on inflation — before the election. Taxpayer subsidies, perhaps?

— Chris Conrad, El Sobrante