Just Sayin': Kids must learn to accept hard classes

A reader confirms why I am so content to have retired from teaching public school after 30 years [“Motivate students as school year begins,” Just Sayin’, Sept. 16]. The writer was unhappy that a 10th-grade student’s new chemistry teacher told the students the class was harder than the prior year’s science class.

Yes, classes get more difficult each year — that is how school works. High school teachers should not have to “sell” their class. If you want to graduate and be a contributing member of society, you have to do the work whether you like the class or not.

“I’m here, try and motivate me” is not a virtue parents should be supporting. How about, “Yes, it may be hard, but do your best.”

— Tiffanie Kempf, Remsenburg

Let all gas stations have EV chargers

How about some common sense for a change? Mandate that every gas station have at least one EV charging station statewide, and give every station a generous tax incentive to install an electric charging system quickly [“Does LI have enough chargers for all its EVs?”, Opinion, Sept. 16]. Then mandate that within a few years, every EV has solar power and wind capture technology to slowly recharge when driving.

Every EV will eventually be able to recharge at any gas station. Now, what to do for the 30 to 45 minutes needed to recharge?

Eventually, make all vehicles use hybrid technology, which, many people agree, helps reduce pollution and increases gas mileage.

Next up is the $5,000 to $20,000 cost to replace the used-up battery and recycle it.

— Alan H. Cohn, Nesconset

After recent flooding, we know what to do

Yes, as we start using electric vehicles and electrify buildings, we need not only a lot more juice, but transmission capability as well [“Let’s learn where EVs get electricity from,” Just Sayin’, Sept. 30].

That means Gov. Kathy Hochul must not only facilitate a faster rollout of offshore wind and upstate solar and wind capability, but she must make sure the upstate and downstate grids are properly interconnected so daytime solar and nighttime wind can balance one another.

With more than nine inches of rain recently falling on Valley Stream, an example of the wild torrential rainfall that climate change has made commonplace, that new energy must not be greenhouse-gas-emitting.

In good news, Moody’s has upgraded to positive the New York Power Authority’s bonds because it was on time and within budget on two transmission infrastructure projects critical to moving renewable power through the state.

Moving from gas to renewable power is a huge transformation, and it won’t be sudden. It is not only underway, but necessary. Flood-prone Long Islanders know that first hand.

— David Bissoon, Bay Shore