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Wildfire preparedness and climate weirding
It’s that time of year again where conditions in California become increasingly favorable for wildfires. Are you prepared? Do you know how to prepare, or where to look for guidance?
I started asking myself these questions in 2020 and now review my household status yearly.
I found many public websites with preparedness help: public utilities, city, county, state, and federal.
They have information on hardening your home, property and business; family evacuations, including pets; dealing with smoke, damage and WUIs (wildland urban interfaces) – a problem highlighted by the 2025 LA fires. There are also websites to either view or sign up for emergency alerts, like PG&E, Alameda County Alert, or CAL FIRE.
A good place to find helpful links is TVAQCA.org. We are a nonprofit that “protect(s) Tri-Valley air quality by helping the community build awareness and capacity to reduce pollution, improve health, and adopt sustainable climate actions”.
While at the site, check out the “Global Weirding” video links; they have great explanations for our weird and dramatic weather shifts, which increasingly exacerbate conditions for wildfires.
– Laurene Green, founding member, Tri-Valley Air Quality Climate Alliance
Compostable bags or not?
I shop locally at grocery stores and some months back, they introduced these green “compostable” bags for produce. Fantastic, I thought – this solved a problem of collecting organic waste and disposing correctly, reducing load on landfills.
Then last week, I saw a bulletin from Pleasanton Garbage Service, stating these were the “most common contaminants” in the organics recycling and cannot be accepted. What a shock – for all these months I had been “contaminating” the organics.
I spoke with someone at one store and they shrugged it off, saying it’s not their problem if our waste disposer cannot accept the bags; they are compostable. I pointed out it’s pointless if they’re paying more for these bags and they are not in fact compostable in a practical sense, and since they are a Pleasanton business, they should address this – to deaf ears of course.
So, my request since this seems like the good old “Plastics can be recycled” myth that industry has been (in)famous for spreading that has led to our huge plastics problem; basically yes, theoretically plastics are recyclable but like these ‘compostable’ bags, if the waste authorities can’t handle them, they’re not really recyclable.
I’m hoping the Weekly can look into this – are these kinds of BPL “compostable” bags, actually practically composted anywhere, or is it all a myth? And if it is a myth, are our local businesses contributing to a problem, as most people would be like me and just assume they can be put in the organics waste.
– Bharat Srinivasan
Zero tolerance on e-bike rules
The Weekly’s recent (April 17) article on e-bikes had lots of words, stated obvious risks and proposed various solutions.
Local government can’t fix the dreadfully poor parenting that has precipitated bad behavior among young e-bikers, and driver-age e-bikers have absolutely no excuses for not complying with current e-bike rules.
All this being said, very strict law enforcement (including no tolerance impounding) can have an immediate and lasting effect on reducing this bad e-bike behavior regardless of rider demographics.
Once people understand that Pleasanton has a zero-tolerance policy on the issue of e-bike safety, word will spread and e-bikers will either change their behavior … or lose their bikes.
Either way, problem solved.
– Harry Edwards
Student fundraiser for Wheelchair Foundation
I’m a student in San Ramon reaching out to ask for your support in spreading the word about a fundraiser I am running for the Wheelchair Foundation.
The Wheelchair Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Danville, dedicated to getting mobility and independence to children and adults who need wheelchairs but are unable to get them themselves. It was founded in 2000, and since then, it has provided over 1.2 million wheelchairs to people in over 150 countries.
One single wheelchair can change someone’s life. One wheelchair can allow a child to get to school and an adult to work. The Wheelchair Foundation shows how local generosity can create change that is lifetime and worldwide. Its mission shows that communities like ours can have big impacts far beyond city limits.
It also educates people on accessibility, inclusion, and empathy. They remind us that mobility is something that most people will take for granted.
My fundraiser link is https://fundraise.wheelchairfoundation.org/MaxDuan. Thanks for your time and consideration. The support that you give to help spread awareness would really mean a lot to me and make a huge impact.
– Max Duan
Meals on Wheels seeks clients, volunteers
Spectrum Community Services, a trusted nonprofit serving Alameda County for over 50 years, is actively seeking both volunteers and clients for its Meals on Wheels program in the Tri-Valley, including Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin and Sunol.
Meals on Wheels provides nutritious, home-delivered meals to older adults who may have difficulty shopping or preparing food on their own. But the program delivers more than just a meal — it offers connection, safety checks, and a friendly face at the door.
As the need continues to grow, Spectrum is currently looking to fill volunteer driver routes throughout the Tri-Valley. Volunteers typically commit just a few hours per week and play a critical role in ensuring that seniors receive consistent, reliable support.
We know that for many of our clients, this visit is the highlight of their day. Volunteers aren’t just delivering meals — they’re delivering care, connection and dignity.
Spectrum is also encouraging older adults (age 60+) or their loved ones to reach out if they could benefit from receiving Meals on Wheels services. There is currently no waitlist for the program in the Tri-Valley, and new clients are welcome.
Whether you’re looking to give back to your community or seeking support for yourself or a loved one, Spectrum Community Services is here to help.
To learn more about volunteering or enrolling in Meals on Wheels, please contact me or visit spectrumcs.org.
– Carrie Oldes, Meals on Wheels program manager
A real social connection
Every day we are faced with the same relentless paradox – our time is scarce, yet more and more things continue to fight for it. Just think about how many choices we have when looking for a movie on Netflix or trying to find a book to read.
It’s so overwhelming. We end up spending so much of our time just trying to figure out what to watch or read … and honestly it makes sense. Our time is valuable and we don’t want to commit hours of it to a lousy book.
The problem is all these platforms where we find media miss the most important point – they deliver recommendations from an algorithm when in reality the best recommendations come from the people we trust.
Think about the best book you’ve ever read. It’s likely that it was recommended to you by a person, not a computer.
At Rhome our goal is to connect you to media that enriches your life by delivering recommendations from the people you trust. As a Tri-Valley native now studying at UC Santa Barbara, I built the social app Rhome because I got tired of letting algorithms decide what I should consume.
The amazing outcome of this is not just more time and better recommendations but also far deeper connection with the people you love.
Knowing what books or movies or articles a friend recommends gives us a glimpse into the ideas and perspectives that are quietly shaping who they are. It tells us so much more about someone than any cherrypicked photo ever could.
– Rohan Nihalani
Consume less
In an era of climate deregulating legislation, it is up to us — everyday citizens — to take initiative. When thinking about being eco-friendly, one usually thinks of shorter showers or recycling, but there are far more impactful ways to take action: buy less.
As a high school student, my generation in particular is victim to fast fashion: constantly changing clothing trends intertwined with a hunger to fit in creates a forever desire for more.
Fast fashion waste accounts for 10% of all carbon emissions yearly.
Compounding this, our consumerist economy allows us to purchase something new with the click of a button, making it easy to avoid the behind the scenes: the trashed clothes being shipped to Ghanaian landfills, the black textile-polluted rivers of Bangladesh, or the garbage truck full of clothes being dumped into landfills every second. However, the same consumer culture that creates this crisis gives us the power to disrupt it.
The simplest way to take action is to consume less: invest in durable, timeless pieces. When this is not possible, buy second-hand or thrift — actively redirecting items destined for the dump. Otherwise, invest in sustainable brands.
The alternatives are endless, but they are all rooted in an active effort to be more conscious.
Being a student, climate change directly affects my future. I’ve spoken about fast fashion at booths, hosted clothing recycling workshops, organized clothing drives, and now I implore you to take action. Be conscious, stop consuming, and play a part in protecting our Earth.
– Archita Khandelwal
Students helping seniors
As an AspireGen mentor, I have had the privilege of watching six Fremont Unified School District girls — Mahi Kumar, Sonal Singh, Ria Sompura, Raina Shah, Krisha Shah, and Anshika Jain — make a meaningful difference in the lives of seniors through their project, Hearts & Harmony.
Through student-led performances featuring dance, drama, singing, games, and heartfelt interaction, these girls bring joy, energy, and connection to senior communities. What makes their work so special is not only their talent, but also the warmth and sincerity they bring to every visit.
Seniors are truly raving about them, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive because these students create more than entertainment — they create moments of happiness, comfort, and human connection.
In addition to their performances, the group created Om Calm Touch, a handmade calming tool designed to provide relaxation and comfort through gentle touch, soothing sensory elements, and a calming Om sound. Together, their efforts have already reached more than 400 seniors, and they have donated over 150 Om Calm Touch tools.
At a time when many seniors face loneliness and isolation, these six girls chose to respond with compassion, creativity, and service. They are showing what youth leadership can look like at its very best: thoughtful, uplifting, and deeply community-centered.
Hearts & Harmony is not just a project. It is a beautiful example of students using their talents to bring light into the lives of others, and these young women deserve to be recognized for the joy they are spreading in our community.
– Monika Singla
