To the Editor:
Re “China’s Troubling Nuclear Buildup” (Op-Ed, July 31):
I agree with James Anderson, acting under secretary of defense for policy, on the importance of arms control agreements and including other nuclear powers in arms talks. Reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the world is a worthwhile goal that enhances international security.
However, the United States and Russia account for 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons. Ending the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and the limits it imposes on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals is no way to advance nonproliferation. Likewise, the treaty’s limitations on nuclear weapons and its irreplaceable monitoring and verification regime are vital to arms control.
The United States should demonstrate global leadership by renewing New Start, which President Vladimir Putin has already agreed to do. At the same time, we can begin holding multilateral arms control discussions with other nuclear powers. I support including China and other nuclear powers in future talks and agreements, but that should happen apart from an immediate extension of New Start.
Dianne Feinstein
Washington
The writer is a Democratic senator from California.
Lag Time for Covid Test Results
To the Editor:
Re “How to End the Wait for Test Results,” by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York (Op-Ed, Aug. 1):
I am surprised that the governor is advising other states about fast and efficient testing.
My daughter and I were tested on July 2, and we did not get our results back until July 13, making them virtually useless. We are not alone; many of her friends were tested around the same time and they had an eight-day wait for results.
I would like to know what facility is giving a two- to three-day turnaround, because I don’t know anyone who has had such a good experience.
Wanda Leboeuf
New York
Making Classrooms Safe
To the Editor:
If airlines can safely fly a half-filled plane across the country for five hours, why can’t we safely half fill a classroom for five hours a day? The solution is simple: Passenger planes rely on HEPA air filters to remove coronavirus pathogens. Classrooms could easily do the same thing with portable air purifiers that not only use HEPA filters to clean the air but also use UV lamps and plasma ionization that are proved to kill coronaviruses.
For less than $1,000 to $3,000 per classroom our kids could be going back to school in safe classrooms. If our Washington friends can fund tens of billions of dollars to airlines, surely we could fund $10 billion to schools for air purification. This would benefit kids, their parents and the economy.
Craig Bender
Walnut Creek, Calif.