Ohio is trying to teach my daughter to be a submissive woman.

Girls are being taught to be submissive

My middle school daughter recently received a concerning laminated card at school, advising her on how to fend off sexual advances with outdated and offensive ideas like "I don’t plan to cook, wash and clean for any man except my husband."

This regressive education teaches girls to be submissive, rely on men for protection, and focus on domestic chores, undermining their self-confidence during a critical period.

More: What are Ohio schools teaching when it comes to sex ed?

The Ohio legislature is to blame for promoting this sexist and degrading approach, mandating abstinence-focused sex education without requiring medical accuracy.

This type of education fails to reduce risky behaviors, sexually transmitted infections, or pregnancies and disregards the real-life challenges teens face.

To address this issue, Ohio schools should offer developmentally appropriate, evidence-based, and comprehensive sex education, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. This education is vital for child and adolescent health.

More: Ohio is nation's most antidemocratic state. GOP vow to sink abortion, marijuana rights proof

The solution lies in electing legislators who support comprehensive sex education. All Ohio state senate and house seats are up for election next year. It’s time to rip up that laminated card and ensure our children learn through curriculum proven to help them develop a safe and positive view of sexuality, advocate for themselves and build healthy relationships.

Melanie Farkas, Powell

Daylight saving time is dangerous and disturbing

The Nov. 2 article "How daylight-saving time affects our sleep" was timely and informative.

Not only does it affect our sleep, but the article tells us "The one-hour time shift with daylight saving time is also correlated with higher motor vehicle accidents, mood disturbances, and negative cardiovascular effects," such as seizures and strokes.

The American Academy on Sleep Medicine argues that "daylight saving time disturbs our biological clock and that standard time is more aligned with our bodies natural sleep cycle."

So, what does the U.S. Senate do?

They pass a bill that would establish daylight saving as the permanent time for the entire year.

The Sunshine Protection Act was approved in 2022 by the U.S. Senate, but has not been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed by President Joe Biden.

Just when we find an issue where 60% of Americans can agree, namely doing away with moving the clock back and forth, the politicians defy the consensus of all sleep scientists and choose to stay on daylight savings time.

Even when they get a "gimme" they try to make that two-foot putt and miss. Talk about spoiling a free lunch.

Syd Lifshin, Columbus

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Appalachian can be a cornerstone of our cleaner energy future.

Building a lower carbon future means ensuring the success of the Department of Energy’s new Hydrogen Hubs. The hubs are networks of clean hydrogen producers, consumers, and connective infrastructure working together to kickstart the growth of a low-carbon hydrogen economy.

Appalachia’s abundant natural gas and skilled workforce make it a prime location for hydrogen development, with the promise of new economic growth and advancing shared climate goals.

A recent study found that if policies are implemented to support all types of hydrogen development, it could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 37% through 2050 and inject billions of dollars into the economy through jobs.

To unlock these benefits, we need to start building the necessary infrastructure.

Given a workforce of over 352,000 already supported by the oil and natural gas industry, Ohio is ready to embrace this new energy opportunity. With over half the proposed hubs using hydrogen produced from natural gas and carbon capture, this project will kickstart the next generation of energy development.

Ohio has a proud history of energy production and a wealth of potential for innovation. Let’s all work together to make the Appalachian Hydrogen Hub a cornerstone of our cleaner energy future.

Chris Zeigler, Columbus, executive director of American Petroleum Institute Ohio

Railcars need an upgrade

It’s time to modernize and upgrade our nation’s fleet of freight railcars. Today, the average age of the nation’s freight railcar fleet is nearing 20 years old.

Modernizing it will improve fuel efficiency and increase sustainability, providing environmental benefits decades earlier. It also will boost our state’s freight rail manufacturing and supply sector.

That’s why a bipartisan effort on Capitol Hill to support the Freight RAILCAR Act, H.R. 838, is important. It incentivizes private investment in the domestic fleet of freight railcars and shores up our local economies, too.

Nationwide, the freight rail manufacturing and supply industry powers the U.S. economy to the tune of $75.78 billion in GDP.

It’s also a cornerstone of economic output in Ohio, providing 24,597 family-wage jobs in our local communities.

Regarding national security, the freight rail industry is the lynchpin to securing everything from our supply chains to our military and defense systems. For all these reasons, the Freight RAILCAR Act is a good investment.

Right now, the Freight RAILCAR Act has support from more than 50 Republican and Democratic members in the U.S. House and 65,000 domestic freight railcar manufacturers and suppliers whose livelihood impacts every corner of the U.S.

While the U.S. continues to try and compete against China in everything from the production of microchips to the manufacturing of everyday household goods, there’s a clear direction we can take to invest in one of our state’s — and nation’s — most critical manufacturing and supply industries.

The Freight RAILCAR Act has proven to be a good bill based on its strong bipartisanship in the House.

Now we need a strong leader in the Senate to introduce the bill in the Senate and to see it through — and to invest in the lives of Ohio workers whose jobs depend on it.

Erik Olson, Executive Director of the Rail Security Alliance

Follow the four R's

I am writing in response to the Nov. 1 article, "Food Waste Problem Is Growing Worse," to share important work the City of Columbus is leading to reduce food waste. It is a major environmental problem, and a missed opportunity to feed people in need.

Like recycling, food waste can be reduced by following the four R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Rescue and Recycle (compost). Reducing the amount of food you purchase is an easy first step. It saves money and ensures that scraps and uneaten leftovers do not become waste. Reusing food — eating leftovers — is another great way to reduce waste. And donating leftovers from an event to a local food rescue non-profit like Food Rescue US is a great option. Lastly, you can recycle food scraps through a backyard or community compost program.

The Columbus Climate Action Plan is committed to reducing food and organic waste being landfilled by 50% by 2030, to decrease the potent methane gas it emits. Our recent launch of three Food Scraps Drop-Off sites is one initiative that offers residents a free service to compost food waste and prevent it from being landfilled. We are planning more Food Scraps Drop-Off sites to provide equitable access across our neighborhoods.

You can do your part to reduce food waste going to the local landfill. Learn more at https://www.columbus.gov/foodwaste/.

Jennifer L. Gallagher, director of Columbus Department of Public Service

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Why daylight saving time is dangerous, disturbing.