To the Editor:

Re “Who Gets to Breathe Clean Air in New Delhi” (nytimes.com, Dec. 17):

Thank you for shining a light on the dangers that children in India face each day from air pollution. The powerful story of Monu and Aamya reveals how this often invisible threat is constant in the homes, schools and neighborhoods of New Delhi — made worse through inequality.

A critical moment that stood out to us as chefs was the dramatic increase in Monu’s exposure levels as his mother and families in his neighborhood lighted open fires to cook their meals. Sadly, this is a scene replicated each day not only across India, but also in hundreds of millions of homes around the world, where people lack access to clean, modern cooking energy. And it is a crisis that harms health, the climate and the environment, while costing governments trillions of dollars.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Access to clean cooking is one of the most overlooked and underfunded development issues. And while there is no one-size-fits-all solution, there are solutions. Through increased government support, research and private-sector investment, it is possible to realize a future where no one’s life is limited by how they cook.

José Andrés
Sanjeev Kapoor
Mr. Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen, and Mr. Kapoor, founder of FoodFood TV, are ambassadors of the Clean Cooking Alliance.

A Plea to Georgia Voters

To the Editor:

I am no economic brainiac, but I can see the writing on the wall if Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff don’t both win their Senate runoffs in Georgia. The Republicans will tie Joe Biden’s hands, and we’ll have congressional gridlock about every little thing, economic recovery first and foremost.

Georgians, please don’t let that happen.

Barbara Rodman
Delray Beach, Fla.

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