by Rebecca Franke

The impact of our destabilizing climate is often described through distant manifestations: melting ice sheets, warming permafrost, rising ocean acidity, and the like. But increasingly, we’re coming face-to-face with rapid changes in our communities. The Washington Post published an extended piece describing the impact of rising temperatures on southern California, centering on Santa Barbara County. According to the Post analysis, the average temperature there has increased to 4.1 degrees F (2.3 degrees C) since the 19th century. Neighboring Ventura County has warmed to 4.7 degrees F,  “the fastest-warming county in the Lower 48 states.”

The article goes on to describe the concomitant effects: more intense and longer fire seasons, decline of traditional crops, adverse impacts on sea life, increasing seashore erosion. Yet, despite the overwhelming evidence of the need to knuckle down, efforts to persuade the community to step up and undertake meaningful actions have largely been unsuccessful.

That’s  where our effort, the Climate Emergency Mobilization, can play a useful role. Sharing and learning with local activists so that they gain the resources, options, and  inspiration they need in order to work with decision makers and community members to understand the gravity of our Climate Emergency and undertake comprehensive, immediate, and sustained action to reduce GHG emissions.