Climate Column: A New Year’s commitment to the next generation
NATASHA JULIANA
FOR THE ARGUS-COURIER
December 13, 2023, 7:18PM
Cool Petaluma just marked the end of the year with our second annual Stakeholder Shindig. A compelling combination of fun socializing, inspiring storytelling, and a clear call to action made the night a huge success.
Mayor Kevin McDonnell opened things up with a powerful appeal for civic engagement – most people are concerned about climate change, but what we need is to be fully committed to taking action on this crisis.
For the audience of almost 200 people, we put together a slideshow celebrating the grassroots engagement that happened this year, creating the team spirit that encourages more people to turn concern into commitment. Photos of our Cool Block meetings showed neighbors happily gathered in backyards, strengthening relationships and working together. Photos of our events highlighted how fun education can be, like the Local Resource Expo in May where we had 42 exhibitors, an electric vehicle showcase, and over 350 highly engaged attendees. And photos of our kids out in nature reminded us how important it is to connect to this most amazing place we call home.
All of this was set to the feel-good music and inspiring lyrics of “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz. “I tried to be chill, but you’re so hot that I melted,” Mraz sings to a reggae lilt. “So I won't hesitate no more, no more. It cannot wait, I'm sure.” Pull up the song and you’ll hear what I mean. Practically every word applies to our mission.
Toward the end of the slideshow, there was a photo of my daughter and her best friend holding hands looking out at the ocean. Seeing that image with the music repeating “I’m yours” reminded me why I’m motivated to work on this issue every day: because I want today’s kids to grow up and enjoy the same beautiful world that my generation has been blessed to experience.
This idea of generational equity came up at the last Petaluma City Schools Environmental Literacy and Climate Action Committee meeting, as well. There were students in attendance and I paired up with two of them during the opening icebreaker. When asked what inspires me and what does equity mean to me, I couldn’t help but reflect on how the actions of one generation can so significantly and permanently affect the next generation.
My daughter was born in 2004. If she lives to 100, like we are hoping for with our Blue Zones Project Petaluma, she will see the year 2104. A baby born today will turn 100 in the year 2123. Take a moment to imagine young people you know and love today at age 100 holding hands looking out over the ocean. What year is it? What do they experience?
Is the ocean full of fish or full of plastic? Is the sky clear or smoky? Is the temperature comfortable or is it unbearable? Is the shoreline where it is today or have the beaches disappeared? The answers to these questions are in our hands right now.
As a thought experiment, let’s assume we keep doing what we have been doing – buying plastic, burning fossil fuels, living the “normal” life we’ve come to expect. This is what scientists call a “business as usual” scenario. Predictions for this scenario are sobering:
Plastic could outweigh fish in the ocean by 2050.
The annual average maximum temperature in Petaluma could increase by 10.7° F, from 72.2° F to 82.9° F, by 2100.
Wildfire smoke in California could double by 2100.
The Petaluma River could experience 10 feet of sea level rise in historic downtown by the year 2100. (It is easy to forget that the Petaluma River is really a tidal slough connected to the Bay and will go up with the ocean.)
“Business as usual” may be considered the worst-case scenario, but it begs the question: How much risk are we willing to pass onto the next generation? How much risk is fair to the next generation? And how committed are we to reducing that risk?
It is up to all of us to make sure we don’t continue down the business-as-usual path so that we can avoid these worst-case scenarios. We are the generation that will determine the fate of the next generation.
And thus, our closing call to action: Make your New Year’s resolution a climate resolution.
“So I won't hesitate no more, no more. It cannot wait, I'm sure.”
Natasha Juliana is the campaign director for Cool Petaluma. She can be reached at natashaj@coolpetaluma.org. For information on how to get involved, visit coolpetaluma.org.
