For decades, we’ve been told that talking about climate change is divisive and polarizing, a Thanksgiving dinner table taboo that’s better left untouched. What happens if we challenge that assumption and start getting curious?

How good is your imagination?

Can you look down East Washington Street and envision a beautiful boulevard? I can see a vibrant east-west community connector made up of urban farms and playgrounds, basketball courts and skate parks, bandstands and dance floors, trees and bees and butterflies, with people of all ages laughing and playing as they wind their way across town by foot or bicycle or golf cart, while those in a hurry zip overhead in colorful gondolas. Crazy? Maybe. Maybe not.

Look around and you can probably count three or four natural gas appliances that are critical to your home’s performance – water heater, furnace, cooktop, and clothes dryer, perhaps? But “natural” gas is actually about 85% methane - a super-potent greenhouse gas.

When I lived in the Glen Park neighborhood of San Francisco, I could easily walk from my home to a delicious bakery, a cute coffee shop, and a variety of restaurants. There was also a fantastic grocery store, a jamb-packed hardware store, and a mid-century modern furniture store. All of these were locally owned and full of character.

Time, money, and bandwidth seem to be in short supply these days for many of us. The world keeps getting faster, more expensive, and more overwhelming. Given all of the demands on our attention, what are four super simple things we can all do right now to show respect for our beautiful, life-giving, finite planet?

My uncle is a retired FBI agent and he has some stories you wouldn't believe are true. And he also said something a few months ago that really stuck with me. He was giving my 17-year-old daughter some advice about going off to college and being safe in the world…

The Argus Courier has asked our Campaign Director, Natasha Juliana, to write a monthly climate column for the newspaper. Here is the April installment:

If you missed the kickoff event, you will definitely want to watch one of the highlights of the night, this ultra-inspiring Cool Block Leader video made by Vince Beeton of Humans Being Media. Hear what these Petalumans have to say about why their blocks are cool and how they hope to make them even cooler!

Our Kickoff Party was the talk of the town! "Best Zoom event ever," raved one participant. If you missed the event, watch it here and get a taste for how excited and committed Petalumans are to making big things happen in our small town.