Get creative with climate action
EDITOR: “I don’t want your hope. I want your action.” If Greta Thurnberg’s plain request did not move you, perhaps you heard the voices of millions of other children around the world.
In my conversations with fellow Healdsburg residents, most share a genuine concern for the fate of the planet and deep frustration that they can’t make a more significant impact than just driving a fuel-efficient car, recycling, and turning down the thermostat. It’s time to get creative.
The survival of civilization is not just about greenhouse gases. It is also about protecting biodiversity. For example, at the same time as the climate strike was in the making, it was announced that 25% of the birds have disappeared. I recall when I moved here five decades ago, Meadow Larks and Red Wing Blackbirds were common as I drove around the county. I haven’t seen either in a very long time. The leading cause of this decline is loss of habitat. We can change that scenario.
Such actions as changing the definition of sustainable agriculture to include banning the use of glyphosate and bee-killing pesticides would make a great start. That movement would gain real traction if Ag Credit began to give more favorable rates to growers who followed the new practice. Property tax rates could be adjusted to provide credit to property owners who restored habitat. Just planting a pollinators garden will make a contribution.Â
Children learn by what they see adults do. They can’t see hope, but they can see action.
Jay Beckwith
Healdsburg
