The sky turned orange in San Francisco on September 6, 2020. Twenty-eight Bay Area wildfires blotted out the sun and brought home the impact of climate change.
The cliffs and beaches in my neighborhood provided solace during the early days of the pandemic. In particular, the shrinking and growing Baker Beach sand dunes became a symbol of hope and a path forward. I’m reminded of the elegant resilience, coherence and interdependence embedded in coastal dune ecology.
We are all inter-related. Socio-economic imbalances in San Francisco, a living system, can become sustainable again. Dramatic climate action, coupled with comprehensive social change, can reverse systemic challenges that bring us back to our true nature.
Living on the edge of a continent is an invitation to imagine harmonious ways of living that are about the collective, not just individuals. Whose side are you on?