Santa Barbara County is warming faster
than virtually anywhere else in the United States, and the consequences are
wrenchingly clear in the mass casualties and destruction caused by Thomas Fire
and Debris Flow two years ago.
Despite these wake-up calls, we as a
community have yet to respond in a coordinated, innovative, and systemic way to
the threat of a changing climate. In 2015, county officials pledged to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent from 2007 levels. Two years later, emissions
instead exceeded 2007 levels by 14 percent, according to a Washington Post report. Already,
we’ve exceeded the 2 degree Celsius warming limit set at the historic Paris
Climate Accords.
If we want to keep our community safe, there
can be no piecemeal solution to the climate crisis. That is why I’m calling for
a comprehensive Climate Safety Plan that will hold our county accountable to
its scope and timeline. It is time to take on the difficult work we know is necessary
for a sustainable future in the communities we love. First and foremost, it is about safety: people need to feel safe where
they live, despite the extreme weather events that are our new normal.