From AAI Program Director Linda Jackson:
The largest fires ever. The blistering heat. The drought. The rain deluge. The floods.
My cousin writes from Sweden that this summer is the hottest in 200 years. That was not a typo. And the end of summer is still over six weeks away.
This past month, I experienced 100+ degree weather in Portland, Oregon, and drove through the dense smoke of northern California.
While all this is alarming, I am comforted knowing that people from all arenas are addressing the problem. The path of global warming is increasingly documented by scientists of every field. Researchers are exploring carbon sequestration. Most national governments are moving toward the carbon goals set by the Paris Accord. Car companies are developing more efficient vehicles and innovators are creating new batteries. The state of California, the fifth largest economy of the world, is a leader in setting emissions standards. And major world religions, inspired by leaders like Pope Francis, are embracing the imperative to reduce carbon emissions as quickly as possible.
The motto “Think globally, act locally” has never been more meaningful than today. Here in Marin, we have at least a dozen organizations tackling sustainability. We have to save the planet as it is the only ship we have.
In many ways, climate change activism is a model for our work in the Aging Action Initiative. We are building bridges, tunnels and walkways between the silos we work in – between public agencies, nonprofits, and the health sector. We have goals: to share our knowledge and expertise and findings, to advocate for policy changes, to create innovative approaches that change our work for the better.
One of those innovations is an Inform & Connect workshop happening this month. The workshop is the inspiration of the Marin Interfaith Council. It is the first of an Inform & Connect workshop tailored to specific interests, in this case, of Marin faith leaders wanting to answer the call for help from members of their congregations.
Another innovation is highlighted this month’s newsletter: the collaboration behind the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative. Making our homes more energy efficient is vital to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. GGHI is a collaborative effort that intersects safety and energy retrofits to adapt homes for older adults and to make them more energy efficient. The GHHI network shows how much can be achieved when people come together to do something new in a different way.
These summer months are a chance to slow down, look around and think. As the climate crisis shows us, we must come together to create new and more effective solutions to the challenges we see around us. Our work is essential to helping older people sustain their well-being.
We cannot give up. Our future depends on us doing this work.
~ Linda
