It is rare when past, present, and future aspirations come together at the same point in time in the arc of history. This week was just that time, as the buzz of climate change and community resilience reached what seems to be a fevered pitch.
On Monday’s Presidential Inauguration, Obama devoted a large portion of his speech to climate change—more than one minute out of approximately twenty—longer than any other topic. He said failure to respond to the threat “would betray our children and future generations,” and he pledged to lead the fight against climate change and toward sustainable energy solutions.
Obama’s pledge for a greener path forward fell on the same day as millions around the country and globe honored the great legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King could just as well have been speaking about the urgency of addressing climate change when he said, “we have been forced to a point where we’re going to have to grapple with the problems that men have been trying to grapple with through history, but the demand didn’t force them to do it. Survival demands that we grapple with them.”
Fast forward to Tuesday, when we brought together over forty organizations and individuals at The San Francisco Foundation, to talk about building community resilience in a time of climate change. We believe that climate change is the most pressing issue of our time and that climate change will disproportionately affect California’s most disadvantaged and isolated communities. Addressing social vulnerability and building community resilience in climate policies and response strategies will be critical to California’s future.
Representatives from government, community-based organizations, non-profits and philanthropy learned about the regional climate landscape, and steps that are being taken to adapt to the coming changes.
Our goals were clear: to not only address the issues of climate change, but to ensure that we were in it, together. That we build a strong, collective will to ensure that all of us protect and support one another in a time of crisis. And that it is vital for community members to be part of the decision making. Ideas, strategies and inspiration were flowing, and the desire to do something tangible, and immediate, were palpable. The collective wisdom in the room held the promise of deep impact and positive change.
As Dr. King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” If we can work together to build the resilience of the most vulnerable communities, we may be able to turn the rising tide and create a more equitable future for us all.