Most people see the link between climate change and the dangerous, tragic wildfires that have engulfed the West Coast this season. The King County Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP) specifically names the increased potential for wildfires, along with heavier rains, hotter summers, reduced snowpack, increased flooding and rising sea levels, as climate change features that will impact all of us. Denying this or failing to act aggressively now all but guarantees disastrous consequences for our individual and collective futures.
Fortunately, the SCAP deals with climate change reality on three fronts: reducing greenhouse gases; working for equity across diverse neighborhoods; and realistically preparing for climate change impacts. The plan lays out specific government actions for doing so, including policy changes, tighter regulations, community engagement initiatives, and capital investments. But what can we as individuals do? How can we support the larger-scale efforts undertaken by the government, and for that matter, private business?
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which is shrouded by thick haze from wildfires in Washington and Oregon. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times).
We can start by carefully reviewing our current efforts to see if we’ve missed any opportunities, and then step up our game wherever and whenever possible. To aid this review, we can think through one or more frameworks:
Daily/regular routines — methodical recycling, careful water use, and avoiding food waste, for example … is there any room for improvement in these or other areas? How about minimizing the plastic in our lives, and properly disposing of what’s unavoidable?
Occasional, bigger-ticket expenditures — for upcoming major home improvements, can energy-efficient windows, EnergyStar appliances, and reclaimed wood, or “wood” made from plastic, be used? Can electric or solar power replace fossil fuel in the plan? Might the next vehicle be electric?
Reduce-reuse-recycle — actually, is that next vehicle necessary at all? Can we drive less by biking, walking, taking public transport (when that’s safer again), and by combining multiple errands into a single trip? How about donating, swapping, or repurposing containers, fabrics, furniture, tools, books, … any opportunities here? Eliminating e-waste is another vital action.
Avoid, reduce, replace, remove/sequester—this framework appears in the SCAP, and the frameworks above cover most of the same ground. What pops up in the SCAP scheme, however, is reforestation efforts and carbon sequestering, which we might contribute to through volunteer tree-planting projects and composting.
Other forestry work includes the movement to learn from Native peoples’ land management practices such as controlled burning, as well as allowing Native folks’ access to their land if it’s been taken away. Here are some WA Native perspectives from a Crosscut article from 2019, otherwise come chat about this with Kitchen Table Conversations on Tuesday nights!
Many or all the actions noted above and more have been covered in other of our Eco-Faith blog posts. What’s a little frustrating about all of them—and human-scale acts in general—is that they all feel so small, so futile, so laughably undersized compared to fires that consume millions of wooded acres, and smoke visible from space, blanketing whole states. How are we supposed to find hope and a sense of purpose in our tiny gestures? One way is to remember that we do not perform these acts alone. We merge them with the acts of a community that includes everyone touched by the fires and smoke, everyone capable of empathy, everyone concerned for our environment, and our neighbors first/most impacted by climate change (people who are unhoused, BIPOC communities, folks incarcerated, farmworkers). Our small individual actions on behalf of the environment become community acts of faith.
small acts
are communal
Collectively, could these actions yield a fire-and-smoke-free 2021? Not likely. But our actions performed intentionally and consistently in community, and in conjunction with government and business, might begin a process of correction and restoration. We need to do what we can, with hope. And really, whoever seriously thought that five loaves and two fish could feed five thousand people?
Both art collages are by Miriam / @vientoxsol on Instagram (link to post by clicking on the photo). The second collage depicts a CDCR prisoner firefighter, flames, and butterflies. In the wake of the fires in CA, the state has been severely understaffed as a large number of their crews come from CA prisons that are currently battling COVID-19. As these crews are only paid $2-5 per day, many have called for rightful pay. Recently, CA Gov. Gavin Newsom overturned a law that barred prison firefighters from joining CALFIRE, even though they had direct experience in the field.
The top collage depicts the hands of farmworkers surrounded by tomato plants, flames, and butterflies. Farmworkers work throughout the seasons and have continued working even with fires nearby and smoke dampening air quality in CA and the PNW. Learn more from United Farm Workers.