It is one thing to create new open spaces on dilapidated properties or, for example, on a tunnel top in the Presidio. It is entirely another thing to close streets used by tens of thousands of automobile drivers every day in commuting to their various destinations, which inevitably and unnecessarily causes the release of massive amounts of additional greenhouse gasses.
Prop. I would reverse this effort, forcing car traffic back on JFK Drive and destroying the weekend compromise for the Upper Great Highway that District 4 residents support.
But throwing money into the ocean is less wasteful than what SF is doing right now. Sea levels are rising and NOAA has already mapped out large areas on SF’s east, north and west sides, plus Treasure Island, that will soon be underwater.
San Francisco has taken a few baby steps, and that’s good. This race is an ultramarathon; we need to be sprinting flat out right now.
New reports say the Sierras will be snow-free in 25 years, and that the Antarctic Ice Sheet has passed the tipping point.
Climate Central’s “Picturing Our Future” makes it clear that sea level rise will flood large areas of SF.
If San Francisco is going to survive climate change, we must act now. But how can we, the citizens of SF, trust that city hall is looking out for us and not just the politicians and corporations hungry for profits at the expense of the planet?
San Francisco’s leaders keep showing us they’re not up to the enormous mitigation and adaptation efforts needed for SF to survive climate change.
We need to solve the climate emergency, not just put another bandage on it.
Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon 