HERE ARE FIVE WAYS WE CAN ALL HELP EVERY DAY

We are experiencing firsthand the impacts of climate change. We have seen record high temperatures all year with September 2020 being the warmest September on record. The five warmest years ever recorded have occurred in the last five years and 2020 may beat them all. We have seen the devastation of the largest fires on record in Northern California affecting crops, wineries, air quality and the lives of Californians.

For some, these fires have become almost yearly occurrences and the fire season is almost all year long. We have unpredictable rainfall leading to droughts in some places around California and floods nearby. And it’s not only in California but around our country with massive wind storms in Iowa, floods in the Midwest and a record number of hurricanes affecting the Southeast. There have been 16 major natural disasters causing more than $1 billion in damage this year alone.

All of these events affect every aspect of our daily lives. And this year, the climate crisis that has been increasing in intensity and impacts every year is being compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and a social justice crisis. The data are clear that climate change is here, it’s affecting our quality of life now and it’s particularly problematic for disadvantaged communities everywhere.

But we can work together to adapt to the impacts, mitigate the effects and support each other to reduce the impacts for everyone. San Diego as a region is a leader in preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change, and our local and regional leadership is a model for the country. Our universities are hubs of innovation, research and creativity dealing with the science, the impacts and the solutions to climate change. And San Diegans are deeply connected to the beauty of the nature around us from our deserts to our mountains and to our iconic beaches. So what can you do to support the efforts to become more resilient against the impacts of climate change?

Some solutions are simple for individuals: 1) drive less and reduce your carbon footprint; 2) use less water and energy in your home, in your land

scaping, your job or your community; 3) reconnect with nature; 4) modify your eating habits to healthier alternatives or grow your own herbs or vegetables, and 5) become more conscious in your consumption, the waste you produce and the things you can recycle, reuse or give away.

Now you may have heard of these solutions before, and you may have thought them too hard to do, but the change in our behaviors due to the required safety rules to protect ourselves and our neighbors from the COVID-19 pandemic have shown us what’s possible. We can work or go to school from home. We can reduce the number of times we go to the grocery store, we can take more walks in the park. And we can make more of our own meals.

Though there may not be too many positive aspects connected to the pandemic, some of the behavioral changes have improved our connection to nature, our families and our community, and have been leading to cleaner air and water everywhere. The only way for us all to maintain our quality of life is for all of us to make some small changes that will improve our lives and our planet.

Response to climate change should be everyone’s responsibility, and it should integrate science, social justice and economics. We should not be choosing one option or the other but rather look for solutions that will maintain our quality of life, improve our economy and protect our planet. At the University of San Diego, we have encapsulated the integration of science, justice and economics in our Care for Our Common strategic pathway and by embracing Pope Francis’ message to the world in his encyclical Laudato Si ,a papal letter sent to all bishops of the Roman Catholic Church. His message five years ago was direct and clear: Climate change is real, it’s disproportionately affecting the disadvantaged but if we all work together, we can make it better.

We have taken on the urgent challenges of climate change and social, environmental and racial justice by engaging our students, our faculty, our staff, our administration and our community partners to look for solutions to climate change impacts, and you can, too. It’s time for you to do something for yourself, your family, your community, your planet — your common home.