Californians know firsthand how devastating oil spills can
become. And while they can’t force the federal government to
withdraw its offshore drilling proposal, cities can make it
extremely challenging for companies to build the facilities they
need to restart oil production.
Extreme heat doesn’t just stress the human body. It puts a
greater demand on the electrical grid, causing more frequent
blackouts, buckles asphalt roads, and evaporates water supplies.
But many of its most harmful impacts are cumulative and delayed.
“It falls very much in the spirit of what most of our city tends
towards — a combination of deep humanitarianism, ecology, and
culture,” said Ojai Mayor Andy Gilman. “This whole space is
becoming alive with purpose, and I feel really lucky to be a part
of it.”
Community pushback is often the greatest risk to building new
permanent supportive housing. But it doesn’t have to be. The
difference between a stalled project and a successful one often
comes down to a small set of repeatable risk reduction
strategies.
“That the Sierra Club and Cal Cities were founded around the same
time highlights a fundamental tension that has existed since the
Gold Rush,” writes Cal Cities President Gabe Quinto. “How do we
develop cities that are thriving economic hubs while also
protecting the natural splendor that drew so many of us here?”
Nationwide, youth are facing an epidemic of anxiety,
disconnection, and self-doubt. The numbers are sobering, but they
don’t show the quiet questions teens ask themselves every day: Do
I matter? Do I belong? Can I make a difference? In Norwalk, the
answer is a resounding yes.
“Water solutions will not come from a single region, policy, or
idea,” writes Woodlake Mayor Rudy Mendoza. “They will come from a
network of conversations, innovations, and partnerships that
reflect the full diversity of California.”