There was little “natural” about the January 9 natural disaster that killed 23 Montecitans and forever altered the South Coast landscape. A one-two-three punch of extreme and irregular weather events turned one of the country’s wealthiest zip codes inside out, proving none of us are safe from the devastating effects of a changing global climate.
Leah Stokes , a climate policy researcher at UC Santa Barbara, acknowledges it’s difficult to find perspective when the wounds are still so fresh. But it’s critical, she said, to consider the bigger picture to understand what really happened so we can better protect ourselves in the future.
Too often, Stokes said, there’s no mention of climate change after the latest record-breaking hurricane, fire, or flood. We miss the opportunity to demand action from our leaders and consider the changes we can make on our own. It’s time to realize climate change is happening right now, all the time, in our backyards, she said. It’s time to connect the dots.