Feb 28, 2018  Santa Rosa City School Board Meeting  (Feb 27, 2018 DRAFT)

Good afternoon. I’m Beth Mathews, a marine biologist and retired university professor. Our son, who graduated from Montgomery High School while Laurie Fong was principal, is now a freshman thriving at UC Santa Barbara. Thank you all for your efforts and hard work to make our schools nurturing, inspiring, and safe places to learn and grow, as well as supporting efforts to reduce our schools’ carbon footprints.

Thank you for considering a Climate Change Action Resolution in response to public comment on Feb 14. I’m here today on behalf of my son, nieces, nephews, and students, because I consider climate change the world’s biggest challenge. Global warming is real; the science is solid. The unprecedented increase in greenhouse gases, coupled with a 25 to 50-year climate response lag, means we need bold action now to cut emissions to protect our children and future generations from shouldering the burdens of global warming. The longer we wait to take meaningful action, the greater the effort and cost to reverse warming. The consequences of global warming are painfully familiar to us all: increasingly severe wildfires, drought, and hurricanes; sea level rise and ocean acidification.  

We have the tools and technology to do this. What we lack is political will. One strong step forward is to put a price on carbon emissions. If we make carbon pollution expensive, we’ll get less of it. As community leaders whose primary goal is to prepare students for college, the workplace, and, above all, a satisfying and productive life, your support of a bold, nonpartisan Climate Change Action Resolution, and your commitment to keep an open dialogue about climate change solutions, will put you on record as game changers. I would welcome the opportunity to support you in this effort.

Thank you for considering this important climate action resolution.