MEDIATION: Pros & Cons by Joann Babiak California rises like the mythical Phoenix from the ashes of summer’s blazing wildfires only to face even bigger challenges. The rising Covid death toll across our nine Bay Area counties totaled 3,061 on January 11, 2021, at least triple the 1,000 lives lost in this area by late August 2020. Data from various county health departments reveal steeply increasing death tolls throughout the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. The trifecta of destruction would be incomplete without the arrival of climate challenges – an epic heatwave over the Labor Day holiday weekend brought sweltering triple digit temperatures. Bay Area cities are now preparing for the double whammy of rising sea levels and diminishing Sierra snow-pack. Drought and floods rolled into the time of viral pandemic! But, we are not through with disasters. Now, just as temperatures have dipped precipitously, the impeachment trial of the former president heats up feverishly. The social fabric of America is stretched thin; the population is experiencing far reaching changes. Many are increasingly aware of the call to action of the Black Lives Matter movement, others are impacted by job loss, food insecurity and resulting changes in life circumstances. These are indeed interesting times. 6
MARCH 2021
