View From the Team

Doing Our Part to Protect the Planet

As Earth Day approaches, it’s a time not only to appreciate the beauty of our natural surroundings, but also to take a hard look at how humankind’s collective actions are negatively impacting the environment — and, to identify what we can do to slow the trajectory of our climate crisis. We’ve certainly got our work cut out for us: Temperatures are rising, causing ice caps in the Arctic to melt and sea levels to rise; our global food system is producing gargantuan quantities of greenhouse gas emissions; plastic is polluting our oceans; and massive deforestation is threatening biodiversity. The latest report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) really drives this point home: Drastic weather extremes, including increased heat waves, droughts and floods, are already exceeding plants’ and animals’ tolerance thresholds and exposing millions of people to acute food and water insecurity.

It's all more than enough to keep us up at night, but we can’t throw in the towel. We can all make a difference with the choices we make every day. Here are just a few of the things we can do to lessen our impact on the planet, according to Clean Water Action (cleanwateraction. org), a nonprofit committed to environmental protection: • Cut down on plastic waste • Reduce food waste • Choose a greener energy source • Reduce air and car travel • Use less water • Eat less meat

Even the way we choose to spend our hardearned dollars can have an effect on the enviroment. Berkeley-based As You Sow recently released a report ranking 55 companies on their progress in aligning emissions reductions with the 1.5-degree Paris Agreement goal. The report found a significant number of companies are making progress, but the vast majority are not — meaning it's even more critical to do your research so that your spending aligns with your values (a topic explored in detail in "Put Your Money on a Greener Future" on page 31).

Here at Marin Magazine, we’re committed to protecting our environment, and that’s why we’ve devoted this issue to sustainable living. We also have some good news: We've made the switch to using more environmentally friendly paper to print each issue of Marin Magazine. At home, too, our staff members are making an effort to do better by our environment. Check out a few of the ways we’re showing our love for the planet:

Founder and Chief Visionary Officer Susan Noyes renovates her homes to highest green standards, incorporating as much solar power as possible. Publisher Leah Bronson has installed Nest thermostats in her house to conserve energy, and she does laundry only during hours recommended by OhmConnect, a free app that rewards users for saving energy. Editor in Chief Lotus Abrams replaced her water-hogging lawn in the front yard with drought-tolerant landscaping. Production Director Alex French ditched onetime plastic produce bags in favor of reusable, machine-washable bags. Media Director Lesley Cesare switched her old lightbulbs to energyconserving bulbs. Rather than jumping in her car, Regional Content Director Jessica Gliddon has been riding her e-bike around town to do quick errands. And Dining, Calendar and Feature Writer Christina Mueller installed solar on her roof to power her house and one car, and she's transitioning part of her garden to a sustainable, lowwater landscape that’s pollinator-friendly, too.

We hope you’ll find that the environmentally focused articles in this issue — and the content on our websites, marinmagazine.com and better. net, and shared in our e-mail Better Letter newsletters — inspire you to make planet-friendly changes in your life, too, and to work with local nonprofits to help them amplify their impact. If you do, tag @marinmagazine and tell us about it. We'd love to celebrate your efforts!

Susan Noyes

Leah Bronson

Lotus Abrams

Lesley Cesare Alex French

Christina Mueller

Jessica Gliddon

Susan B. Noyes, Founder & Chief Visionary Officer

Leah Bronson, Publisher

Lotus Abrams, Editor in Chief

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