Text by MERWA MAROF and OLIVIA MILNE
CLIMATE CHRONICLES: THE LOCAL EXPERIENCE
CLIMATE CHANGE`S EFFECTS ON PALO ALTO
SMOKY SKIES — The sky turns bright orange on Sept. 9, 2020 by wildfires in Portola Valley. Due to climate change, the number of wildfires are increasing every year, negatively affecting many individuals. “It’s super scary to have such little control when it comes close to your house” junior Ella Jauregui said. Photo: Ella Jauregui
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HE SMELL OF SMOKE filled her nostrils as she stepped outside onto her porch to see the afternoon sun covered by a thick layer of smog. Peering across the horizon, she watched faint traces of hot flames sear the top of the mountain only 10 miles away. Junior Ella Jauregui’s experience living in Portola Valley throughout this year’s fire season is becoming more common. Fires are just one way climate change is increasingly impacting Palo Alto and affecting the community’s way of life. v
THE BAY ABLAZE: ELLA JAUREGUI
The apocalyptic orange skies and blood red sun in the Bay Area can only mean one thing: fire season. According to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the amount of burned acres in California has grown almost 6,000 times this year compared to last year, forcing many residents around the Bay Area to evacuate their homes. “We got really scared so we started packing up the house and getting everything ready,” Jauregui said. “It made me
CITY COUNCIL PLANS 24 DECEMBER 2020
feel so scared because this is our house and we would lose so much if it burned down.” Not only do the flames of the yearly fires impact Palo Alto citizens, but the consequent smoke also poses problems for residents, forcing them to stay shut in their homes “We were already stuck in quarantine, but not being able to go outside for a run or sit and enjoy nature because of the smoke really took a big toll on our family,” Jauregui said.
Photo : Jaron Majors
Palo Alto is a leader in sustainability in Santa Clara County and the city council has plans to maintain that reputation. One of their main goals is to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions by 80% from the 1990 levels by 2030. In order to reach this goal, Palo Alto has implemented multiple limits on carbon emissions and approved plans for neutral gas policies. They also aim to redirect 95% of trash from landfills by 2030, and eventually achieve zero waste towards landfills. They have adapted a single-use plastic policy for many years to aid these efforts.
