About 20 years ago, I began my journey on an environmentally sustainable path. At the time, I was focused on the life of university campuses, my workplace for more than 3 decades. Along the way, I learned how our world is so interconnected, that it’s impossible to isolate the effects of an action.
Reading the Pope’s environmental encyclical Laudato Si’ in 2015, I was struck by how well the document explored every aspect of our existence, from church doctrine to science, and tied the whole complex story together. I was encouraged that my church could make this much sense, and lead in the process.
Now, I’m spending time in various Sierra Club committees, focusing on the traditional environmental concerns, and venturing into environmental justice matters. We see the effects of racial injustice in the form of redlined communities and sacrifice zones and discriminatory practices that continue today. As affordable housing has reached crisis levels in California, social inequity between the housed and unhoused gets worse.
Over the past year, I’ve expanded my interests to work on safe and affordable housing, building electrification, and preservation of the coast and hillsides. At the city level, establishing more resilience through building electrification and resiliency centers leads to better protection for communities faced with increasing environmental threats. I feel privileged to do the work I do, and heartened by the
commitment of so many others to invest their time and talent. Our Laudato Si’ circle offers both a grounding and spiritual forum for this meaningful work.