Summary: Thursday, October 30, 2014 The City of Watsonville is developing a Climate Action Plan. Global warming is a major threat to human civilization, and I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to characterize it that way. National and international efforts to do something about global warming have basically stalled out, and since there are actions at the local level that can make a difference, local governments are stepping up. Let me talk about one impact of global warming you may not have thought about. As the planet gets warmer, sea levels rise. That is pretty well understood, and the most immediate and visible impact is obviously the encroachment of water onto what are now developed areas along the shoreline. The City of Santa Cruz (which has already adopted a Climate Action Plan) has maps that show that some of the City’s major tourist attractions will be underwater, if worst-case scenarios turn out to be accurate. But the City of Watsonville is far from the shore. Pajaro Dunes has something to worry about, but it’s not in the city. However, as sea level rises, saltwater intrusion into coastal freshwater aquifers will increase. This happens out of sight, but the impact is very real. The Pajaro Valley and the City of Watsonville need to do what they can to stop global warming and sea level rise. Building a seawall won’t help. Maybe the City’s Climate Action Plan will. For more information check kusp.org/landuse. More Information: Land Use Links Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog Santa Cruz County Climate Action Strategy City of Santa Cruz Climate Action Plan City of Watsonville DRAFT Climate Action Plan The public review period on Watsonville’s draft Climate Action Plan will end on November 6, 2014. For more information, contact Suzi Merriam at the City. Telephone: 831-768-3074
