C.J. Wilson - 1-29-2023 - A Call To Plant More Trees

 January 29, 2023  

The Fresno Bee

A Call To Plant More Trees

I don’t think I need to remind anyone in the valley that the last few weeks have been wet. While some have (rightfully) pointed out the climate change connection to this spate of storms, it’s important to note that there are solutions we can use alongside fossil fuel reduction.

One that stands out is tree planting and healthy forest maintenance. Healthy foliage is among the strongest buffers to flooding we can hope for: it soaks up the water, breaks up the flow, and spreads out the rainfall. But, after decades of drought and mismanagement, we’ve lost millions of trees in the Sierras and the Central Valley. That’s to say nothing of the lack of urban tree cover in Fresno’s poorer districts.

Luckily, this is a problem with palatable and direct solutions. All of us can take part in helping to strengthen our forests and increase urban tree cover, either on our own or by joining groups like Citizens' Climate Lobby, who has recently launched a new Healthy Forest Initiative. Not only will this reduce the impact of floods: it’ll clear up the Valley’s notoriously bad air and give us shade during our infernal summers. 

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C.J. Wilson

Don Gaede - 1-7-2023 - A healthy climate for our children

 Bakersfield Californian.  Jan 7, 2023

https://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/letters-to-editor/letter-to-the-editor-a-healthy-climate-for-our-children/article_9351a1d0-8d36-11ed-9e6b-479b76db2192.html?fbclid=IwAR0PlxGS-TxHCeuo621_p4lCq-uS3WNaojDe13vBI-RxBJc1n4Swg2wd_WM 

A healthy climate for our children

After years of drought in California, I was dubious when I first read the study published by the California Department of Water Resources that said catastrophic flooding in California is becoming much more likely as our planet heats up due to buildup of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

In 1861-1862, incessant rains transformed the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys into a vast inland sea, and inundated the now densely populated areas of Los Angeles and Orange counties. The study pointed out that because a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, and because precipitation in the Sierras will tend to be in the form of rain instead of snow, the risk of such a once-in-a-millennium flood will greatly increase if climate change is not addressed. The “bomb cyclones” we’ve recently experienced may be the first sign of more extreme events to come.

The good news is that effective climate solutions are available — but the bad news is that the political will to implement them is often lacking. I encourage folks to join groups such as Citizens’ Climate Lobby, where your voice will be amplified as we work to preserve a healthy, stable climate for our children and grandchildren.

— Don Gaede, San Luis Obispo

Ruth Afifi - 1-1-2023 - Flood control must not be put off

 Flood control must not be put off

Thank you for your Dec. 16 story about the plan of the Central Valley Flood Protection Board to protect us from “mega flooding.” It’s hard to imagine in the midst of a long and terrible drought that someday, due to climate change and rising temperatures, we will have “extreme rain” causing huge floods affecting Sacramento, Modesto, Stockton and Fresno.

The story said there is deferred maintenance of the current flood system and that to protect the Central Valley, $3 billion is needed in the next five years and $35 billion over the next 30 for infrastructure and also floodplain restoration along the Valley’s rivers.

I am concerned that we won’t invest what is need:

I am concerned that we won’t invest what is needed to prevent suffering and enormous losses when the “catastrophic flooding” occurs. I hope the necessary funds for flood control will be provided in upcoming budgets.

- Ruth Afifi, Fresno

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January 1, 2023