Opinion: To fight climate change, we must redesign San Diego communities
As the world struggles for consensus on climate action and national policy focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the impacts of climate change occur all around us. … The San Diego region is a case in point. Its beaches and coastal bluffs are being eroded by ocean storms and sea level rise. Its inland valleys and mountains suffer from severe drought, leaving them vulnerable to wildfires. Long-term drought and higher temperatures contribute to the loss of natural habitat and wildlife. Its population, industry and agricultural economy rely heavily on water from shrinking, faraway sources — the Sacramento Delta in Northern California and the Colorado River.
-Written by Robert Leiter, former director of land use and transportation planning for the San Diego Association of Governments; Julie Kalansky, a climate scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography; and Cary Lowe, a California land-use attorney who has written widely on environmental and planning topics.