Nicola Hedge

“We know we can create that brighter future.”

Nicola Hedge
Director Climate Initiatives, San Diego Foundation
http://www.sdfoundation.org/

When we asked students in the Kids EcoClub from a dozen elementary, middle and high schools across the San Diego region to envision what life will be like in the year 2050, one thing was common in all of their murals. While they had concerns about water use, climate change, pollution and other challenges, all showed immense optimism about our region’s ability to create a brighter future by 2050.

Likewise, when The San Diego Foundation and Climate Education Partners released a new study about regional climate change this summer, it wasn’t all “doom and gloom.” San Diego, 2050 Is Calling. How Will We Answer? combines an assessment of our region’s changing climate from regional experts and scientists, with practical opportunities to inspire regional action.

And, in many ways, our region has begun to answer the call. Already, all 19 local governments have completed greenhouse gas emissions assessments, and more than two-thirds are working on plans to reduce emissions. Business leaders, like Qualcomm with over 13,000 employees locally, are investing in energy efficiency and clean transportation projects. The Port, Airport, Navy and five cities around San Diego Bay developed the first-of-its-kind collaborative plan for adapting to sea level rise, and the San Diego County Water Authority is one of the few metropolitan water agencies nationwide incorporating projections from local climate scientists into water demand and supply planning.

Working together and investing today, and tackling these challenges head on, we know we can create that brighter future those kids are calling on us to achieve.