One of my favorite George Harrison songs, Beware of Darkness, warns us to beware of darkness, hopelessness, and sadness. For those of us whose passion is to address the climate emergency by raising public awareness, George’s advice is good—indeed critical—counsel.

For me, I know despair is an easy trap to fall into. It’s hard not to despair after our elected officials, year after year, ignore climate science and the incontrovertible evidence in front of them and fail to make meaningful change. Even as local groundwater aquifers continue to be overpumped, extreme temperatures worsen, and fires and drought envelope our state. Even as scientists predict these trends to continue and, indeed, accelerate.

Over my 40-something years as an advocate for science and improvements in the human condition, I’ve watched and wondered: when will change come? When will those who are elected to represent us understand that the status quo of fossil fuel use, the geographic separation of jobs and housing, the inequity of historic zoning patterns, the preference of public policy for cars rather than bikes and feet—that we need to make profound, immediate changes?

I was buoyed by a recent essay How to fight climate despair in Vox. The essay calls attention to our power as residents and community members to active collectively and pressure elected officials for change.

“In America, “we have such a myth of individualism,” said Humboldt State’s Ray, also the author of A Field Guide to Climate Change: How to Keep Your Cool on a Warming Planet. That myth can make people feel “that they have no power, because they can’t do anything against such as something so big as climate change.” For many in climate movements, the antidote to that feeling—and the way to build real power—is to band together.“

For 24 years, this has been LandWatch’s mission: through grassroots community organizing, band people together and address the environmental, economic, and social challenges in our community.

Banding together brings hope. And hope is the best—perhaps the only durable—antidote for despair.

And this is what George Harrison artfully reminds us

“Watch out now, take care

Beware of the thoughts that linger

Winding up inside your head

The hopelessness around you

In the dead of night

Beware of sadness

It can hit you

It can hurt you

Make you sore and what is more

That is not what you are here for”

I hope—I love that word—you will encourage your friends to become part of the LandWatch community and support our efforts to band together for positive change. Because, indeed, that is what we (and you) are here for.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,



Michael D. DeLapa

Executive Director,

LandWatch Monterey County