Marin Voice: County offers inspiration for the 2024 climate election

The climate emergency is here now. We must act to save our planet.

The November ballot is a “climate election.” If we do not aggressively implement clean energy programs by 2030, we risk entering a climate doomsday spiral with no end.

Our lives depend on us taking personal and conscious action between now and the election. We must make time to be outside in nature, embracing the beauty and wonder of our planet’s natural world. This daily reminder is essential and mandatory for our morale and motivation – to keep us inspired, alert and vigilant about supporting only those candidates on the ballot who will absolutely and aggressively address the climate energy crisis looming ahead.

As an environmental educator for over three decades and a teacher at the University of California, Berkeley, I’ve witnessed the transformative power of nature. Every time we interact with nature, we remember how much we love all the plants and animals we share our planet with – this inspires and motivates us to care for our environment and protect our natural resources. We remember why we want to save our planet.

I grew up in California and spent many years in the San Francisco Bay Area while studying at Cal. Years later, my husband worked in Las Vegas, where the heat became oppressive and intolerable to me. I longingly reminisced about the many hours of outdoor activities I enjoyed while living in the Bay Area’s temperate climate. I became consumed with returning, my heart dreaming of picnics in the parks and romping through the woods.

This time, I wanted to live in Marin County, which some say has less traffic, noise and congestion. My husband found work in San Francisco, moved into a motel and looked for a place for us to live. After two months, he discovered the perfect home in Indian Valley, an enclave in Novato. We moved into a charming cottage with a yard and a white picket fence. Nature embraced me. I felt renewed, refreshed and revitalized; my heart was singing and I was happy.

A 2-acre nursery next door bursted with lots of trees, flowering plants, cute chickens and endless aisles meandering through a nature-filled paradise. Several times a week, I would visit the owner and wander endlessly, intermingling with the nursery’s lush greenery. The garden wonderland enveloped me with its aroma and ambiance. Each time I wandered through the nursery’s pathways, I became peaceful and glowing – at one with nature.

The owner, Brian George, became a good friend and officiated our marriage in the nursery’s vine-covered pavilion, with flowers surrounding us with their gaiety and beauty. That magical moment with family, plants, flowers and friends still lingers in my memories and heart.

Nature surrounds the communities in Marin County – a rich diversity of natural beauty – including the ocean, bay, forests, hills, lakes and lush green urban spaces.

My husband and I would occasionally go to the lagoon at the Marin Civic Center for a tranquil break from our daily routine. Even though the freeway was closeby, the water, sunny sky and serenity of nature seemed to mask the frenzy of our lives.

We sat on the cool grass, merrily feeding the ever-hungry ducks and ducklings that raced up to greet us. I would sit and gaze at the calming water, absorbing nature’s peaceful presence. My heart embraced the endless beauty, freeing my mind from its inner turmoil for a moment’s rest.

In Marin, nature is right outside your door. Yes, the lush, vibrant natural world awaits you every day. However, you need to make use of this opportunity and consciously interact with nature.

Yes, we have yoga, work, meditation and family obligations, but for these few weeks before the election, please include nature in the daily agenda. Don’t relegate it only to weekends and vacations.

Taking time out of our hectic lives to embrace nature’s breathtaking majesty can lift our spirits, keep us inspired and motivate us to mail in our ballots, talk to our friends, go to the polls and support the most climate-friendly candidates who share our goals.

We will be doing our part, on a personal level, to protect all the people, plants and animals from further devastation and destruction caused by climate change.

Carole Ann Rollins, who works as an environmental educator, is a former Marin resident now living in Humboldt County. She is the recipient of the White House Millennium Green Award and the National Endowment for the Arts Public Education and Awareness Award.