Within a lifetime, the climate in California has changed at a rate at which trees can’t keep up. This is the anthropocene, where human beings have become a factor in planetary systems.
Trees, like all living beings, need time and stability to grow. But these essentials are no longer available. And it’s not just my backyard trees that are threatened under a changing climate. Many people have been grieving from the news that we may have lost some of the most majestic coastal redwoods to these latest fires. These giants have stood for more than a thousand years.
For my generation, and the ones coming up behind us, the simple act of planting trees now requires a leap of faith. I worry about how long they will last before they are taken by drought or fire. And if we can’t plan for our trees’ future, how are we supposed to plan for our children’s?
" How Can We Plan for the Future in California?" | Leah C. Stokes | August 23, 2020 | The Atlantic
