I grew up near the coast of Los Angeles County, and I spent a lot of time on nature walks with my family at the beach, in the local mountains, and around our neighborhood. In high school, I started volunteering at a local marsh. As I was pulling weeds as part of habitat restoration efforts there, I felt a sense of peace, like I was doing a meditation. It was fall, which in Southern CA in 2008 felt like a time of fresh breezes and sunshine. Feeling the support of the earth underneath me and a sense of purpose in the habitat restoration work I was doing, I thought, “I want to do something like this as a job.”
My time growing up in nature as well as my desire to play a part in addressing global environmental issues like climate change led me to pursue a career in the environmental field. As an environmental educator, I believe that spending time in nature is a powerful tool for healing, wellness, and action. However, over the course of my lifetime, I have seen how climate change has affected my communities’ abilities to be outside safely.
In the fall of 2020 as we were in the midst of COVID-19, I was horrified to see gray ash raining down and the sky turning orange as a result of wildfires around us in California.
Feeling anxious and worried, I found myself constantly checking the Weather app on my phone to see if the air quality would ever be safe enough to go for a walk, but for days, the air quality remained at “Unhealthy” or “Very Unhealthy.” Being outdoors provided a source of peace and joy for myself and many others during shelter-in-place, and it was no longer safe. I felt cooped up and restless while also feeling grief for people in the mountains near me losing their homes to the fires.
Wildfires and other climate change disasters like floods and extreme heat will decrease our ability to access the outdoors safely, and are already jeopardizing people’s homes, livelihoods, and health.
According to the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication’s Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes, Spring 2023, most Americans think global warming is affecting many environmental problems in the United States at least “a little.” This includes three in four who think global warming is affecting extreme heat (75%) and about seven in ten who think global warming is affecting rising sea levels (72%), wildfires (71%), and droughts (71%).
All of these climate change-induced environmental problems are expected to increase in frequency and intensity over time. However, there is still reason for hope. I am encouraged by the many organizations, communities, and individuals working on climate mitigation and adaptation solutions. I am particularly inspired by the work toward a Just Transition, which is a set of principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy, particularly in the wake of climate change.
This past year, I joined the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, which is part of the Climate Justice Alliance. I have felt so much joy and hope working toward a Just Transition in community. As we have door knocked and talked to our neighbors about the impacts of climate change and efforts to decarbonize our economy, I felt like I was doing my part to address climate change. While we ate lunch at a local park after, I felt the goodness of being outside and resting after taking climate action. I believe that spending time outdoors can provide some of the rest, hope, and joy needed to sustain ourselves in this Just Transition work, and then that work will lead to our communities and outdoor spaces becoming more resilient to the effects of climate change.
Jenna Cobb (she/her) is passionate about facilitating spaces to cultivate relationship with nature and engaging youth in academic, advocacy, and faith-based settings to seek community transformation together. She is currently located on unceded Tongva land in the San Gabriel Valley of Southern California. As a Program Manager at Community Nature Connection and a former youth pastor, Jenna is excited about incorporating spirituality, Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and civics in environmental education.
